February 2021 MCLE Luncheon via Zoom — Devin Burstein

Our next MCLE lunchtime program will be Thursday, February 11th at 12:00 pm, via Zoom Meeting. We are very pleased to have Devin Burstein, as our speaker for this lunchtime event.  

Devin Burstein, partner at Warren & Burstein, is our speaker for February, presenting: “A Glimmer of Hope: Federal Compassionate Release and the Pandemic”.

In this presentation Mr. Burstein will address the intersection of the pandemic and federal compassionate release, providing an overview of the process involved in seeking relief; practice tips; and will discuss what is really going on in federal prisons in terms of COVID-19. 

Mr. Burstein has provided our members with excellent past presentations, and you will not want to miss this topical and interesting program on February 11th.

Please mark you calendars for this 1.0 hr MCLE general participatory credit for attendees.

Information about our Speaker, Devin Burstein:

Mr. Burstein is the recipient of the San Diego Criminal Defense Bar Association’s award for appellate attorney of the year.  Licensed to practice in both California and New York, his work focuses on criminal defense, with a particular emphasis on appellate representation. He also maintains a select, civil-litigation practice, and is frequently retained by other attorneys seeking assistance with complex appeals and pre-trial motions.  He has amassed a lengthy record of victories in the trial court and on appeal.

Mr. Burstein graduated with honors from NYU, where he majored in philosophy. He attended the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, graduating Order of the Coif (top 10% of his class). He began practicing at the global law firm Proskauer Rose LLP. 

At Proskauer, Mr. Burstein focused on white-collar defense and civil litigation. He helped successfully defend a professional sports franchise owner in a major international arbitration and a boxer against an attempt to seize his position as mandatory challenger for the heavyweight championship of the world. In addition, Mr. Burstein developed expertise in reinsurance – including representing several executives during corporate and government investigations. He also represented (pro bono) juvenile delinquents in appealing their delinquency adjudications, and was a core member of the legal team seeking a posthumous presidential pardon for Jack Johnson, the first African-American Heavyweight Champion.

Mr. Burstein left Proskauer to serve as a judicial clerk for the Honorable Judith S. Kaye, then Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals (New York’s highest court). Viewing cases from the Judge’s perspective, Mr. Burstein gained invaluable insight into the most effective way to present an argument. He helped draft judicial decisions on a diverse array of criminal and civil issues, giving him an uncommonly broad range of experience.

With California calling, Mr. Burstein moved from New York to join the nationally renowned Federal Defender office in San Diego. He started as a trial attorney, representing clients in well over a hundred felony cases. He then transferred to the appellate department, where he continued defending his clients in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. In addition, he represented indefinite immigration detainees seeking release from custody, and assisted inmates challenging their convictions through habeas corpus in federal court.

Mr. Burstein left Federal Defenders to form Warren & Burstein.  The firm began with a simple purpose: to bring dedication, diligence, and determination to every case.  Mr. Burstein is firmly committed to that purpose. As a result, his clients benefit from the highest level of representation. 

Mr. Burstein has been recognized by the Legal Aid Society for outstanding legal services, and has published numerous articles, including:

• Samuel Seabury, The Judges of the Court of Appeals (Rosenblatt, ed.), Fordham Univ. Press (2007).
• Breed Specific Legislation: Unfair Prejudice and Ineffective Policy, 10 ANIMAL L. 313 (2004).
• The Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act: Its Problems and Remedies, Including the Possibility of a United States Boxing Administration, 21 CARDOZO ARTS & ENT. L.J. 433 (2003).
• Control of Defense and Litigation Guidelines, 16-11 MEALEY’S LIT. REP. INS. BAD FAITH 12 (2002).

Mr. Burstein lives with his wife and children in La Jolla, California. 

He can be reached directly at [email protected]