Tribute to


Max Israelson by Stuart M. Salsbury


The measure of a great man is not neces- sarily what he has accomplished for himself, but rather what he has done in his lifetime to help others. In a remarkable career spanning over 60 years as a lawyer, Max R. Israelson, who died October 12, 2000, championed the cause of the unfortunate, the injured, the wid- owed, the maimed and the parentless and helped right what would otherwise be unrightable wrongs. As the consummate trial lawyer, he fought for justice for his clients of- ten creating new precedents and using innovative trial advocacy techniques to bring about victory.


The only son of Michael and Sarah


Israelson, Max was a product of East Baltimore and a graduate of Forest Park High School. Working at his father’s hardware store as a young man, he developed a rapport with the people who frequented it and developed a bond with them that would serve him well as a trial lawyer. He later graduated from the University of Maryland and the University of Baltimore Law School at age 19, but was too young to take the Bar. When he finally reached the required age of 21, he passed and began his rise to stardom as a trial lawyer. He associ- ated, at first, with some of the top trial lawyers in Baltimore, including Harry O. Levin and Albert Sklar before starting his own law firm which has been an institution prominent in the Baltimore legal community for over 50 years, and currently bears the name Israelson, Salsbury, Clements & Bekman, L.L.C. Max’s philosophy as a trial lawyer was: be meticulous in the fact gathering and investi- gation of your case, master the law and leave no detail to chance. He did not feel that a true trial lawyer by his oratory or brains alone would be successful. He was a staunch be- liever that perseverance, tenacity, hard work and a belief in your client’s cause would win the day. His theory served him well and he amassed victory after victory in the courtroom, often going many years at a time without a loss. Insurance carriers and defense lawyers


quickly recognized Max’s talents and usually sent only the best of the defense bar to chal- lenge him.


This lead to some legendary


courtroom dramas with such notable defense lawyers as Jeffrey Smith, King Hill, Sam Smolkin and Fred Green, to name only a few. As a young trial lawyer with Max as my men- tor, I learned quickly to expect fireworks in the courtroom. No trial with Max was dull. Monumental confrontations with witnesses, defense attorneys, and even judges were com- monplace. From the opening statement, Max


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fought to establish a domineering presence in the courtroom that would captivate a jury. In cross-examination, he battled each defense wit- ness like a gladiator struggling for his life. Few witnesses who endured an Israelson cross-ex- amination ever left the stand unscathed. One nationally prominent doctor who was a de- fense expert for a large drug company in a product liability case commented after he faced Max on cross-examination that he had never been so eviscerated on the witness stand. Through all of this, Max’s motivation was that he was fighting for horribly injured clients who could only get justice if he were strong and forceful. His sense of protecting victims rights lead


to his involvement in the formation of national and state organizations for plaintiffs’ attorneys dedicated to this cause. As one of the founders of what is now the Association of Trial Law- yers of America, Max worked together with other prominent plaintiffs’ attorneys through- out the country to form a cohesive association that could counter the insurance industry’s attacks and attempts to erode victim’s rights and remedies.


In 1959 - 1961, he served as


the National Chairman of the Tort Section of that organization, as well as a member of its Board of Governors for many years. On the state level, Max realized that the only way victim’s rights could be locally preserved would be for plaintiffs’ lawyers to band together in a unified organization that would not only work together toward that goal, but would also teach trial skills, advocacy techniques and develop comradery among plaintiff ’s attorneys throughout the state.


In 1954, he founded


the Maryland Trial Lawyers Association and was elected its first president. Over the years, Max encouraged his partners to participate in the MTLA and his law firm has provided five presidents to that organization. As a mentor and teacher, Max was a tough


task master. He demanded perfection, dedi- cation, a strong work ethic, ingenuity and empathy toward the client. Woe be it to the associate who presented him with a slipshod legal analysis, an incomplete investigation or a file that was not thorough and up to date. If any of these events occurred, he would usu- ally start his conversation with you with the phrase, “Didn’t you think that . . .”, quickly making you realize that you had not performed to the standards that he demanded and ex- pected for his clients. The diversity and complexity of Max’s cases


over the years is often not recognized. While automobile collision cases were his mainstay, he was one of the first Maryland attorneys to


Trial Reporter


regularly handle medical malpractice and prod- uct liability cases. In the malpractice arena, he often faced the pre-eminent malpractice defense attorney, John King, and the battles, more often than not, turned out to be a clash of the titans. In the product liability field, Max dueled with the likes of General Motors, Upjohn Pharmaceutical and Ford Motor Company.


Beyond the field of negligence,


Max handled antitrust cases, trademark in- fringement cases, high profile divorce cases and cases involving breaches of fiduciary duty. One of his more notable cases was against Carrol Rosenbloom, then owner of the Baltimore Colts, for breach of fiduciary duty to his father’s estate. He successfully recovered a sub- stantial sum for one of Mr. Rosenbloom’s sisters who was a beneficiary of the estate. Max’s achievements as a great trial lawyer


were recognized when Baltimore Magazine included him in their first list of Baltimore’s Best Lawyers. On the national level, he was listed in the prestigious publication “Best Law- yers in America”, in several editions. He was also selected as a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. Max’s outside activities reflected his breadth


of knowledge and skill. He was an outstand- ing bridge player and, not surprisingly, a fierce and tenacious tennis player, who was noted for his close line calls. At one time in his youth, he even won the state championship in ping- pong. As a real estate investor, he displayed the same acumen and savvy that he exhibited as a trial lawyer. When he took up a “hobby”, he went at it with his usual unparalleled en- thusiasm and dedication. As a collector of fine art, he acquired original oils of Renoir, Monet, Degas, Chagall and Bonnard. Equally an avid antique car collector, he had owned over the years such prized vehicles as a 1959 Rolls Royce, a rare 1957 four door Triumph, a 1929 Cadillac, and a 1934 Packard. His participation in civic activities was also


an important part of his life as was his philan- thropy. For years, he was a board member of the Associated Jewish Charities, the Jewish Museum of Maryland and the Jewish Com- munity Center.


In Florida, he was very


instrumental in the building fund of Temple Sinai in North Dade County. Max also spent a great deal of time in helping to develop a paralegal program at Villa Julie College. A devoted family man, Max, was married


to his loving wife Bernice for 59 years, and was extraordinarily proud of his two children, Stuart and Wendy and his grandchildren Jay and Lara.


Winter 2001


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