Rory Lancman
| Rory I. Lancman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the New York City Council from the 24th District | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2014 | |
| Preceded by | James F. Gennaro |
| Constituency | Queens: Fresh Meadows, Briarwood, Hillcrest, Jamaica Hills, Jamaica Estates, Kew Garden Hills. |
| Member of the New York State Assembly from the 25th District | |
| In office January 1, 2007 – December 31, 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Brian McLaughlin |
| Succeeded by | Nily Rozic |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 1, 1969[1] Queens, New York[1] |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Morgan |
| Children | three |
| Residence | Hillcrest, Queens |
| Alma mater | Queens College Columbia Law School |
| Profession | Lawyer, Politician |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Website | New York State Assembly, 25th District |
Rory I. Lancman (born March 1, 1969)[1] is a former New York State Assembly member who represented the 25th Assembly District in Queens from 2007-2013. He is currently the New York City Council-member elect in the 24th district.
Early life and career
Lancman was born and raised in Queens, where he has lived in what is now the 25th Assembly District for thirty-two years. He is a graduate of New York City Public School 164, Parsons Junior High School, and Hillcrest High School. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queens College (City University of New York) in 1991 and a Juris Doctor degree from Columbia Law School in 1995, to which he had transferred after a year at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.[1][2] He also served in the New York's 42nd Infantry Division.
Lancman served on Community Board 8 for over sixteen years, chairing first the Aging Committee and then the Youth & Education Committee. For five years he chaired the Queens Hospital Center Community Advisory Board, during which time he led the community's successful fight to rebuild the hospital and prevent its privatization. Additionally, Lancman was vice president of the Flushing Heights Civic Association, a board member of the Queens Jewish Community Council, a board member and chair of the legislative committee of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, a board member of the Brandeis Bar Association and a New York City Civil Court Small Claims Arbitrator. He continues to serve as a volunteer coach in the Auburndale Soccer League. Lancman served in New York’s own 42nd Infantry Division from 1988 to 1992, where he rose to the rank of First Lieutenant.[2]
Legislative career
First elected to the State Assembly in 2006, Lancman ran uncontested in the 2008 and 2010 general elections.[3][4] Lancman represented the 25th Assembly District in Queens, which includes the neighborhoods of Hillcrest, Fresh Meadows, Kew Gardens Hills, Parkway Village, Briarwood, Flushing, Bowne Park, Broadway-Flushing, Station Road, Auburndale, Kissena Park, Flushing Suburban, Hillcrest Estates, Jamaica Hills and Richmond Hill.
In September 2007, he was named one of City Hall's "40 under 40" for being a young influential member of New York City politics.[5]
Lancman wrote and passed 19 laws during his three terms in the New York State Assembly.[6] His legislation has focused on topics such as homeland security, economic fairness and workplace safety. His work has earned him a reputation as a serious legislator and an aggressive advocate for progressive causes.[7]
Several important homeland security laws were written and passed by Lancman between 2007-2010. Those laws include the Libel Terrorism Protection Act,[8] which protects journalists from overseas libel actions brought by politically motivated opponents, the Freedom to Report Terrorism Act,[9] which protects citizens who reasonably believe they are observing possible terrorist activity and report it to authorities from being sued for damages, and the Non-Profit Homeland Security Preparedness Study Act,[10] which promoted studies to assess the needs of non-profit institutions such as churches and synogages to maintain safety from terrorism. Lancman's Libel Terrorism Protection Act became a nation-wide model adopted by Congress, and Lancman spoke to the British Parliament about his efforts to combat libel tourism that often originates under Britain's commonly abused libel laws.[11]
Lancman also chairs the New York State Assembly Subcommittee on Workplace Safety.[12] Under his leadership, the committee has issued six substantive reports focusing on public sector workplace safety, emergency preparedness in the theater district, H1N1 risk for healthcare workers, and safe patient handling in nursing homes and hospitals. He also wrote and passed the Juvenile Justice Worker Protection Act,[13] which expanded workplace protections to workers in non-profit juvenile justice facilities. Lancman also advocated for the adoption of panic alert buttons in hotels after the Dominique Strauss-Kahn incident, which was later adopted by the hotel industry and the Hotel and Motel Trades Council in a later contract negotiation.[14]
Some of Lancman's other legislative accomplishments include the Access to Justice in Lending Act,[15] which allowed foreclosed-upon defendants who successfully defended their claim against an improper-foreclosure proceeding to receive attorneys fees to pay their legal expenses, and the Jury Pool Fair Representation Act,[16] which required further study on racial representation in jury pools.
2012 congressional campaign
In 2012, Lancman sought the Democratic nomination for New York's 6th congressional district. He faced New York City Council member Elizabeth Crowley and fellow Assembly member Grace Meng, and eventually lost to Meng. Up until the last moment, Rory's team thought they would win, but Meng went on to take it with over 50% of the vote. [17]
2013 City Council campaign
On November 19, 2012, Lancman declared his run for the 24th City Council district, seeking to succeed James F. Gennaro in the 2013 election.[18] Lancman defeated two other candidates in the primary and went on to win the general election in November 2013. He took office on January 1, 2014.
Personal life
Lancman lives in Hillcrest, Queens, with his wife Morgan and their three children.[1][2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Assembly Member Rory I. Lancman (NY)". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Assembly District 25, Rory I. Lancman: Biography". New York State Assembly. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
- ↑ "Election Results 2008: New York State Legislature". The New York Times. 2008.
- ↑ "Election Results 2010: New York State Legislature". The New York Times. 2010.
- ↑ Rising Stars 40 Under 40: Rory Lancman, City & State, September 17, 2007.
- ↑ "Lancman Counters O’Reilly’s Opening Salvos".
- ↑ "Democrat in Bid to Reclaim Weiner’s Seat From G.O.P.".
- ↑ "Libel Terrorism Protection Act bill summary".
- ↑ "Freedom to Report Terrorism Act bill summary".
- ↑ "Non-Profit Homeland Security Preparedness Study Act bill summary".
- ↑ "Lancman Gets British Props for Libel Law bill summary".
- ↑ "Assembly Subcommittee on Workplace Safety".
- ↑ "Juvenile Justice Worker Protection Act bill summary".
- ↑ "New York City Hotels Promise Employees Panic Buttons".
- ↑ "Access to Justice in Lending Act bill summary".
- ↑ "Jury Pool Fair Representation Act bill summary".
- ↑ "A Breakthrough Candidate and Rising Star". The New York Times. 2012.
- ↑ "Rory Lancman Launches Campaign for Jim Gennaro’s Seat". Politicker. 2012.
External links
| New York Assembly | ||
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| Preceded by Brian McLaughlin |
New York State Assembly, 25th District 2007–2013 |
Succeeded by Nily Rozic |
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