Background
Magavern, James L. was born on February 1, 1933 in Buffalo. Son of Samuel D. and Gertrude (Lewis) Magavern.
Magavern, James L. was born on February 1, 1933 in Buffalo. Son of Samuel D. and Gertrude (Lewis) Magavern.
Dartmouth College; University of Buffalo (Bachelor of Laws, cum laude, 1959).
Worked at Magavern, Magavern & Grimm, Limited liability partnership (Buffalo, New York) specializing in General Civil Practice. Trials and Appeals, Corporate, Taxation, Estate Planning, Probate, Trusts, Health Care, Real Estate, Insolvency, Creditors Rights, Canadian Commerce, Municipal Law, Industrial Development, Commercial Lending, Insurance Defense, Labor, Transportation, Pension and Profit-Sharing, Negligence, Family Law and Domestic Relations, Construction, Environmental and Products Liability Law. Admitted to the bar, 1959, New New York
1975, United States.
Supreme Court. Editor-in-Chief, Buffalo Law Review, 1958-1959. Author: "Physical Planning Law in the Philippines: The Need for Legislation," 43 Philippine Law Journal, 571, 640, 1968.
"The Evolution and Extension of the New York Law of Inverse Condemnation," 24 Buffalo Law Review, 273-316, 1975. Company-author: Chapter, "De Facto Takings and Monetary Damages," with Robin J. Chapman, Warren"s Weed New York Real Property, Matthew Bender & Company, 1994.
"Law, Urban Development and the Poor in Developing Countries," Washington University Law Quarterly, 45-111, 1975.
Assistant and Associate Professor, 1966-1971 and Adjunct Professor of Law, 1972, State University of New York at Buffalo. Assistant Attorney General, New York State, 1959-1962. County Attorney, Erie County, 1972-1976.
Senior Fellow, The East-West Center, Honolulu, Program on Law and the City, 1974-1975.
Counsel to the Comptroller of the State of New York, 1978-1980. President, Erie County Bar Association, 1982-1983.
Member, New York State Commission on Government Integrity, 1987-1989. Member: American Bar Association.
Magavern, Magavern & Grimm, Limited liability partnership, founded in 1820, is Buffalo"s longest established law firm.
We provide a wide range of legal services to business and individual clients. Large enough to provide skilled specialization, we continue to value integrity and close attention to the particular needs of each client. We are dedicated to providing sound legal advice guided only by the best interests of our clients.
Past board directors Friendship House, Lackawanna, Community Music School, Legal Aid Buffalo, Buffalo and Erie County Young Men’s Christian Association, Buffalo Hearing and Speech Center. Member New York Commission on Government Integrity, 1987-1990. Chairman panel to review Code of Ethics City of Buffalo, 1986-1987.
Member Erie County Fiscal Advisory Commission. Married Citizens Advisory Council to Public Service Commission, 1976-1979. Chairman Buffalo Stadium Design Advisory Committee, 1984.
Former co-chairman Citizens Council Human Relations. Board directors Excellas Health Care Plan, chair western New York regional board, Buffalo Zoological Society, New York Fair Election Project, Inc., Legal Aid Society Buffalo, Inc. Chair City of Buffalo Charter Revision Commission, 1998-1999.
Member board of ethics City of Buffalo. Dean's advisory council State University at Buffalo Law. With United States Army, 1954-1956.
Member American Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, Erie County Bar Association (president 1982-1983), Association Asian Studies (chairman committee on Asian law 1978-1980), Erie County Charter Revision Commission (vice-dean 2005-2006).
Married 1955; children: David, William, Margareg, Samuel.