Background
Oliensis, Sheldon was born on March 19, 1922 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.
Oliensis, Sheldon was born on March 19, 1922 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.
He attended the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Law School, where he was president of the Harvard Law Review.
In addition to his private practice, Oliensis was highly involved in public service. He served a president of the Bar from 1988 to 1990, and he was instrumental in establishing Volunteers of Legal Service (VOLS), the Bar’s pro bono legal service organization. He was also a president of the Legal Aid Society from 1973 to 1975, was chair of the New York City Conflict of Interest Board, a director of the Fund for Modern Courts, and a director of the East Harlem Tutorial Program.
Sheldon Oliensis died of cancer at his home in Manhattan on May 14, 2001. He was 79 years old.
Trustee Harvard Law School Association, 1973-1977, 1st vice president, 1980-1982, president, 1982-1984, trustee, New York City, 1962-1965, vice president, 1972-1973, president, 1978-1979. National chairman Harvard Law School Fund, 1973-1975. Member Harvard University overseers commission to visit law school, 1981-1987.
Special master appellate division 1st department New York State Supreme Court, 1983-1989, 91-. Screening panel appellate division first department Capital Defense Office, since 1998. Board directors Legal Aid Society, 1969-1988, president, 1973-1975.
Vice-chairman New York City Cultural Council, 1968-1975. Board directors Cultural Council Foundation, 1968-1988, president, 1968-1972, vice president, 1972-1982. Board directors Park Association New York City, Inc., 1963-1973, Executive Committee, 1967-1973, president, 1965-1967.
Board directors Gateway School, New York City, 1968-1983, chairman of the board of trustees, 1968-1970. Director officer Wiltwyck School for Boys, Inc., 1951-1971. Board directors East Harlem Tutorial Program, 1972-1980, Fund for Modern Court Justices, 1979-1991, New York Lawyers for Public Interest, 1980-1985, 91-94, Volunteers of LegalSvc.
Inc., since 1984, president, 1984-1987, trustee Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, 1978-1991. Fellow American College Trial Lawyers. Member of New York State Bar assosiation, New York County Lawyers Association, Association of Bar of City of New York (Executive Committee 1961-1965, vice president 1974-1975, 86-87, president 1988-1990, Chairman of Commission state legislation 1959-1961, committee revision of constitution and by-laws 1965-1966, committee electric power and environmental 1971-1974, commission on grievances 1975-1978, commission on access to legal services 1982-1987, commission on fee disputes and conciliation 1987-1989, nominating committee 1991, member task force on New York state constitution convention 1994-1996).