Leo Frederick Rayfiel (March 22, 1888 – November 18, 1978) was a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together the ...

from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and a

United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district, which each cover one U.S. state or, in some cases, a portion of a state. Each district cou ...

of the

United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (in case citations, E.D.N.Y.) is the federal district court whose territorial jurisdiction spans five counties in New York State: the four Long Island counties of Nassau, ...

Education and career

Born in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

, Rayfiel received a

Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of ...

from

New York University School of Law New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is the law school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. Established in 1835, it is the oldest law school in New York City and the oldest surviving law school in Ne ...

in 1908. He

read law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under th ...

in 1918. He was in private practice of law in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Kings County is the most populous Administrative divisions of New York (state)#County, county in the State of New York, ...

, New York from 1918 to 1945. He was a member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

from 1939 to 1944. He was a

from New York from 1945 to 1947.

Congressional service

Rayfiel was elected as a Democrat to the

79th United States Congress The 79th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1945, ...

, reelected to the

80th United States Congress The 80th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1947, ...

and served from January 3, 1945, until his resignation on September 13, 1947, to accept a federal judgeship.

Federal judicial service

Rayfiel was nominated by President Harry S. Truman on June 30, 1947, to a seat on the

vacated by Judge

Grover M. Moscowitz Grover M. Moscowitz (August 31, 1886 – March 31, 1947) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Education and career Born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Moscowitz received a Bache ...

. He was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and ...

on July 23, 1947, and received his commission on July 30, 1947. He assumed

senior status Senior status is a form of semi- retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of service as a federal judge must be at leas ...

on March 4, 1966. His service was terminated on November 18, 1978, due to his death in Wayne,

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...

. He was interred in Wellwood Cemetery in West Babylon, New York.

Family

Screenwriter David Rayfiel (1923–2011) was his son.

References

Sources

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rayfiel, Leo F 1888 births 1978 deaths 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American judges New York University School of Law alumni Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York United States district court judges appointed by Harry S. Truman Jewish members of the United States House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) Burials at Wellwood Cemetery