Michael P. Koskoff, scion of a legendary lawyer, who wielded legal skills to increase staffing levels of blacks and Hispanics discriminated in Bridgeport’s public safety ranks, has passed away.
The law firm Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder issued this statement:
“It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of a dear friend, colleague and mentor. Michael P. Koskoff spent his entire career working to thwart injustice, stop corporate and governmental abuse, and give a strong voice to the disenfranchised. For those of us who were privileged to work with Michael on a daily basis, he was a constant source of inspiration–and creative approaches to complex issues. His dedication, his energy, his optimism, and his courage will be missed by us all.”
In 2017 Koskoff and his screenwriting son Jacob premiered the riveting story of Bridgeport attorney Sam Friedman and Thurgood Marshall defending a black chauffeur accused of rape by his white employer in her Greenwich mansion then gagging her and pushing her off a bridge. Decades before appointment as the first black on the Supreme Court, Marshall was an attorney for the NAACP. The movie tells the story of the legal bond between Marshall and a young Jewish lawyer defending a black man before an all-white jury in Bridgeport in 1940. The defendant Joseph Spell was found not guilty.
CT Post court reporter Dan Tepfer has more:
A lion of the state’s legal system roars no more.
Michael P. Koskoff, who for more than 40 years defended people’s civil rights and protected residents from medical malpractice, died Wednesday morning with his family at his side. He was 77.
… “It is thrilling to have participated in one of the important trials of the last 50 years,” Koskoff said later in an interview. “My father and I set out to prove that a black radical could receive a fair trial and we succeeded. We did our part and fought for our client’s right to a fair trial. The system worked.”
Shortly after that trial, a group of black Bridgeport police officers asked Michael Koskoff to represent them in a civil rights case against the department.
The case, Bridgeport Guardians v. Civil Service Commission, resulted in a court order requiring the city to hire and promote more minorities in the police department.
Full story here.
77 IN BRIDGEPORT WIN $5 MILLION IN BIAS LAWSUIT
https://www.nytimes.com/1984/05/05/nyregion/77-in-bridgeport-win-5-million-in-bias-lawsuit.html
Thank you Mike,
My sincere condolences to the family of Michael Koskoff, may God be pleased with his time on earth. Michael Koskoff changed my life with Michael Rosen when they sued the city on behalf of Black’s and Puerto Ricans for our entry into the Bridgeport Fire Department.
Mere words can never convey how grateful I am for what he did for me and others. Michael Koskoff because of you I am. You will always be my hero Michael and because of your kindness I knew that my legacy in the BFD would be to do what you did, to help others live the American dream. Thank you again my Brother.
Don, you sum it good, Mike and Dave gave us all hope by just listening to them. They told us what to expect and for us to work hard and do our best well before the case was won. They also told us why we had to join the International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters and for us to form our own organization. Mike was such a easy going man and I’m truly grateful for his vision because he saw things for us that we didn’t think was possible. My condolences to Mike’s family and again, thanks Mike for changing my life and the hopes and dreams for so many of who became firefighters and police officers.
It is a strange thing about the passing of such a man as Michael Koskoff. When good women or men die after a life pursuing justice for all, learning for others, good healthcare, workplace leadership, excellence in governance, and safety for all in their personal pursuits, we find ourselves diminished by that loss certainly. Sometimes we feel sorry for ourselves as well as those close to the departed. Perhaps we should acknowledge the excellence we have experienced locally and share with others the enhanced expectation we have that these good practices shall continue. Share the story. It is a way to actively honor the departed and the principles we know we will miss. Time will tell.
From Whence He Came. Condolences to his family and firm.
Sincere condolences on behalf of Antinozzi Associates.