Harold Kohn, the Philadelphia lawyer who was the architect of the modern-day class action, will be honored in memoriam this fall at Temple Law. On October 9, to mark what would have been Kohn\u2019s 100th birthday, Temple will host a lecture sponsored by Kohn\u2019s eponymous chaired professorship, and delivered by Delaware Chief Justice Leo E. Strine, Jr.<\/p>\n
Harold Kohn \u201cbrought many cases to protect ordinary people and their rights against government and big corporations,\u201d remembers former Temple Dean Robert J. Reinstein. \u201cHe was a remarkable man. Indeed, he is generally recognized as one of the most brilliant Philadelphia lawyers going back to Andrew Hamilton. I think his greatest accomplishment was being a principal creator of the modern class action. He turned [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23](b)(3) into . . . a powerful instrument in antitrust, securities and consumer cases. Harold was one of the first to understand that class certification was not merely a procedural device to consolidate individual claims but that it changed the entire nature of the litigation.\u201c<\/p>\n
Kohn became nationally famous for his innovative civil antitrust practice in the 1960s, famously (and successfully) suing firms ranging from electronics manufacturers to the timber industry.<\/p>\n
Though known as the \u201cgrandfather of class actions,\u201d Kohn also took on cases involving the First Amendment, privacy, zoning and commercial transactions.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Known as a titan of the Philadelphia Bar, Kohn was a member of Temple\u2019s Board of Trustees and a generous donor to the Law School.<\/p>\n
Len Barrack, Esq., LAW\u2019 68, one of Harold Kohn\u2019s many prot\u00e9g\u00e9s and a long-time colleague, credits Kohn with teaching him how to be a great lawyer. He cites Kohn as one of the great lawyers of the 20th century. The Kohn Chair was jointly endowed by the Barrack Foundation and the Kohn Foundation, co-directed by Kohn\u2019s widow, Edith Kohn, and his son, Joseph C. Kohn.<\/p>\n