The Hustle Behind Goldman 

Jason Goldman was lured into the world of criminal defense when he began skipping class at Cardozo Law School to go down to Centre Street, where we are currently having coffee – to watch the likes of Gerald Shargel and others. He says that he became enthralled with the criminal underworld and the fascination of convincing “12 strangers” to believe his narrative as opposed to the government’s. Upon graduating, Jason was recruited to become a Brooklyn prosecutor, an office known for breeding scrappy trial lawyers. Here, he hustled, going desk to desk “in search of the biggest casefile that nobody wanted” and taking it to trial, honing his fundamentals and building his courtroom reputation. 

A Practice on Passion 

After a few years, Goldman jumped from the DA’s office to work for Jeffrey Lichtman and then ultimately opened up his own shop. Swiftly, he has become the go-to defense lawyer for society figures and those in the tabloids for all the wrong reasons. He built his name by taking on clients 

“from all walks of life and doing right by them.” Given his trajectory, it’s clear he did right by them. The attorney likes to say he represents “all collars” – a single day can include defending an accused murderer and a C-suite executive charged with bank fraud. Goldman says trial lawyering, regardless of the charges, is about “telling a persuasive, emotional and compelling story about an individual.” 

After representing former New York Ranger Sean Avery, his first true breakthrough case came in the matter of Jordan Williams, an individual catapulted into the national limelight following a subway homicide. Referred by an old client, Goldman aggressively took over the case, keeping the media on his side while working to secure a complete dismissal of all charges in a matter of weeks. Asked about his career making case, Goldman says that he considers “the first time someone needed me” to be his first big case, but concedes that Williams’ matter “touched upon a bigger conversation around race, homelessness, and politics in the city – I gravitate towards cases which have a bigger meaning for society outside the four corners of an Indictment.”

Regarding courtroom victories, Goldman points to what many don’t see – the late, lonely hours committing a three-hour summation to memory. Still, Goldman exudes a certain level of instinctual confidence “once the trial bell rings,” relaying that the jury “looks at how you carry yourself, your persona and your credibility, and in turn they naturally start to find your client credible too, which can make unwinnable cases winnable.” 

Empathy is Key 

Goldman stresses that he is always humanizing his clients – “a lot of my success is taking a supposed villain of society and implying to a jury, ‘look, you don’t need to have dinner with the guy to find him not guilty.” At the end of the day, Goldman says, “even those accused of the worst crimes, you go down to their core and they have the same blood running through them, the same emotion and empathy, the same fears and vulnerabilities that we all have.” 

Goldman points to another case in his career, that of Rashaun Weaver, a young black kid who stabbed and killed a white college girl in Morningside Park. “Probably my most unpopular client ever.” Goldman recalls originally reading about the case, naturally thinking that only a cold-blooded individual could commit such a senseless crime. But he did an about face as he learned about Weaver’s impoverished upbringing with a father who kept firearms and drugs in his house. Goldman recalls seeing pictures of a playful 11-year-old Weaver only a year before the crime, in a more nuclear household through a social services program. Weaver’s smiling face, “learning how to swim and eating an ice cream cone like any normal kid” moved Goldman emotionally. Goldman realized that “had Weaver grown up 20 blocks south, on the Upper East Side, as opposed to his lawless reality in East Harlem,” he simply wouldn’t have committed this crime. “People aren’t predisposed to be criminals,” Goldman says. “Usually, it’s where and how they grew up, who they were surrounded by. This kid never stood a chance. Despite the death threats, I’d defend him all over again.” Weaver pled guilty and was sentenced 14 years to life. 

The Lifeline 

When asked why he thinks his career has taken off recently, he reverts right back to his passion. “When I quote a client, they know that it doesn’t just mean they get me 9-5. What kind of retainer would that be? They get me at midnight, on the weekends. I defend them as if it’s a family member.” 

Goldman typically carries around twenty cases and another ten or so “situations – people who have problems that need to go away, which the public will never hear about.” His network and his clients have started to tap him for more general legal work, which he has agreed to take on so long as he always “stays in the action” and satisfies his burning desire to defend those being prosecuted by the government. “It’s simply the loneliest chair in the world,” Goldman says. He continues on, “to hear the words ‘not guilty’ while sitting next to someone who is facing a life behind bars is like walking on water.”

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You may recognize attorney Arthur Aidala from his many television appearances, most prominently as a longtime legal commentator analyzing complex cases for Fox News, as well as Fox 5, New York 1, and various other news outlets. What you may not know is that the man you’ve seen on TV is one of New York City’s top Trial lawyers, taking on some of the highest-profile cases in recent history. His firm, Aidala, Bertuna & Kamins, has handled Harvey Weinstein’s criminal and civil cases, Alan Dershowitz’s Federal defamation case, 50 Cent’s civil litigation case, and Ghislaine Maxwell’s appeal. His firm also represents Rudy Giuliani in attempt to salvage his license to practice law. In the past, Aidala has represented President of Fox News Roger Ailes, former US representative Anthony Weiner, NY Giants Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor and Dream Hotelier Vikram Chatwal during their times of crisis.

The Power Hour

Blending his courtroom experience with his perspective as a lifetime New Yorker, Aidala is now the host of his own radio show: The Arthur Aidala Power Hour. Tune in to AM970 The Answer every weekday between 6 and 7pm to listen in on the renowned attorney’s discussions with high-profile guests regarding the law, politics, New York living, health and wellness, entertainment and more. Aidala has had guests that span from Mayor Adams, former Mayor Bill DeBlasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo to Megyn Kelly, Bill O’Reilly and Rudy Giuliani. The show is also rebroadcasted on all podcast platforms. Aidala hopes the combination of his contributions in the legal field as well as educating the community through the Arthur Aidala radio show will make significant contributions to make our state the best it can be.

Ambitions To Be an Actor

Despite his stellar legal career, that started at the Brooklyn D.A.’s office, Aidala did not originally want to enter the legal profession. He really wanted to be an actor and even studied theater both in his high school at Poly Prep and in college at SUNY Purchase. However, Aidala ultimately decided to go to law school and follow in the footsteps of his father, a former Manhattan Assistant District Attorney. “Shortly after joining the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office, I got to fulfill my theatrical dreams by writing, producing, directing and starring in my summations at the end of trials,” Aidala laughs. “When you’re on trial and you’re in front of twelve jurors, one of the challenges is to hold their attention. A lot of the theater skills that I learned about body-positioning and voice intonations and using your arms and your hands, and your voice have definitely helped me in front of jurors and judges throughout the years.” 

Diverse Practice, Helping People

Aidala doesn’t take on high-profile cases for the notoriety. “I became a lawyer to help people,” he says. “Anyone that becomes an Assistant District Attorney, doesn’t do that for wealth, fame or fortune, and that was one of my initial forays in the profession and I loved it. I had tremendous role models there regarding ethics and morals and values,” Aidala says. His own father, with whom Aidala worked alongside after starting his own firm, and late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, are among those who inspired his passion for service. “With the exception of time with my family, nothing really is equivalent to that feeling of gratification I get when I help a fellow human being in their most desperate time of need,” he explains.

Giving Back

Several years ago he took on the Brigitte Harris case, a young woman who killed her abusive father, as he was greatly moved by her situation. Not only did he work pro bono, but also convinced all the experts who testified to waive their fees because she did not have the funds. “The facts of that case were so horrific, and it was very gratifying when we achieved such positive results for her,” Aidala says. Aidala also represented Maritza Ramos, the widow of slain Detective Rafael Ramos, as she launched The Detective Rafael Ramos Foundation, which he says was a highlight of his career. “It was an opportunity to help a family who just had the ultimate tragedy do something good for the community,” he says. Aidala used his local news contacts to help get the word out, and when the foundation held its first fundraising event it was with Mariano Rivera as its star. The organization aims to raise awareness of the dangers faced by law enforcement officers and to better connect officers with the community, and to support families who have lost loved ones working in that profession. This November, Aidala will be named the Humanitarian of the Year at the Detective Rafael Ramos foundation. Also being honored at the gala will be the New York Police Commissioner Edward Caban and Chief of the New York Police Department Jeffrey Maddrey. 

Aidala, Bertuna & Kamins

Aidala also works on corporate business deals, putting together, as he describes it, “the guy who sells the tires with the guy who sells the cars.” Partners and associates in his firm, Aidala, Bertuna & Kamins, are work on a wide array of legal specialties, including personal injury law, real estate, civil litigation and appellate law. Members of the firm include three former Supreme Court judges, Honorable Barry Kamins, Honorable John Leventhal and the Honorable David Lewis. “It’s a full-service law firm,” Aidala says.

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