Profile

Steven E. Pegalis ’65 began to act on behalf of injured plaintiffs in the 1960s and has personally tried many hundreds of medical liability and other tort liability cases. Although he has won lifetime trial lawyer achievement awards, he believes his greatest achievement has been a warm, personal relationship with clients who, despite grievous harm to them or their family, have received justice and their lives have been made financially easier.

More than 20 years ago, Professor Pegalis became a member of the New York Law School Board of Trustees. He has also functioned on the Academic Affairs Committee and has continuously taught the NYLS Medical Malpractice course. He is the author of the three-volume text—The American Law of Medical Malpractice (now in its 3rd Edition) and has authored papers while continuing to be an active trial attorney.

He was named the 2024 “Lawyer of the Year” by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Lawyers® for both Plaintiffs’ Medical Malpractice Law and Plaintiff’s Personal Injury Litigation for the Long Island, New York, region. He was named Long Island’s “Lawyer of the Year” for Plaintiffs’ Medical Malpractice Law in 2019 and 2016 as well, and was named Long Island’s “Lawyer of the Year” for Plaintiffs’ Personal Injury Litigation in 2017.

He has lectured extensively on medical/legal issues, and contributed his experience and viewpoint to numerous articles and publications. He is admitted to practice in New York, the U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit, and the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York.