Charles D. Steinman Esq.

Mr. Steinman has been litigating cases in the Rochester area for over 36 years. He began his legal career in the Monroe County Public Defender's Office in 1974, remaining there as Special Assistant Public Defender until 1983, when he joined the New York State Attorney General's Office. In 1995, he joined the City of Rochester Corporation Counsel's Office as a Municipal Attorney, and re-joined the Attorney General's Office in 1999 as the Deputy Assistant Attorney General in Charge of the Rochester Regional Office. In, 2002 Mr. Steinman received the Louis J. Lefkowitz Memorial Award for outstanding service. In 2005, Mr. Steinman joined the law firm of Harris Beach, PLLC, as Senior Counsel, specializing in various types of civil litigation. He is also on the faculty of the University of Rochester as Associate Professor of Law and Psychiatry.

Mr. Steinman received his Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude from the State University of New York at Binghamton in 1971, and his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the Syracuse University College of Law in 1974. He lives in Fairport with his wife, Shelly, who is a Registered Nurse specializing in operating room procedures.

We are honored to have him work with us and value his commitment to the law and his community.

A Message from Mr. Steinman

When you've been practicing law for as long as I have, sometimes you wonder how and why it all started. I didn't dream about being a lawyer- in fact, until I was a junior in college, I didn't have the vaguest idea what I wanted to do. My dad was a carpenter, but I knew I had neither the skill nor the inclination for that profession. But, his parents were lawyers, as were both of his brothers and most of my cousins. Maybe it was that family background that led me to law school. No matter what it was, I soon found out that it was a perfect fit for me. I loved researching and strategizing cases, arguing before courts and, most of all, helping people with their legal problems. I couldn't imagine doing anything else with my life.

When I was eligible to retire from the Attorney General's Office, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. In the end, I concluded that what was most important to me hadn't really changed at all since I started practicing. I still wanted to help people and use the legal system to better their lives. I'm thrilled to be at Kammholz Messina, with my old friends Brad and Alice (I worked with Alice at the Corporation Counsel's Office and my sister-in-law was even her first child's baby-sitter). It's a real group effort around here and I love discussing cases and issues with two gifted lawyers like them.

I love to spend time with Shelly, spending time puttering around the house, boating and fixing up old cars. But I truly believe this is what is what I was meant to do and I still can't imagine doing anything else.