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Cory H Morris

Law Office of Cory H. Morris 135 Pinelawn Road, Suite 250s Melville, NY 11747 Practice Area(s): Criminal Defense, Civil Rights call (631) 450-2515 fax (631) 223-7377 visit website

Biographical Information Admission Dates & Jurisdictions Education Professional Experience Honors & Awards Publications Service Activities

Biographical Information

Named a Superlawyer, Cory Morris is admitted to practice in New York State, the Eastern District of New York and the Southern District of New York. He is also admitted to practice law in Florida State. He was named top 40 under 40 by the Long Island Business News and named top 30 under 30 by the Huntington Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Morris is an advocate for equality, civil rights and social justice within the legal community. In recognition of this, Mr. Morris is the recipient of an Equality Award at the Suffolk County New York Civil Liberties Union 50th Anniversary Gala and the New York State Bar Empire Justice Award for Pro Bono work. He is focused on helping people charged with a crime, regardless of the allegations, and helping people vindicate their rights to be free from unreasonable government intrusion and excessive force. The Law Offices of Cory H. Morris focuses on helping individuals facing addiction and criminal issues, accidents and injuries, and, lastly, accountability issues.

Mr. Morris is familiar with the issues surrounding Long Island and has an advanced background in psychology, serving as an Adjunct at Adelphi University. He attended college on Long Island, starting at Nassau Community College, obtaining his Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Adelphi University in 2008 and his Master’s Degree from Adelphi’s Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies in 2010. During his graduate degree, his concentration was on forensic psychology, substance abuse, and impulsive disorders. He obtained an assistantship with Dr. Larry Josephs, was published in the Encyclopedia of the History of Psychological Theories and contributed to Adelphi’s scholarship, working with a doctoral student and post-doctoral professor in developing his thesis titled “Impulsivity in the form of Suicidality in Borderline Personality Disorder.”

Mr. Morris graduated Touro College at the top of his class, was a Dean’s List recipient and received both the David A. Berg Public Interest Fellowship and the Howard Glickstein Public Interest Fellowship. He served as President of the American Civil Liberties Union student group, vice president of the criminal justice society at Touro College and was a member of Touro’s International Law Review. He also participated in the Center for Restorative Practices, the Unemployment Action Center, and other student groups and public interest organizations. During his tenure at Touro College, he volunteered with both the Mississippi Center for Justice and with Malik Rahim’s Common Ground organization in Louisiana. He successfully helped nearly a dozen unemployment claimants at administrative hearings, receiving an award for outstanding advocate, helped high school students facing school suspension hearings, and worked as a live chat operator to help low-income New Yorkers obtain free legal services and representation from pro bono attorneys. He is also the recipient of several awards for pro bono legal services as well as the Brian Lord Memorial Award for his demonstrated commitment to public interest.

Currently on appeal, the Matter of Rosasco v. St James Fire District et al (Sup. Court, Suffolk County), was a successful (Freedom of Information Law, FOIL) social justice litigation which resulted in the Respondents producing a report regarding the sale of the historic St. James Fire House. Upon release of the report and consistent with the contents within that report, the voters rejected  the proposed sale of the firehouse. The matter is on appeal to determine whether the Supreme Court, inter alia, appropriately denied an award of reasonable attorney’s fees and utilized the appropriate standard of review on a motion to dismiss an Article 78 petition seeking the release of public records.

A notable victory was In the Matter of Law Offices of Cory H. Morris, appellant, v County of Nassau, et al., respondents, a decision which held, inter alia, “to the extent that a TPVA record concerns the nonadjudicatory responsibilities of the TPVA, it is not exempt from disclosure under the definition of “agency” in Public Officers Law § 86(3).” The office also successfully opposed a School District’s motion to hide surveillance footage capturing a school-incident, the choking of a student by a security guard, vis-a-vis a protective Order in Edmond v. Longwood CSD et al, 2:16-cv-02871-JFB-AYS, Document 55 (EDNY 04/17/17), a case where the Court found that “The District Defendants have provided this Court with no independent factual basis, nor case law, to issue a protective order other than the spectre that Plaintiffs may release the footage to the public.

Admission Dates & Jurisdictions

Admitted to Practice Law in New York, Florida State Bar, the Southern District of Florida and the Eastern and Southern District Courts of New York, The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; CASAC-T

Education

Adelphi University

Touro Law Center

Professional Experience

Adelphi University, Garden City, NY                                                                                   November, 2014 – Present

Adjunct Professor

Graduate and Undergraduate teacher: Adelphi’s Business School, Adelphi’s Criminal Justice Program and Adelphi’s Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies. 

The Law Offices of Cory H. Morris, Dix Hills, NY                                                                        June, 2014 – Present

Attorney and Counselor at Law

Founding attorney of general practice law firm focusing on social justice issues.

Samaritan Daytop Village, Huntington, NY                                                                 September, 2017 – June, 2018

Internship for CASAC-T/CASAC Certification; 

The Law Office of Frederick K. Brewington, Hempstead, NY                                              May 2013 – June, 2014

Associate Attorney and Counselor at Law

Suffolk County Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union, Central Islip, NY        March 2013 – May 2013; July 2011 – December 2012      

The Civil Rights Litigation Clinic, Touro Law Center, Central Islip, NY                     August 2012 – December 2012; August 2011 – December 2011

The Law Office of Frederick K. Brewington, Hempstead, NY                            September 2012 – December 2012

The Federal Defenders of the Eastern District of New York, Central Islip, NY         June 2012 – September 2012

Unemployment Action Center, Touro Law Center, Central Islip, NY                   November 2010 – September 2012

Huntington Town Attorney’s Office, Huntington, NY                                                   July 2011 – September 2011

 

Honors & Awards

  • 40 Under 40 Award, Long Island Business News
  • 30 Under 30 Award, Huntington Chamber of Commerce
  • 2013 Equality Award, New York Civil Liberties Union
  • Various Pro Bono Awards (Touro Law Center, New York State Bar Association, Etc.)
  • Brian Lord Public Interest Graduation Award Recipient
  • Berg Public Interest Fellowship Recipient
  • Howard Glickstein Public Interest Fellowship Recipient
  • Dean’s List Recipient, Spring 2012 – Fall 2012
  • Cali Award for Academic Excellence: Selected Topics in New York Criminal Procedure; Criminal Law II; and The Civil Rights Litigation Clinic II
  • Dean’s List Recipient, Fall 2007 – Fall 2008
  • Member of Tau Sigma Honor Society, December 2008
  • Secretary, Adelphi Chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma National; Criminal Justice Honor Society, 2009
  • Theodore Caplow Paper Award for Excellence in Criminal Justice, April 2009

Publications

• The Suffolk Lawyer, May, 2019
Focus on FOIL: Attorney’s Fees to the Self Represented Attorney
• The Suffolk Lawyer, April, 2019
Timbs v. Indiana and the Excessive Fines Clause
• Fordham Univeristy March 1, 2019
Criminalizing Addiction
• Suffolk County Criminal Bar Association February 28, 2019
Freedom of Information Law
• The Suffolk Lawyer, February, 2019
Visually Impaired Website (ADA) Litigation, Continued…
• The Suffolk Lawyer, February, 2019
Focus on FOIL – Police Dashboard and BodyCam Footage
• The Suffolk Lawyer, January, 2018
The Dignity for All Students Act: A Right without a (Private) Remedy
• Nassau County Bar Association, January 27, 2019
Bridging the Gap: Everyday Ethics
• Nassau County Bar Association, January 10, 2019
Non-Traditional Discovery Tips and Tricks
• Freedom of Information Law—Every Good Lawyer’s Tool Fall, 2018
New York State Bar Association, Perspective
• The Nassau Lawyer, November, 2018
Not so Fast: The Constitutional Right to a Speedy Trial, and How Long is Too Long
• The Suffolk Lawyer, October, 2018
Focus on FOIL: Court of Appeals Endorses CIA FOIA Exemption for the NYPD
• The New York State Bar Association, September, 2018
Freedom of Information and the Open Meetings Law CLE Program (Albany and NYC)
• Nassau County Bar Association, June, 2018
Criminalizing Addiction: A Disease or a Crime?
• Fordham University, 113 West 60 Street, May 4, 2018
Protecting the public, presenter

• Federal Bar Association, Civil Rights Section; Southern District of New York May 2, 2018
FOIL: How to Effectively Use FOIL in Civil Rights Cases & How to Handle Standard FOIL Denials, Moderator
• The Nassau Lawyers, April 25, 2018
New York’s Freedom of Information Law (“FOIL”); FOIL’ed Again, Presenter
• The Nassau County Bar Association, April 19, 2018
New York’s Freedom of Information Law (“FOIL”); Focus on FOIL: Civil Rights Cases, Presenter
• The Suffolk Lawyer, April, 2018
Americans with Disabilities Act and Commercial Website Compliance
• The Suffolk County Bar Association, April 11, 2018
“FOIL’ed Again: The Article 78 and Attorney’s Fees, Presenter
• The Suffolk Lawyer, February, 2018
Focus on FOIL: Attorney’s Fees Award No Longer Discretionary
• The Suffolk Lawyer, January, 2018
Courts Order Prosecutors to Comply with Brady
• The Suffolk Lawyer, December, 2017
Focus on FOIL: Recent Noteworthy New York Court of Appeals Decisions
• Adelphi University, November 4, 2017
Women’s Leadership Conference, Presenter
• The Nassau Lawyer, October, 2017
Recent Trends in Attorneys’ Fees under FOIL
• The Suffolk Lawyer, October, 2017
Turner v United States and New York’s Call for Criminal Justice Reforms regarding Brady evidence
• The Suffolk County Bar Association, October 12, 2017
Fun with F.O.I.L., Presenter
• The Suffolk Lawyer, September , 2017
Jae Lee v. United States: Immigration Consequences Trump Prejudice Prong of Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Analysis Under Strickland
• The Nassau County Bar Association, September 18, 2017
Ethics Update – Ineffective Assistance of Counsel, Presenter
• The Suffolk County Bar Association, June 7, 2017
Suffolk County Bar Leaders Institute, Presenter
• The Suffolk Lawyer, May, 2017
Due Process Denied – The Order of Protection Hearing
• The Nassau Lawyer, April, 2017
Revisiting the Right to Die: New York’s Aid in Dying Movement
• Fordham University, Presenter February 17, 2017
Master’s Program: Trending Topics in Law and Mental Health
• The Suffolk Lawyer, January, 2017
Supreme Court Update – Double Jeopardy and Issue Preclusion
• The Suffolk Lawyer, November, 2016
Aurora v. Baritz – Epstein’s Mother Affidavit not Sufficient for Plaintiff Bank to Foreclose on Defendant’s home
• The Nassau Lawyer, November, 2016
Coming to a Roadside Near You: The Textalyzer
• The Suffolk Lawyer, November, 2016
The Second Circuit Recognizes Cat’s Paw Liability
• Nassau County Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education October 5, 2016
Presenter – The Ethics of Criminal Defense
• Lawline, Continuing Legal Education Provider September 24, 2016
Bridging the Gap: Starting a Solo Practice in New York
• The Suffolk Lawyer, September, 2016
Internet Advertising: Marketing Killed the Non-Lawyer Bar – on Fee Splitting
• The Nassau Lawyer, July – August, 2016
Not so Fast: The Supreme Court on Speedy Trial and New York’s Speedy Trial Troubles
• The Suffolk Lawyer, June, 2016
Surveiling Police Surveillance — Gaining Access to Police Body and Dash Cameras
• Nassau County Bar Association, CLE May 16, 2016
Obergefell The Fundamental Right to Marriage and Dignity
• The Suffolk Lawyer, May, 2016
Should Nonlawyers Provide Legal Services Within New York State?
• The Suffolk County Bar Association, Presenter April 29, 2016
Aid-in-Dying
• The Nassau Lawyer April, 2016
Apple’s Fourth Amendment Fight: The Right to Privacy in the Digital Age
• New York State Bar Association April, 2016
Taking up a Cause: Why New Lawyers Should Consider Practicing Civil Rights Law
• Huntington Lawyers, Presenter March 23, 2016
Aid-in-Dying
• Fordham University, Presenter March 11, 2016
Master’s Program: Trending Topics in Law and Mental Health
• The Suffolk Lawyer, March, 2016
Respondent’s Invocation of Fifth Amendment Results in Stayed Eviction
• The Florida Bar Out-of-State-Division; March, 2016
Aid-In-Dying: Gaining momentum from coast to coast…
• Adelphi University, Presenter January 25, 2016
Master’s Program: Trending Topics in Law and Mental Health
• The Nassau Lawyer, January, 2016
Cheeks Ruling Carves Out FLSA Exception To FRCP 41
• The Suffolk Lawyer, January, 2016
Aid in Dying a New York State of Mind
• The Suffolk Lawyer, December, 2015
Looming First Amendment Challenges to Local Municipalities
• The Suffolk Lawyer, November, 2015
Rethinking Pretrial Detention and Speedy Trial
• The Suffolk Lawyer, October, 2015
Confrontation Concerns after Clark
• Lawline, Continuing Legal Education Provider September 4, 2015
Supreme Court Review: 2015 First Amendment Seminar
• Lawline, Continuing Legal Education Provider September 4, 2015
Unprecedented But Not Unanimous: An Analysis of Obergefell
• Lawline, Continuing Legal Education Provider September 4, 2015
Ohio v. Clark and Confrontation Clause Concerns
• The Suffolk Lawyer, July, 2015
Facebook, Free Speech and a Reminder that Mens Rea Matters
• Access to Justice, Observations and Thoughts from the Incubator-A New York State of Mind July, 2015
UKMC Law Review, Vol. 83:4
• The Hauppauge Reporter, June, 2015
Find out about FOIL
• The Suffolk Lawyer, June, 2015
Focus on Foil: Attorney’s Fees and the Future
• The Suffolk Lawyer, May, 2015
Plyler’s Mandate
• The Hauppauge Reporter, April, 2015
New York: It is time to Increase the Minimum Wage
• The Suffolk Lawyer, March, 2015
Focus on FOIL

• The Hauppauge Reporter, March, 2015
Questionable Termination: Employee sues, claiming she was told she was “not a good fit” for McDonalds
• The Suffolk Lawyer, February, 2015
The Dignity for All Students Act and Students with Disabilities
• California Western School of Law, February 28, 2015
Presenter: Enhancing Social Justice Through the Development of Incubators and Residency Programs
• The Hauppauge Reporter, February, 2015
The Rise and Demise of School Speed Cameras
• Nassau County Bar Association, Bridging the Gap CLE January 24, 2015
A “Shingle” Life
• The Nassau Lawyer, January, 2015
Federal Courts Clarify “Good Fit” Defense to Discrimination Claims
• The Hauppauge Reporter, December, 2014
‘Tis the Season – To Drive Safely and Responsibly
• The Hauppauge Reporter, November, 2014
New York’s ‘State’ of Sexual Harassment
• Touro Law Center, Alexander Hamilton Inn of Courts CLE November 10, 2014
Coordinator and Speaker on Civil Rights Topic, Qualified Immunity
• Fordham University, PSI CHI Discussion October, 2014
Jeffrey Deskovic, Wrongful Convictions Panelist
• The Hauppauge Reporter, Speed Zone Speed Cameras October, 2014
– A Pilot Program or Here to Stay?
• The Hauppauge Reporter, Complying with State and Federal Law September, 2014
for Small to Mid-Size Businesses
• Rieber, Robert W. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of the History of Psychological Theories, 2012
Wilhelm Reich (Springer 2012) 938-940.
• Hunter Psychology Conference, April 24, 2010
The Real psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich: Myth and Reality, SPSSI Panel, Chair:
Morris (Adelphi), Gergerian (Psychiatrist), Crist (American College of Orgonomy)
• Adelphi Research Conference, April 12, 2010
The Controversial Theories of Dr. Wilhelm Reich
Impulsivity in the form of Suicidality in Borderline Personality Disorder
• Dr. Bhupin Butaney’s Contemporary views of Psychoanalysis class, October 13, 2009
Wilhelm Reich – History and Contributions to Psychoanalytic Practice

Service Activities

  • Suffolk County Bar Association
    •  Suffolk County Bar Academy of Law Officer;
    •  Criminal Courts Bar Co-Chair;
    •  Lecturer and Contributor to the Suffolk Lawyer;
    •  Lawyers Helping Lawyers
  • Nassau County Bar Association
    •  Lecturer and Contributor to the Nassau Lawyer
    •  Lawyer Assistance Program Member
  • Nassau/Suffolk Law Services Advisory Committee – Committee Chair
  • Alexander Hamilton Inn of Courts Member
  • Juvenile Justice Trained Circle Mediator
  • American Bar Association
  • Huntington Lawyer’s Club
  • National Police Accountability Project
  • Suffolk County Criminal Bar Association
  • New York State Defenders Association
  • National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers  – Lifetime Member;
  • New York State Bar Association –  Empire Justice Counsel 2013-2015
  • Eastern Psychological Association
  • Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues
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