Selig I. Goldin
(1939–1980)

“As an attorney, Selig was always tops. Dedication and zeal were his trademarks. He accepted many cases and many clients others turned down, because he felt those cases had to be defended and he believed in the person and the cause.”

Those few words, spoken at Selig Goldin’s funeral by his brother, Philip, capture what members of the criminal defense bar knew of this young Gainesville lawyer who died of cancer before his time — that he was a man of great ability and great compassion. His career was cut short, yet he left his mark not only with those he defended, but with those judges before whom he practiced and those lawyers who were his adversaries in the courtroom and his friends when the trials were over.

To honor the memory of this young man, who none doubt would have reached the top of his profession, the Criminal Law Section each year distinguishes one member of The Florida Bar for displaying the talents and compassion possessed by Selig I. Goldin.

His path is not an easy one to follow. He graduated high school at 16, college at 20, and law school at 23. His list of honors is remarkable for one so young. By age 24, he was well-regarded within the Gainesville legal community as a man who would not turn down a case because the client could not afford to pay nor because the client’s cause was unpopular.

As a member of the Executive Council of the Criminal Law Section, he displayed the same zeal and dedication to justice that was his trademark in the courtroom. He was, as many have said, a lawyer’s lawyer, a man who possessed the best attributes of the profession — competence, service, compassion.

Philip remembers: As Selig began working on his goals, he touched many lives. From judges and attorneys to moonshiners, from clergy to ex-convicts, from athletes and coaches to doctors and nurses, from architects to plain, simple folk, he touched their lives in his own special way. Selig accomplished his goals and always did it his way.

A plaque commemorating the Selig I. Goldin Memorial Award winners is located at the University of Florida Levin College of Law in Gainesville.

2023 Selig I. Goldin Memorial Award Recipient—James E. Felman

Smiling man wearing glasses, arms crossedJames E. Felman has concentrated his practice of law in the defense of complex criminal matters and related civil litigation for over 30 years.  Mr. Felman represents clients in federal and state matters in every phase of the criminal process — investigation, trial, sentencing, appeal, and post-conviction proceedings.  He has represented clients in a wide range of matters, including allegations of bank fraud, health care fraud, mail and wire fraud, securities fraud, public corruption, environmental crimes, antitrust violations, synthetic/illegal drugs, illegal gambling, child abuse/ pornography, and murder.

Mr. Felman has also devoted a significant portion of his professional efforts to legal reform and policy work.  He has testified on an array of topics before the United States Senate, House of Representatives, and Sentencing Commission, and frequently writes and speaks on criminal justice policy issues.  He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and serves as Chair of both the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Task Force on First Step Act Implementation and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Task Force on Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 17(c) review.  He also serves as Chair of the American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section’s Task Force on First Step Act Implementation.  He is a Past Chair of the Criminal Justice Section of the American Bar Association and is the ABA’s Past Liaison to the United States Sentencing Commission.  He was a founding member of the Steering Committee of Clemency Project 2014 and is former Co-Chair of the Practitioners’ Advisory Group to the United States Sentencing Commission.

Mr. Felman is a graduate of Wake Forest University, B.A. cum laude, 1984, and Duke University, M.A. Phil. and J.D. with high honors (Order of the Coif), 1987.  Following law school, he was a law clerk to Judge Theodore McMillian of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

Previous Selig Goldin Award Winners