Barry Berke is a white collar criminal defense and trial lawyer and a Partner at Kramer Levin. He is also the counsel for the House Judiciary Committee Democrats during the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.
Quick Facts and Information on Barry Berke
| Full Name | Barry H. Berke |
| Birthday / Date of Birth | 1964 |
| Age | 55 |
| Birth Sign | – |
| Born Country | U.S |
| Nationality | American |
| Birthplace / Hometown | Philadelphia |
| Current Residence | High Falls, New York |
| Ethnicity | White Caucasian |
| Profession | Attorney (White Collar Criminal Defense and Trial Lawyer) / Partner at Kramer Levin |
| High School / College / University | Harvard Law School / Duke University |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Alison Berke |
| Children / Kids | Four (3 daughters and a Son) |
| Social Media | |
| Net Worth | $2 million |
| Height in Feet | 5 ft 11 in |
Barry Berke Education
As mentioned in the bio of his law firm’s website, Barry H. Berke, a renowned attorney, graduated from Duke University in 1986. Later, he graduated from Harvard University Law School in 1989, and was admitted to the bar in New York that same year.
Talking about his journey of becoming a white-collar defense attorney; he took a different route than what others usually take. Barry started his career working as a federal public defender at Federal Defenders of New York, Whereas most of the others top white-collar defense attorneys start as federal prosecutors.
In a 2013 interview with Law Dragon; Berke described the journey that led him to become what he is now,
When I decided to go to law school, I had a strong interest in being a trial lawyer and a belief that I wanted to be a criminal defense lawyer. That was reaffirmed by my experiences at Harvard, which included representing prisoners in disciplinary proceedings as part of a Harvard Law School organization known as Prisoners Legal Assistance Project, or PLAP.
As part of my work with PLAP, I ended up representing an individual who had been convicted of a serious crime and had been representing himself in challenging many aspects of his trial. Under the Massachusetts student practice rules, I was able to represent him, along with a fellow student, in a series of hearings attacking his conviction. The case received a lot of attention, and the hearings were even televised.
After graduating, I had a clerkship for a federal judge in the Southern District of New York. My plan upon graduating had been to try to get a position in a federal defenders’ office after my clerkship. When I arrived in New York, virtually everyone told me that if I ultimately wanted to have a white collar criminal defense practice in New York City, I had to first be a federal prosecutor, which was the tried and true route for most of the white collar defense bar in the city at the time.
While I received this advice from many respected sources, I decided to keep my original plan, since I had always wanted to defend, I knew I would be doing something good for the community by being a public defender, and it would be a great way to learn how to be a trial lawyer.
I was lucky enough to be offered a position in the Federal Defenders’ Office for the Southern District of New York. I found it to be a transformative experience, and I loved every minute of it. It was an extraordinary place to learn how to do everything that defines being a criminal defense lawyer, from cross-examining the government’s cooperating witnesses, to speaking directly to juries, to learning the importance of having a path to victory that has to inform every aspect of a successful defense.
I was fortunate to try 19 cases involving a wide variety of alleged offenses, and had the benefit of wonderful and generous colleagues who were always willing to share their experiences, feedback and ideas. Those experiences were critical in helping me to become the lawyer that I am today.
Barry Berke Wife / Children
Alongside his affluent professional career, Barry Berke’s conjugal life is equally prosperous. The Philadelphia native is married to Alison Berke, a personal fitness trainer, nutrition health coach and former TV news producer.
Also, Barry and his wife are blessed with four children, including three daughters and a son. Berke and his family live in New York City.
Dear Mr. Berke, your arguments before the House Impeachment committee today was the most brilliant presentation of the case that i’ve seen so far or for any case for that matter, thank you very much for putting into words what we all know has to be said!