Levy, Moses

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LEVY, MOSES

LEVY, MOSES (1757–1826), U.S. judge. Born in Philadelphia, Levy was the son of Samuel Levy, a Philadelphia merchant. In 1778 he was admitted to the Philadelphia bar, the first Jew to qualify as a lawyer in the United States. Levy became one of the outstanding lawyers of Philadelphia and was one of the defense counsel in the trial of Bache, editor of the anti-federalist Aurora for "libeling the President and the Executive Government in a manner tending to excite sedition and opposition to the laws." From 1802 to 1806 he was a member of the Pennsylvania legislature and subsequently was a judge of the district court of Philadelphia. Levy acquired a considerable reputation in the legal profession and at one time was considered for the post of attorney general of the United States. When he died the members of the Philadelphia bar wore a black armband for 30 days.

bibliography:

H.S. Morais, Jews of Philadelphia (1894), index.

[Julius J. Marcke]