Class of 1908: William B Carswell

William B. Carswell ’08 (1883–1953)
Carswell, born in Edinburgh in 1883 and raised in Brooklyn from childhood, earned his LL.B. from Brooklyn Law School in 1908 and his LL.M. in 1909. He was admitted to the bar in 1909 and began his career at Carmody and Carswell before entering public service, winning election to the New York State Senate in 1912 and 1914. In 1917 he became Assistant Corporation Counsel for Brooklyn, a role he held until his election to the New York Supreme Court in 1922. Carswell was appointed to the Appellate Division, Second Department in 1927 and was repeatedly redesignated, ultimately becoming the longest-serving justice on that court with twenty-six years on the bench. From 1945 to 1953 he also served as dean of Brooklyn Law School, helping guide the institution through its postwar expansion. His 1926 juror’s primer, widely circulated and endorsed by the American Bar Association, reflected his reputation for clear, thorough judicial writing.