Fulfilling a Father’s Wish: Leonard Bailin ’51 Memorial Endowed Scholarship Established at Brooklyn Law School
For Leonard Bailin ’51, success was never only about professional achievement. It was about doing excellent work, treating people well, and creating opportunities for others.
Those values—shaped by a lifetime of hard work, integrity, and generosity—now live on through the Leonard Bailin ’51 Memorial Endowed Scholarship, established at Brooklyn Law School through a gift from his son, Dean Bailin.
The scholarship fulfills a wish Leonard Bailin shared later in life: to give back to the institution that helped launch his career and created opportunities he might not otherwise have had.
"Brooklyn Law School gave my father a break," Dean said. "He felt it opened the door to everything that followed."
Although he built a successful legal career, Leonard Bailin was equally devoted to his family—his wife, Harriet, and their two sons—and believed deeply in helping others find their own path.
Opportunity After Service
After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Bailin returned home to Brooklyn and enrolled at Brooklyn Law School, graduating in 1951. Coming from modest beginnings, he believed his legal education created the opportunity to build a meaningful career and provide for his family.
Bailin began his professional life working in the audit division of the Internal Revenue Service before moving into private practice in Manhattan. Over time, he developed a successful practice focused primarily on tax law, first partnering with colleagues, and later establishing his own firm. Known for his expertise, he also wrote professional articles on tax issues for Medical Economics and advised a wide range of clients.
Professional success, however, tells only part of the story.
A Life Guided by Integrity
Those who knew Bailin best remember him as a principled lawyer and a generous person who believed deeply in helping others.
"His general way of looking at things was to be really good at your chosen profession and be really good to people," his son Dean said. "If someone needed help, and he could help them, he did."
Friends, colleagues, and clients alike saw that philosophy in action. Bailin was known to offer guidance even to people who could not afford legal representation, sharing the same thoughtful advice he would give paying clients.
Encouraging Passion
Music became an important bond between father and son. Leonard Bailin played saxophone and clarinet, performing with local big bands in his younger years. Recognizing his son’s natural musical ability, he introduced Dean to the clarinet and ensured he had strong musical instruction from an early age.
"My father recognized early on that I was drawn to music, and he encouraged me to work hard at it," Dean said. "My father never tried to steer me toward a law career once he realized I had the determination and natural ability needed to pursue a career in music."
While Leonard excelled at reading sheet music placed in front of him, Dean developed a different kind of musical talent—playing by ear. A multi-instrumentalist who also became an accomplished guitarist, he built a career as a performer, recording artist, and producer in New York, working on recording sessions before eventually opening his own production studio.
Supporting Future Generations
That respect for individual passions helped shape the scholarship created in Leonard Bailin’s memory. Although he built his career in tax law, the Leonard Bailin ’51 Memorial Endowed Scholarship was intentionally established as a general scholarship, rather than one tied to a specific legal field.
"He understood that not everyone will have the same interests," Dean said. "Just as he encouraged me to pursue music, he believed others should have the opportunity to discover what inspires them. I feel strongly about honoring what he wanted to do by establishing a scholarship in his name at BLS."
Later in life, Leonard Bailin spoke with his son about his desire to give back to Brooklyn Law School. Although he passed away in 2011 before he could make that gift himself, the idea stayed with Dean.
"He believed that the opportunity he received should be passed on to others," said Dean.
With his father's wishes—and legacy—in mind, Dean made the thoughtful decision to establish his father's memorial scholarship through a provision in his estate plan.
A Legacy That Continues
Dean's commitment to the Leonard Bailin ’51 Memorial Endowed Scholarship qualifies him as a member of the Sheridan Albert Legacy Society, which recognizes alumni and friends who include Brooklyn Law School in their estate plans. The Society was renamed in 2026 to honor alumnus Sheridan Albert ’48, whose transformative philanthropy—including a Charitable Remainder Trust that resulted in the largest gift in the Law School’s history—helped endow professorships and scholarships that have strengthened the community.
Like Albert’s visionary support, the Bailin family’s gift demonstrates how thoughtful estate planning can create lasting opportunities for future generations of students.
Through the Leonard Bailin ’51 Memorial Endowed Scholarship, Bailin’s legacy will continue to open doors for students—just as Brooklyn Law School once opened a door for him.
In that way, the scholarship is more than financial support. It reflects the values that guided Leonard Bailin throughout his life.
"My father came from a place where opportunities were limited," Dean said. "He worked hard, built a career he was proud of, and treated people well along the way."
Now, through this scholarship—and through the generosity of alumni and friends who choose to support Brooklyn Law School through their estate plans—the opportunity that helped shape Leonard Bailin’s life will help shape the lives of students for generations to come.
Interested in learning more about including Brooklyn Law School in your estate plans? Visit our gift planning webpage to learn more about tax-efficient giving strategies, including bequests, IRA charitable rollovers, and beneficiary designation gifts.