New York attorney record · Judicial Dept 2
Robert Lee Nelson
Columbia alumna, admitted to the New York bar in 1981, registered office in San Francisco, CA. A half-lifetime's worth of status, address, and registration history on this record come straight from the NY Office of Court Administration.
- 1981
- Admitted
- 45
- Years in bar
- 1740893
- NY reg #
The record in one line
Robert Lee Nelson has spent 45 years on the register since admission in 1981, one of the longest-standing active practitioners the state bar carries at 92% tenure percentile.
- 45 yrs
- in active practice since admission
- Active
- current bar status: "Currently registered"
- #65 of 2,460
- by tenure in San Francisco office peers
- Law school
- Columbia
Data updated September 2026
What this profile tells you
Bar status & tenure
Robert Lee Nelson has carried New York bar registration 1740893 for the better part of a career, still active and in good standing. Registration is recorded within Judicial Department 2, the appellate division overseeing this attorney's home district.
Practice context & education
Practice address is listed under Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLC, located in San Francisco, CA, ZIP 94111. 1 other attorney shares this firm affiliation in the registry. Educational background: COLUMBIA.
State context & due diligence
Across a career spanning 45 years, Robert Lee Nelson has remained part of the New York bar's active cohort, a share of the register detailed further below.
Experience vs. the active New York bar
Robert Lee Nelson's 45 years since a 1981 admission places this record near the far edge of the statewide tenure curve below.
45 years on the New York bar
Years since admission, all currently-active NY attorneys
45 Top 8% higher than 92% of 290,787 active NY attorneys
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more active NY attorneys. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NY Office of Court Administration, Attorney Registration · September 2026
Tenure among San Francisco, CA office peers
Robert Lee Nelson is earlier in the San Francisco, CA office cohort than most peers: local tenure rank #65 of 2,460 (3rd percentile). See the San Francisco attorney directory .
- Local rank
- #65
- City cohort
- 2,460
- Local percentile
- 3rd
- Admitted
- 1981
Nearest tenure peers in San Francisco
- Deborah Gale Lederer admitted 1981 · 45 yr
- Stephen Peary admitted 1981 · 45 yr
- Donald S. Altschul admitted 1982 · 44 yr
- Gordon Cox Atkinson admitted 1982 · 44 yr
How local rank is computed
Rank uses years since NY-bar admission among non-deceased registry rows that list the same office city and state, a local placement, not a statewide claim. Source: NY Office of Court Administration Attorney Registration · as of September 2026. Derived local rank, not published upstream.
How Robert compares to fellow Columbia alumni
Among the 2,448 Columbia graduates in the New York register, Robert Lee Nelson is longer-tenured than 99%.
45 years vs. Columbia alumni
Years since admission - 2,448 NY-registered alumni of this school
45 Top 1% higher than 99% of 2,448 fellow alumni
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more fellow alumni. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NY Office of Court Administration, Attorney Registration · September 2026
The 1981 admission class today
Of the 4,916 attorneys admitted to the New York bar in 1981, 54.1% are still "Currently registered" today, below the statewide average across all admission years.
Professional Details
- Status
- Currently registered
- Registration Number
- 1740893
- Year Admitted
- 1981 (45 yrs · veteran)
- Judicial Department
- 2
- Next Registration
- Oct 2026
Location & Contact
- Company
- Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLC
- City
- San Francisco, CA
- ZIP Code
- 94111
- Phone
- (415) 983-1308
Education
COLUMBIA
Status Distribution Across the New York Bar
Robert Lee Nelson's current status, "Currently registered", places this attorney in the 67.2% of the 432,625-attorney New York register currently marked active.
Full statewide breakdown & source note
Source: NY Office of Court Administration, Attorney Registrations. Status counts reflect the latest reporting cycle. Bar status confirms registration only; it does not imply competence, specialty fit, or freedom from complaints.
Same firm affiliation: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLC
Other NY-registered attorneys who share this firm name on the OCA register (not a geographic peer set).
View all attorneys at this firm →Near-tenure Columbia alumni
Fellow alumni on the NY register whose admission year is closest to 1981 (excluding same-firm colleagues above).
Same admission year (1981), other cities
NY-registered attorneys admitted in 1981 whose listed office city differs from San Francisco, a vintage cohort, not a neighborhood list.
Nationwide attorneys with similar admission year or city registry density
Two non-geo peer axes for Robert Lee Nelson: closest NY bar admission year outside CA, and closest out-of-state office cities by how many NY-registered attorneys they list (~2,461 here). Distinct from same-firm, fellow-alumni, and same-year other-city strips above.
Similar admission year (~1981)
Counts come from the NY State Office of Court Administration registration extract; peers are not a competence or practice-area ranking.
Verify This Attorney
Verify on NY Courts Attorney SearchNearby Attorneys in San Francisco, CA
Compare credentials side-by-side
Compare Robert Lee Nelson with similar attorneys in San Francisco.
Compare attorneys →Before you rely on this record
Robert Lee Nelson's "Currently registered" listing confirms bar standing only, it is a registration fact to verify, not a verdict on quality or competence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Robert Nelson licensed?
Robert Nelson is licensed to practice law in New York.
When was Robert Lee Nelson admitted to the bar?
Robert Lee Nelson's admission to the New York bar dates back to 1981.
Where did Robert Lee Nelson go to law school?
Robert Lee Nelson attended COLUMBIA.
What company does Robert Lee Nelson work for?
Robert Lee Nelson is associated with Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLC in San Francisco, CA.
Is Robert Lee Nelson in good standing?
Yes, Robert Lee Nelson holds active bar status ("Currently registered").
Cite this page & disclosure
Sourced from the NY Office of Court Administration, informational only, not legal advice. Full disclosure.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.