William Bernstein
On the New York attorney register since 1985 · office in San Francisco, CA
PlainAttorney’s reading of the public register file, not a court record.
- Registration No.
- 2019982
- Admitted
- 1985 · Third Department
- Status
- Currently registered
- Next registration
- Jul 2027
William Bernstein is currently registered on the New York attorney register file of Sep 29, 2026. Admitted in 1985 in the Third Department, with an office in San Francisco, CA; next registration due Jul 2027. The status is the same in all 3 files we hold.
What this status means on the register
On the register, “Currently registered” means William Bernstein has filed the biennial registration the court system requires; the next one is due in Jul 2027.
- Currently registered unchanged
- Currently registered unchanged
- Currently registered the first file we hold
Source: NY Office of Court Administration, attorney registration file (data.ny.gov, dataset eqw2-r5nb), downloaded Sep 29, 2026; the Jul 3, 2026 and Aug 6, 2026 files for the history.
Others who list this employer on the register
44 other attorneys list Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP or one of its other names as their employer on the register; 1 of them was admitted before 1985, and 11 of the 45 give an office in San Francisco, CA. The 5 whose admission is closest to 1985, earliest first:
| Attorney | Admitted | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Bruce William Leppla | 1979 | Due to re‑register |
| Daniel R. Drachler | 1988 | Currently registered |
| David Stellings | 1994 | Currently registered |
| Alix Serena Pustilnik | 1995 | Delinquent |
| Pauline Do Amaral | 1997 | Currently registered |
All 45 registrations that list Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP
Source: NY Office of Court Administration, attorney registration file (data.ny.gov, dataset eqw2-r5nb), downloaded Sep 29, 2026; employer spellings merged (methodology).
Where this record sits on the register
William Bernstein studied at University of San Francisco School of Law. 47 of its 295 living graduates on the register were admitted in the 1980s, as William Bernstein was.
- Same law school
- 295living graduates; 83.7% registered (current or due), against 87.1% overall
- Office in San Francisco, CA
- 2,474living registrants (outside New York State)
Of the 2,474 living registrants with an office in San Francisco, CA, 109 were admitted before 1985 and 2,348 after.
Source: NY Office of Court Administration, attorney registration file (data.ny.gov, dataset eqw2-r5nb), downloaded Sep 29, 2026; living registrants only.
Questions this record leads to
- Everyone who lists Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP45 on the register, 1 of the others admitted before 1985; 11 of the 45 give an office in San Francisco, CA.
- University of San Francisco School of Law graduates on the register295 living, 83.7% registered.
- New York-admitted attorneys in San Francisco, CA2,474 living registrants give an office there.
- Admitted in 19856,046 people admitted in 1985 are on the register, 1,162 of them through the Third Department.
- Every registration that reads “Currently registered”286,911 on the register file of Sep 29, 2026, by decade of admission.
- What a New York lawyer may chargeThe court rules on fees, retainers and fee disputes, each cited.
How to confirm it officially
For a statement of William Bernstein’s standing, contact the Attorney Registration Unit of the NY Office of Court Administration (nycourts.gov/attorneys), or ask the Appellate Division, Third Department, which admitted William Bernstein in 1985. The register places the office outside New York, so a complaint would go to that department’s grievance committee (22 NYCRR 1240.7(a)(2)).
This page reads the register file of Sep 29, 2026, and the court system’s own search can be newer; the register shows only the current value, so a suspension that ended before the files we hold, or a censure, leaves no trace here (Appellate Division decisions are published through the court system’s Law Reporting Bureau).