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RONALD TABAK Obituary

TABAK--Ronald Jerome, The partners, attorneys and business services professionals of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP mourn the passing of our esteemed colleague and friend Ronald Tabak, who died on July 22 at age 75. Ron joined Skadden in 1985 to launch and lead our pro bono program, ultimately building an industry model and overseeing the work of over 1,000 attorneys each year. A passionate criminal justice and civil rights advocate, Ron successfully argued the U.S. Supreme Court death penalty case Francis v. Franklin, played a key role in securing a Georgia inmate's removal from death row after 26 years of litigation, and for over 30 years chaired or co-chaired the ABA Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice's Death Penalty Committee. He made an extraordinary impact on the lives of countless individuals and families. Ron is survived by his brother, Michael Tabak, as well as his sister-in-law, brother-in-law, nephews and niece, and was preceded in death by his sister. A service will be held at 11am, on Monday, July 28, at Central Synagogue, 652 Lexington Ave., New York. View additional visitation and burial information on the obituary calendar at: https://www.plazajewishcommunitychapel.org/

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Published by New York Times on Jul. 24, 2025.

Memories and Condolences
for RONALD TABAK

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4 Entries

Holly Henderson-Fisher

July 29, 2025

Sending deepest condolences to Ron's family. He was a wonderful mentor in the law and a tireless advocate for those most in need. Ron made a outsized impact on an entire generation of young lawyers at Skadden. He will be deeply missed.

Ravelle Brickman

July 28, 2025

Ron Tabak was a good friend and fellow activist and congregant at Central Synagogue when I lived in New York. We both served on the Synagogue's communications committee, writing press releases and catalog blurbs for synagogue events, including the Jethro Award, which Ron created and ran for many years. In addition to committee work, Ron and I both attended (and loved) Friday night services and many of the courses on Jewish history that were a feature of Central's adult ed program. Although we corresponded occasionally after I moved to Washington, DC in 2013, I was not aware of his illness, and thus was shocked to find his obituary in the Times. Ron was a brilliant man, as well as a kind and compassionate one, with a love for Judaism and the law that was inspiring to all who knew him. The world will be a sorrier place with him gone.

Martha Overall

July 28, 2025

A kind, inspiring and generous hearted neighbor.

Nancy M Hoffman

July 27, 2025

Sincere condolences to the family and friends of Ron Tabak for the loss of a gentleman and a scholar and a sports enthusiast par excellence. Ron was a mentor and friend in the work against the scourge of the death penalty. He would scoff in his humility, but I always thought him to be one of "the 36" in the mystical tradition of the Tzadikim Nistarim. The world will miss him and may he inspirit others in his passing. Thank you, Ron, for your stalwart vision of justice and your tireless work on its behalf. - NMH, Amnesty International

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Memorial Events
for RONALD TABAK

Jul

28

Service

11:00 a.m.

Central Synagogue

652 Lexington Ave., New York, NY

Funeral services provided by:

Plaza Jewish Community Chapel

630 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10024

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