Lecturer Bio
Thomas Kenniff, Esq
Thomas Kenniff is one of the nation’s preeminent Pardon Attorneys. He represents numerous clients pursuing Executive Clemency for a variety of federal convictions. A founding partner of New York based Raiser Kenniff & Lonstein, and renowned criminal defense attorney, Mr. Kenniff is regarded as one of the nation’s pre-eminent criminal defense attorneys, having defended high profile cases throughout the country, in federal, state and military courts. In 2024, he achieved a historic acquittal for Marine veteran Daniel Penny. The Wall Street Journal commended the “Just Verdict”, noting that “to make Danny Penny a criminal for trying to protect his fellow passengers would have transformed a human tragedy into a larger injustice.
In 2021, Mr. Kenniff was the Republican nominee for Manhattan District Attorney. Prior to founding Raiser Kenniff & Lonstein, Mr. Kenniff served as an Assistant District Attorney under Jeanine Pirro. He is also a retired Major in the Army National Guard’s Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps and a veteran of the Iraq War, where he earned the Army Commendation Medal and the Global War or Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.
Mr. Kenniff is the recipient of The Long Island Herald’s Top Lawyer and Distinguished Service Award; The Metropolitan Republican Club’s Ronald Reagan Award for the Advancement of Individual Liberty, The Marine Corps League Appreciation Award, and is an inductee to the Massapequa High School Hall of Fame. He lectures regularly to legal organizations, and his commentary is often sought by major media outlets, including The New York Times, CNN and Fox News Channel.