Biography
Professor Samuels was appointed as Bet Tzedek’s President and Chief Executive Officer in November 2010, after having served on its Board of Directors for almost 16 years, including a two year term as Board Chair. Professor Samuels left his position at Bet Tzedek in August 2014 to pursue his passion for teaching. Prior to his appointment at Bet Tzedek, he spent more than 30 years in the financial services industry, including 18 years as the Chief Legal Officer of Countrywide Financial Corporation and, following Countrywide’s acquisition by Bank of America Corporation, as the general counsel of Bank of America’s Home Loans and Insurance division.
In 2006, Professor Samuels was named as one of the top 25 lawyers in the San Fernando Valley, California; in 2005, he was named Outstanding Corporate Counsel of the Year by the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Corporate Law Department Section; and in 2004, he received the Luis Lainer Founder’s Award from Bet Tzedek Legal Services.
Professor Samuels attended Princeton University where he earned an A.B. degree, summa cum laude, in Near Eastern Studies and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. In 1973, Professor Samuels spent the summer studying Arabic at the American University in Cairo. After graduating from Princeton, he then attended UCLA School of Law where he was elected to the Order of the Coif. Following law school, Professor Samuels clerked for Federal District Court Judge Irving Hill in the Central District of California and then joined the law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olsen.