USA - Ron Tabak

USA - Ronald Tabak, a pillar of the fight against the death penalty in the United States, has died

July 23, 2025:

July 23, 2025 - USA. Ronald Tabak, a pillar of the fight against the death penalty in the United States, has died

DPI Board Member Ronald J. Tabak died on June 22, 2025 after a long illness at the age of 75. Among his many accomplishments, Ron was a longtime supporter of the Death Penalty Information Center, a passionate advocate for people sentenced to death, and a treasured friend. Ron had a heart of gold and will be dearly missed by his many friends and family.

Ron joined the law firm of Skadden Arps in 1985 to launch and manage its formal pro bono program, directing critical law firm resources to ensuring competent representation of death-sentenced people. Ron worked on many death penalty cases himself, including helping secure Georgia prisoner Johnny Lee Gates’ removal from death row after 26 years of litigation. He also recruited and supervised hundreds of Skadden lawyers who shared his unwavering commitment to pro bono work.

As an active member of the American Bar Association, he worked closely with the ABA Death Penalty Representation Project, the ABA Due Process Project, and the ABA Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice. Each year Ron authored an annual chapter on capital punishment developments for the American Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Section report. He was active in many organizations, including the NYC Bar’s Capital Punishment Committee, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, and the New York Civil Liberties Union.

Ron was a beloved fixture at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund’s Annual Capital Punishment Defense Training, where his legendary “Top Ten List” was always a highlight. We at the Death Penalty Information Center will especially miss his sense of humor, thoughtful guidance, and warm friendship. In 2019, when he was honored by the ABA Death Penalty Representation Project, fellow DPI Board Member George Kendall remarked that “It is impossible to assemble in one place all of Ron’s contributions to improving our justice system and fighting for fairness for his capital clients. We would live in a decidedly darker society without Ron’s decades of service.”

We are humbled that Ron’s family has identified DPI as one of the organizations “especially close to his heart.” Those wishing to honor Ron’s life and work may make a contribution to DPI at https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/announcements/donate-to-the-death-penlty-information-center-in-memory-of-ronald-j-tabak

Below is the tribute to Tabak published by his colleagues at Skadden.

July 23, 2025

In Memoriam: Ronald J. Tabak

We are saddened to announce the passing of special counsel Ronald J. Tabak, a builder and leader of our pioneering pro bono program and tireless criminal justice and civil rights advocate. He died on July 22 at age 75.

Mr. Tabak joined Skadden in 1985 to launch and manage our formal pro bono program, creating a dynamic and efficient department. In addition to the program, he oversaw individual cases, ultimately supervising more than 1,000 attorneys annually. The program remains a model for the industry: Over the past 15 years alone, Skadden has provided nearly 3 million hours of pro bono service, matching our lawyers to the legal work that most needs their contributions.

A passionate opponent of capital punishment, Mr. Tabak fought against it in court — including achieving a Supreme Court victory in Francis v. Franklin — and developed expertise in intellectual disability as a categorical bar to execution. He was instrumental in securing Georgia inmate Johnny Lee Gates’ removal from death row after 26 years of litigation to establish Mr. Gates’ intellectual disability. (Fifteen years later, DNA evidence raised serious questions about his guilt, leading to his release.) Mr. Tabak also provided valuable guidance and mentoring to a number of other Skadden teams representing death-sentenced clients.

Mr. Tabak authored an annual chapter on capital punishment developments for the American Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Section report “The State of Criminal Justice” and was a valued, longtime contributor to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund’s Annual Capital Punishment Defense Training.

For over 30 years, Mr. Tabak chaired or co-chaired the ABA Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice’s Death Penalty Committee. He served on numerous other boards and committees, including as special adviser to the ABA Death Penalty Due Process Review Project and on the boards of the New York City Bar Association’s Capital Punishment Committee, the Death Penalty Information Center, New York Lawyers Against the Death Penalty, LatinoJustice PRLDEF and the New York Civil Liberties Union. In addition, he served on the Skadden Fellowship Program’s Advisory Committee since the program’s inception in 1988.

Mr. Tabak made an extraordinary difference in the lives of those he worked with and supported at Skadden as well as the countless people and families impacted by our collective efforts.

We extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Tabak’s brother, Michael Tabak, and his extended family.

https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/personal-reflection-loss-of-dpi-board-member-ronald-tabak
https://www.skadden.com/about/news-and-rankings/news/2025/07/in-memoriam-ronald-j-tabak