James Slevin

James Slevin is serving in his fourth term as the Vice-President of the Uniformed Firefighters Association.  He is also a trustee of the New York City Fire Department Pension Fund. In addition to his duties on the pension fund, he is the Legislative and Political Chairman for the UFA.  In this role he is actively involved in lobbying for improved health, safety and welfare of Firefighters.  During his tenure several major pension benefits have become law because of his efforts.  These benefits include an expansion of the Cancer Presumption Law, passage of the Stroke Presumption Law and most importantly the passage of the 9/11 World Trade Center Disability and Death Benefit Law.  This monumental law allows Firefighters to receive disability benefits for their injuries and illnesses that are attributable to their exposures at the World Trade Center.  It also provides death benefits for their families should they succumb to those illnesses.  Retired members can now collect disability benefits even if they become sick after retirement.  Since taking office in 2002 he has been lobbying for federal funds to cover the medical monitoring, treatment and compensation of First Responders that were exposed to toxic chemicals as a result of the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks.

He was recently named to The Capitol’s “40 under 40,” The Irish Voice Newspaper’s “Irish Legal 100” and The Irish Echo’s “Irish 40 under 40.” He was appointed to the NYC Fire Department in 1995 and received his B.S. from Fairfield University and J.D. from CUNY School of Law.