Jonathan G. Schopf Attorney and Counselor

I am committed to providing you with top notch legal support. I approach every client's particular situation with a focus on integrity, advocacy, and understanding. I am not afraid of the courtroom and prepare every case as though it is going to trial. Often this preparation and persistence will result in a favorable out of court settlement for my clients. If settlement cannot be reached, then I am prepared to take the case to trial to achieve my client's goals.

I am an attorney with my  office in Clifton Park, New York. I received my Juris Doctor from Albany Law School and Bachelor's Degree from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. I am a Past-President of the Rensselaer County Bar Association and am ​admitted to practice in all courts in the State of New York, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States. 

I have extensive experience representing municipal, corporate and individual clients at trial in both state and federal courts in a variety of civil litigation including personal injury, property damage, insurance coverage, commercial transactions and constitutional law. I also have a thriving general practice and frequently represent individual and municipal clients in evictions, tax certiorari litigation, business matters, contacts, wills and estates, business start-ups, not-for-profit formation, religious corporations, elder care guardianships and in residential and commercial real estate matters.

I have used these skills to evolve a niche practice in the area of animal law which focuses on advocating for clients and their animals in a variety of legal contexts. I am Upstate New York's original "Animal Attorney". I represent individuals accused of harboring "dangerous dogs" and animal related businesses such as kennels, veterinarians, family farms, equestrian, and rescue groups in day-to-day legal matters. I am an attorney-member of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, the founding Chair of the Albany County Bar Association's Committee on Animals and the Law and the author of “Animal Law Update”, which is published quarterly in the Albany County Bar Association’s newsletter. I also frequently lecture on legal matters pertaining to animals, dangerous dog hearings and negligence issues concerning animals for community organizations, state and local bar associations and have provided training for the local judiciary on legal issues pertaining to animals.