It was his love of art and spirit of community service and volunteerism that drove Joseph J. Ortego to become a member of the Business Advisory Council for the Nassau County Museum of Art. As a resident of the Village of Garden City he has been a director of the Central Property Owners' Association, Garden City Leaders' Circle, and is currently a member of the CPOA Nominating Committee, which is currently seeking candidates for Village Justice. Ortego is also a successful attorney and is now working with fellow Garden City resident and friend Frank L. Amoroso in the Garden City firm Nixon Peabody LLP. Recently, Ortego found a way to combine his love for law and his love of art in a unique celebration honoring the firm's 10th anniversary on Long Island.

In looking for a reception hall for the gala affair for more than 300 guests, Ortego, who was tasked with leading the firm's event organizing team, wanted a place that would represent the culture of Long Island as the firm celebrated its professional role in the community. Ortego notes, "As a national firm with attorneys rooted on Long Island, we looked at the most obvious place everyone considers the cultural center of Long Island, a place most people enjoy visiting - the Nassau County Museum of Art." The Museum and Ortego were also able to work out a unique private showing for the lawyers and their guests of Rodin sculptures from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Collection. Ortego commented, "Of course the timing was perfect. While we were planning our event, the Museum was planning its display of the Cantors' Rodin collection. The Museum staff was very accommodating."

Within the last couple of years Ortego has received many accolades for his work as an attorney. He was nominated to become a member of the prestigious American Law Institute (ALI) and taught an ALI/American Bar Association course on product liability. He was also chosen to lead a comprehensive trial practice re-education program for some of the nation's top trial attorneys. The ALI, organized in 1923 to promote the clarification and simplification of the law and its better adaptation to social needs, to secure the better administration of justice and to encourage scholarly and scientific legal work, is located in Philadelphia and has an exclusive membership of approximately 3,000 judges, lawyers and law teachers selected for their excellence.

He was also appointed regional president of the Board of Directors of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA). In his role as president of this regional branch of the HNBA, Ortego worked to coordinate efforts with the local Hispanic legal community and other community organizations. He worked to develop coalitions with other concerned legal organizations as well. He served as National Trial Lawyer for a number of clients, was lead counsel for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in contract, commercial, environmental, fraud, RICO, real estate, and bank matters in New York State, and he earned the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory's AV Rating.

Before becoming a partner in the Garden City firm, he was a senior partner in the Uniondale office of Rivkin, Radler and Kremer where he spearheaded the Business Litigation Group, overseeing the litigation of commercial, employment, environmental, toxic tort and product liability cases. He co-chaired the Litigation and Appeals Group and the Hiring Committee. He was also a member of the Executive Committee. Prior to joining the Uniondale office he was an assistant district attorney for New York City from 1979 to 1983. He received his juris doctor in 1979 from Boston University School of Law.

When he joined the Garden City firm he commented, "Coming to Nixon Hargrave is a definite promotion, and it's a chance to practice law with a longtime friend and respected attorney, Frank Amoroso." Amoroso is a managing partner of the Garden City office. When Ortego joined the Garden City office it was at that time Nixon, Hargrave, Devans and Doyle LLP, but in July 1, 1999 the firm merged with Peabody and Brown and then became Nixon Peabody. With the merger the company became the largest law firm in the United States with an office on Long Island.

At the gala coordinated by Ortego, the firm was recognized by a Nassau County Proclamation, which called the anniversary, "Nixon Peabody Day." The Proclamation read in part, "Nassau County is proud to pay tribute to the law firm of Nixon Peabody LLP in recognition of its outstanding accomplishments and notable contributions to the quality of life in Nassau County." Amoroso commented, "Every one of the 40 legal professionals in our Garden City office was proud to be recognized in Gulotta's proclamation for their hard work and contributions to the community. The support demonstrated by the community and our clients during the reception was overwhelming. We thank everyone for their support and promise continued effort to excel in our level of service."

Terrel L. Cass, president and general manager of WLIW 21 New York, who attended the reception, said of the planning by Ortego and his team, "The event was first class. Nixon Peabody has been an asset to our station beyond their legal services over the years, and this event was the perfect showcase for the firm's decade of dedication to Long Island. We appreciate all that they do for WLIW."

Ortego is also involved in many other professional and community organizations. He is a member of the boards of the Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Adults and Children with Learning and Developmental Disabilities. He is a member of the Advisory Committee on the Restatement of Torts of the American Law Institute, co-chair of the Business Torts Committee of the American Bar Association, and vice-chair of the Defense Research Institute's Clinical Ecology Committee. He is a member of the Nassau County Bar Association, the Institute for Community Development, Nassau County Sports Commission, and First American Title Insurance Company Advisory Board.

Ortego and his wife, Shirley, live in the Village with their two daughters, Alexandra and Juliana.

The Nassau County Museum of Art is currently exhibiting one of its most ambitious projects ever, The Revolutionary War: Founding the New Nation. The exhibit includes works of art, weaponry of the Revolutionary War, uniforms, furniture, china, silverware and other relics. On Saturday, Jan. 29 the Museum is planning a huge event of historical interest -- they will be re-enacting scenes from the war. Members of organizations like the 17th Light Dragoon Regiment and 23rd Regiment of Foote will demonstrate warfare between the British and the Colonial armies. On Saturday, Feb. 20 another such re-enactment will take place on the Museum grounds.

The exhibit can be visited by the public Tuesdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Complimentary docent tours are given every day but Sunday at 2 p.m. and groups and organizations can all 484-9337 to organize tours. The Museum is located on the north side of Northern Boulevard, two traffic lights west of Glen Cove Road in Roslyn Harbor.