 After graduating from law school, Slotnick established his own practice in Manhattan.Slotnick specialized in criminal defense, and found clients by sitting in the front row of a court, waiting until the judges would say “Slotnick, the next client is yours.” From there, he started his own "boutique law firm" that eventually became Slotnick, Shapiro & Crocker.During the 1980s, Slotnick defended Bernhard Goetz, who shot four black youth on a New York City subway.