Russ Corker is universally regarded as one of the leading medical malpractice attorneys on Long Island and Southern New York. Bringing a rare intellectual depth, he keeps a lifelong interest in - and ability to understand - medical processes usually the province of the most specialized physicians. Further, the 54-year-old Corker, who early in his career defended physicians and hospitals in malpractice cases, brings unique perspective to what is now a complete focus on representing patients and victims of medical negligence. A native of Richmond, Va., and a high-school athlete in Richmond, Va.; he went off to Boston University Law School ("Partly it was a desire to simply get away from home") where he got his first taste of the courtroom. As an intern in the U.S. Attorneys Office in Boston, he witnessed a case involving the famed F. Lee Bailey; Corker knew then what he wanted to do. In 1974 he was recruited by the Nassau County District Attorney's Office, where he plunged into trial work. The 70s, of course, saw the explosion in medical-malpractice litigation, and within two years Corker had been lured by a small Huntingdon firm that focused on malpractice defense cases. Only two years later, Corker joined the firm of Neil Shayne, (Shayne, Dachs), the legendary enterprising attorney who was a fixture of the Nassau County Bar (he died of lymphoma in 1998); for the last 24 years Corker has built a reputation for thoroughness, consistent courtroom successes and professional integrity. Says a rival: "I don't need signed confirmation from Russ - his word counts." (His move to representing plaintiffs was as much a professional opportunity as an ideological shift; his firm largely focuses on plaintiff's claims.) Over the years, Corker has not simply kept up with the dynamic field of medicine - he's immersed himself in it, taking courses over a five year period at St.