Born in New York City, Holtzoff received an Artium Baccalaureus degree from Columbia University in 1908,[1] a Master of Arts degree from the same institution in 1909, and a Bachelor of Laws from Columbia Law School in 1911.
He was a special assistant to the Office of the Attorney General of the United States of the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., from 1924 to 1945, and was an executive assistant in that office in 1945.
In this role, Holtzoff served as the Secretary, Advisory Committee on Rules of Criminal Procedure.
He was a prime mover in revising the Federal Rules of Procedure to make them simple, effective, and cost-conscious.
The reforms took place from 1941 to 1945 and govern federal criminal procedure to this day, with some amendments from time-to-time.