What are some of your proudest recent achievements?

  • Creating a cross-practice, interdisciplinary policy team at The Bronx Defenders with advocates from the criminal defense, family defense, immigration, and civil action practices. This team coordinates with our communications and organizing divisions and has drafted legislation, testified at dozens of hearings, and held community education events.
  • Getting the Driven by Justice campaign off the ground, which is a campaign that would eliminate driver’s license suspensions for failure to pay fines and fees. I was the primary drafter of the legislation, led legislative strategy, and brought it to point where it would have passed but for COVID-19.
  • Playing a critical role in passing bail and discovery reform last year in 2019 and in defending it this year in 2020.

Name a lawyer or mentor whose leadership inspired you.

The Honorable Nancy Gertner (ret.). I clerked for Judge Gerner in the Federal District Court in MA. She had an incredible career as a civil rights and criminal defense lawyer before being appointed to the federal bench. As a judge, she was deeply committed to a core set of values that allowed her to do the work of a federal judge while also having empathy and moral outrage. She is a wonderful mentor and seems to also have a lot of fun in life.

How are the business and profession of law changing, and how should lawyers adapt for the future?

Being an effective lawyer increasingly requires deep knowledge not just of the law, but of policy and larger systems. Lawyers should spend more time studying policy, legislation, communications, and organizing. Often, the courts are the least important part of legal reform movements. Lawyers should move away from believing that courts and judges alone can bring meaningful change.

What is the best advice for someone considering a career in law, or someone already in the profession who is seeking to make a greater impact?

Find people who are committed to the work, who are creative and generous, and work with them. Never leave.

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