The Legal Aid Society is the nation’s largest public defense and civil legal services provider. The largest law firm in New York City is home to over 2000 attorneys, paralegals, social workers, investigators, and more. Each brings their unique perspective to the fight for justice in every borough.

What inspired you to work at Legal Aid?
There are few places in the world where you can fight alongside such a skilled and committed community of practitioners for an expansive vision of justice. At this critical moment, I am inspired by Legal Aid’s staff, partners, and the New Yorkers we serve to defend our communities. Together we will fight to ensure that no New Yorker is denied the right to equal justice.

What’s a recent project or piece of work you’re proud of, and why?
The Special Litigation Unit will continue to hold the NYPD and the City accountable for the many ways policing harms New Yorkers and our communities. I am proud of how CAPstat, now LELU, strengthened our defense in courtrooms and how the repeal of 50-a has strengthened our communities’ ability to investigate patterns of police abuse. But we must also be versatile. I am so impressed at how SLU has shapeshifted to meet the moment as threats to our communities emerge from new formations.

What’s the most challenging part of your job?
Too often, reforms are obstructed or delayed before they can prevent future harm. And many low-income New Yorkers cannot afford to engage in the long-haul fight for justice: showing up to court and engaging in litigation costs people days off work, day care or elder care, transit fare, and much more. On top of that, even after a successful lawsuit, courts are limited in the legal remedies they can deliver. But navigating these challenges has only forced me to be more creative in finding ways to achieve systemic change for the communities we serve.

What’s something about your work that most people misunderstand?
That fighting for justice is about so much more than practicing what we learn in law school. Yes, we must be devoted to the craft: disciplined research, persuasive writing, and effective advocacy. But we must also be equally committed to building strong relationships, collaborating with targeted communities, and being unwavering in our vision of a society where everyone can thrive because their rights are not only protected, but advanced in our courts and through the legislative process.

What is the impact of your work on the lives of New Yorkers?
Our work not only protects the rights of New Yorkers; it strengthens families and low-income communities by keeping them together. Whenever I get updates from clients about their families, kids, education, work, or community service, I see the impact of our work reverberating. I similarly see the impact of the work we did with the coalition that repealed 50-a whenever I read an article about an incident of police brutality that underscores the ways that the NYPD has tolerated similar patterns of violence. That level of information empowers communities to advocate for systemic reforms that prevent further brutality.

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Cynthia Conti-Cook recently returned to The Legal Aid Society to serve as Director of the Special Litigation Unit within the Criminal Law Reform Team.