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?
I believe in liberation and justice for all Black, Brown, Trans, Immigrant, Queer, Disabled, Poor, Palestinian and Femme New Yorkers. Working at Legal Aid gives me the opportunity and resources to fight alongside oppressed New Yorkers for their dignity and freedom from Rikers Island.

What’s a recent project or piece of work you’re proud of, and why?
The Women’s Pretrial Release Initiative (WPRI) works to secure the release of women-identifying people from Rikers Island. I’m proud of every single person who has been released from Rikers Island in part because of our bail advocacy, because every single one of these extraordinary humans deserves to be free. In 2026, WPRI has played a role in the release of 58 women to date, and I am proud to have played a small part in ensuring that these women does not live with the looming threat of death at Rikers Island.

What’s the most challenging part of your job?
Ultimately, we are band-aid to the larger issue of the overpolicing and overcriminalization of oppressed New Yorkers. Oftentimes, we have to go above and beyond just to get the bare minimum level of safety and dignity for our clients. It’s heartbreaking to witness the most vulnerable New Yorkers, particularly Black Trans Women, be terrorized by the NYPD and NY court systems without real and immediate solutions.

What’s something about your work that most people misunderstand?
I think a lot of New Yorkers still don’t understand that every single one of WPRI’s clients has not been found guilty of the “crime” they are arrested and detained for. Rikers Island is a jail, not a prison. 84% of people detained at Rikers are held pretrial, meaning they have not been convicted of the crime they are detained for.

What is the impact of your work on the lives of New Yorkers?
It’s hard to quantify the impact of my clients getting released just in time for a child’s birthday, or to be able to grieve a tragic loss with the support of their community, or to receive the services and treatment they’ve been desperately wanting. We are playing a small role in addressing the structural violence inherent to the systems we work within.

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Tara Ramos-McManus is a Mitigation Specialist with The Legal Aid Society’s Women’s Pretrial Release Initiative.