Corey Stoughton, outgoing Attorney-in-Charge of the Law Reform and Special Litigation Unit for The Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Defense Practice is being honored by the New York State Bar Association with the Award for Excellence in Mandated Representation.

The award recognizes attorneys and organizations who have demonstrated the highest professional standards in providing
mandated representation, or who have improved the field dramatically through innovation or advocacy work.

For the past three years, Corey has shepherded the Criminal Defense Practice’s strategic litigation and legislative advocacy to advance systemic change. Through her management of Legal Aid’s law reform work, which spans issues from criminal due process and police reform, to parole reform, prisoner’s rights, and the criminalization of poverty, Stoughton has made significant contributions to enhancing Legal Aid’s representation.

Stoughton led Legal Aid’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in prisons and jails, using innovative litigation to secure the release of hundreds of people incarcerated in New York City’s jails during the height of the pandemic. She also led Legal Aid’s strategic litigation challenging the NYPD’s inappropriate use of force against racial justice protesters in Payne v. City of New York and the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk practices in Davis v. City of New York. And she guided Legal Aid’s successful efforts to persuade state and local legislatures to pass several criminal justice reform bills.

Through her innovative litigation and advocacy efforts, Stoughton has made immeasurable contributions to improving the quality of mandated representation in New York. The Legal Aid Society thanks Corey for her tremendous leadership and wishes her well in all future endeavors.