Twyla Carter, Attorney-in-Chief and Chief Executive Officer of The Legal Aid Society, has been honored as part of City and State’s annual Power of Diversity: Women 100 list.

A recurring theme in this year’s list is historic firsts. Many of the individuals recognized broke barriers to become the first woman, the first woman of color, or another first to hold a position of power or influence.

When Twyla joined Legal Aid in May of 2022, she became the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead the organization in its nearly 150-year history.

During Twyla’s tenure, Legal Aid’s attorneys and staff have worked tirelessly to defend New York City’s Right to Shelter and to protect incarcerated New Yorkers from the deplorable conditions on Rikers Island. They have obtained important victories, from securing social security benefits for a child in foster care to championing legislation that will automatically seal certain conviction records, ending the perpetual punishment for many deserving New Yorkers.

Since day one, Carter has worked relentlessly since joining the organization to improve contract procurement and payments and securing additional funding to significantly increase baseline salaries for all staff.

Congratulations to Twyla who comes in at twenty-two on this year’s list.