As a lawyer representing low-income communities in various legal matters, fighting for justice and challenging the status quo is central to who I am. This ethos initially drew me to public defense, and I’m so proud to lead an organization that sets the gold standard for our industry.
To me, movement lawyering means using our law degrees to build power for people most impacted by injustice. But to truly eradicate systemic inequities, fighting from the trenches isn’t enough. We must also engage with those who uphold or influence the systems we’re trying to change fundamentally.
This often means having tense and frustrating conversations with individuals across the aisle who don’t share our views and who challenge reform.
In New York, a city of eight million people, diversity of thought is a reality. Despite this, our circles can still feel insular and limited to those who already agree with us.
If my goal is to abolish the carceral system, guarantee housing as a human right, and defend immigrant communities from deportation, for example, I can’t isolate myself. Reaching out, listening to, and working with those who see the world differently is critical.
But I didn’t always agree with this approach.
Early in my career at the King County Public Defender’s Office in Seattle, I watched a mentor of mine—a zealous attorney and one of the most principled people I know—begin working with police, prosecutors, and other stakeholders on a myriad of public safety issues.
At the time, this made me mad.
I thought she was selling out, bending her values to appease those who created and entrenched the very systems we were fighting to dismantle.
But over time, I came to understand what she was doing. She wasn’t compromising; she was building bridges to create a nationally recognized diversion program that effectively addressed issues related to mental health and drug misuse.
Having been influenced by that approach, I worked with county officials, police, prosecutors, community-based organizations, and a 250-store mall to create a diversion program for youth accused of shoplifting. This program offered young people a chance to avoid a criminal conviction and all the collateral consequences of having a record. Upon successful completion of the program, the youth were allowed to apply for jobs at the same stores from which they’d previously been accused of stealing.
The program served young people and their families and also shifted the attitudes and perspectives within law enforcement. Police and prosecutors became dedicated stakeholders in providing second chances, and the community saw tangible results.
I’ve learned through this experience that engaging in tough conversations and working through our differences doesn’t demand abandoning core values, and it doesn’t weaken your advocacy. If anything, it strengthens it.
To this day, I’ve continued to apply that lesson. When I assumed the helm of The Legal Aid Society in August 2022, I faced the daunting challenge of correcting years of divestment and underfunding. That led to widespread staff attrition and unfilled vacancies and undermined our ability to provide zealous representation as required by the law. To help address this crisis, we collaborated with local district attorneys’ offices grappling with similar staffing and funding challenges.
This unlikely and unexpected partnership yielded results. Lawmakers allocated critical funding that allowed us to increase staff compensation and retention and welcome the largest incoming class of new attorneys in more than a decade. The additional funding also supported the opening of a first-of-its-kind training center, equipping the next generation of advocates to fight for justice.
These experiences have reinforced in me the vital lesson that building coalitions—even with those I’ve initially perceived as adversaries—isn’t a compromise of principles. Instead, it’s a demonstration of unwavering commitment to representing the people you serve.
As a young public defender, I initially resisted this approach. Today, I understand that getting out of the echo chamber and meaningfully engaging those with opposing views is necessary and a pathway to new opportunities and lasting reform.
