*Editor note: I, along with staff members from City & State, helped compile, sort and write this list. *
Law underpins much of what drives politics and policy in New York. From legislating to lobbying, from courtroom battles to campaign challenges, the state’s legal professionals are integral players on everything from elections to land use to criminal justice to labor to health care – and the list goes on and on.
Our inaugural list of the state’s 50 most influential lawyers highlights the breadth and versatility of the legal profession, featuring leaders who have advised Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, served as top prosecutors at the city, state or federal levels, represented victims of police brutality or sexual harassment, and made their mark on New York government through their work on major real estate developments or hot-button policy debates.
This being New York, it will come as no surprise to City & State readers that some of the names at the top of our Law Power 50 list could have been plucked from national headlines for protecting high-profile defendants, filing legal challenges against the Trump administration or advancing the #MeToo movement.
We reached out to legal experts to compile this list, ranking each person based on their achievements, track record and their sway with powerful politicians. Since we cover elected officials on a day-to-day basis, we limited this list to those who are not strictly in government but instead influence it from the outside.
We’re pleased to introduce our inaugural City & State Law Power 50.
Click here for the full list: https://www.cityandstateny.com/articles/power-list/power-list/new-york-law-power-50-2019.html