Alex Lesman Email & Phone Number

New York, Ny

In the Special Litigation and Law Reform Unit of the Criminal Practice, litigation and advocacy arising from the criminal legal system, from policing to jail to prison to parole.

New York, Ny

Researched, categorized, and interpreted statutory content for the Clean Slate Clearinghouse, a web-based resource on criminal record sealing and expungement nationwide.

New York, Ny

Litigated as assigned counsel in the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York

New York, Ny

Researched and wrote for reports on policing reforms, jail use, and pretrial practices

New York City

Designed and taught "Rights," an Introduction to Graduate Liberal Studies course in the Master's in Liberal Studies program.

New York, Ny

Worked on the remedies phase of the landmark civil rights case United States of America and Vulcan Society, et al. v. City of New York, representing African-American applicants in a racially discriminatory hiring process for firefighters.

Ithaca, New York

Advocated for and litigated on behalf of people in New York State custody. The work included appeals from prison disciplinary decisions, investigation of complaints about excessive force, and correction of sentence and jail time calculation errors.

Brooklyn

Represented people unable to pay for an attorney in Brooklyn Supreme Court, Criminal Court, and Red Hook Community Justice Center, on charges ranging from traffic infractions to felonies, from arraignment through sentencing or dismissal. Won a newsworthy dismissal in the interest of justice for a client ensnared in NYPD's "Operation Lucky Bag."

New York, Ny

Researched and wrote memoranda on state statutes taking away voting rights after felony convictions and on the U.S. census rule for where to count people serving prison sentences.

Interviewed clients and prospective clients, assisted intake attorney with client surrenders to police, researched New York criminal statutes and cases, wrote omnibus pre-trial motions, and represented clients in court for unlicensed general vending and disorderly conduct.

Researched ineffective assistance of counsel precedents for a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in Banks v. Dretke, a Texas death penalty case; researched Louisiana law on indictments in preparation for retrial of a murder case; began researching scholarly criticism of the landmark death penalty case McCleskey v. Kemp, which led to my note in the Journal of Law and Policy.

Jd, Law

Activities and Societies: Edward V. Sparer Public Interest Law Fellowship; Brooklyn Law Students for the Public Interest Fellowship.

M.A, English; American Studies

B.A., English (Cum Laude)

Activities and Societies: Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group (MassPIRG); Cambodian Immigrants Tutoring Program; Habitat.

Education record

Activities and Societies: Honor Committee; Literary Society; Varsity Soccer