Prior to joining ILS, Nora worked as a Staff Attorney at The Legal Aid Society in New York City (LAS). At LAS, Nora worked first as a public defender in the Brooklyn trial office where she represented low-income individuals accused of crimes in Supreme Court and Criminal Court. When Nora began in Brooklyn, she and the other attorneys in her office were faced with the challenge of providing quality legal representation under crushing caseloads. Fortunately in 2010, criminal case caps were introduced in New York City and during the resulting implementation, Nora was able to see an obvious difference in her ability to defend each client to the fullest as caseloads declined and she had access to more resources like investigators and social workers.

In 2013, Nora left the trial office to help to start a new city-wide community outreach unit, now known as the Community Justice Unit (formerly the Anti-Gun Violence Unit). It was an exciting opportunity to partner with community based organizations who use the nationally recognized Cure Violence model to fight violence in targeted areas. Through this partnership, the Unit was able to bring both criminal and civil legal services directly to New York City’s most vulnerable communities while also hosting Know Your Rights workshops and counseling community members on post-conviction consequences. From this community work, Nora and the other attorneys in the Unit were able to identify issues faced by community members and collaborate with LAS’ Special Litigation Unit to advocate for policy change.

Nora also spent a brief, but informative, time in LAS’ Employment Law Unit where she represented individuals who had experienced employment discrimination under city, state and federal law. While in law school, Nora had the opportunity to work at the Brennan Center for Justice in the Criminal Justice Reform Program, at the Innocence Project, and at the Red Hook Community Justice Center with the Kings County District Attorney’s Office. Nora received a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School where she was an Edward V. Sparer Public Interest Fellow, a Prince Scholar, a member of the Moot Court Honor Society, Appellate Division (Constitutional Law team), and received various awards for scholarship in writing and coursework as well as dedication to public service. She received her B.A., magna cum laude, in Journalism from New York University.