Christine Clarke returns to Legal Services NYC as Chief of Litigation and Advocacy

Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) announced on Wednesday that Christine Clarke will return to its ranks as Chief of Litigation and Advocacy, effective from July 2023. 

In this role, Clarke will spearhead LSNYC’s strategic advocacy for low-income New Yorkers, initiating and overseeing high-impact and complex civil litigation, as well as partnering with advocates and community groups for innovative policy advocacy.

“I am thrilled to return to Legal Services NYC, an organization that fights for justice and equity for and with people caught in the crosshairs of unjust systems,” Clarke said. “I believe in fighting the hard fights, something my colleagues at LSNYC do day in and day out. I am truly honored to join them in that fight once again, alongside our incredible clients and community partners.”

Clarke’s career has been defined by her commitment to battling oppression and injustice. She formerly served as the Director of LSNYC’s Civil Rights Justice Initiative until 2018, during which time she handled a wide range of civil rights matters.

Her tireless work led to several lawsuits against the New York Police Department, NYC’s Human Resource Administration, and NYC Housing Authority. These crucial legal battles resulted in significant changes to policies and procedures, including improved language access for immigrant and Limited English Proficiency New Yorkers.

Most recently, Clarke was a staff attorney at Planned Parenthood Federation of America. There, she was instrumental in challenging abortion bans across various states, striving to keep health center doors open and ensuring people retain the autonomy to make decisions about their lives and futures. Clarke is an alumna of Oberlin College and Yale Law School, where she was a student editor of the Human Rights and Development Law Journal and a member of the Asian Pacific…