The Leaders in Public Interest Lecture proudly presents Zachary Carter’ 75, corporation counsel for the City of New York. Mr. Carter will address students on Wednesday, October 15, 2014 at 5:00 p.m. in Greenberg Lounge, Vanderbilt Hall. Mr. Carter will make remarks about his career in public service. A reception will follow immediately after his remarks.
Students are invited to a pre-lecture reception with hosted by the New York City Law Department where they can meet with alumni and Mr. Carter. To attend the pre-lecture reception, please RSVP at here by Thursday, October 9.
Zachary W. Carter is the 78th Corporation Counsel of the City of New York. As the chief legal officer of the City, Mr. Carter oversees the Law Department with over 700 attorneys, who represent the City’s interest in thousands of legal matters facing the City.
As a key legal advisor to the Mayor and his City agencies, Mr. Carter is primarily focused on advancing the City’s interests, with a commitment to justice and fair outcomes for individuals. Throughout his career, Mr. Carter has used the law to level the playing field for those seeking equal access to justice and opportunity, free from the burden of discrimination based on race, national origin, gender, sexual preference or economic class.
In 1993 he was appointed by President Bill Clinton as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District, the first African-American to hold that office. His office prosecuted the full range of federal criminal cases, including major narcotics, securities fraud and human trafficking. Most notably, Mr. Carter oversaw civil rights prosecutions against police officers in the Abner Louima torture case and against rioters who killed Yankel Rosenbaum during the City’s Crown Heights riots in 1991.
Prior to becoming the Corporation Counsel, Mr. Carter was a partner in the firm Dorsey & Whitney. He oversaw the Trial Group at the firm’s New York office and was co-chair of the firm’s White Collar Crime and Civil Fraud practice.
Mr. Carter has served as a magistrate judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York and as a judge of the New York City Criminal Court. He has served as chairman of the New York City Mayor’s Committee on the Judiciary from 2002 through 2013. Mr. Carter has received the Public Interest Law & Society Award from the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest and the Emory Buckner Medal from the Federal Bar Council.
He graduated from Cornell University in 1972 and New York University School of Law in 1975.