Legal Aid names new CEO

Twyla Carter has been named the next CEO and attorney-in-chief of the Legal Aid Society. Photo via Bail Project

By Rachel Vick

The Legal Aid Society named a new attorney-in-chief and chief executive officer Friday.

Twyla Carter will be the first Black woman and first Asian American to serve in the role when she assumes the position in August.

“It’s truly an honor to join the nation’s oldest and largest public law firm serving low-income people on a myriad of issues ranging from criminal defense to tenant rights, access to justice for young New Yorkers, and so much more,” said Carter.

“Now more than ever, vulnerable New Yorkers need Legal Aid, and I look forward to further enabling and positioning the organization to strengthen bedrock direct services, policy advocacy and impact litigation work,” she added. “Our clients deserve nothing less.”

Carter most recently served as National Director of Legal and Policy at The Bail Project, where she created the unit’s strategic mission and directed the legal, policy, and advocacy efforts at every level of government.

She has served as a Senior Staff Attorney in the Criminal Law Reform Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, and spent a decade working as a public defender.

“Legal Aid has played an incomparable role in New York City for well over a century, connecting vulnerable New Yorkers with critical legal services to address a myriad of needs,” said Zachary Carter, chair of the board of directors at The Legal Aid Society. “We are thrilled that Twyla Carter, a prominent member of the national public defender and civil rights community, will serve at the helm of Legal Aid, positioning the organization to meet the challenges that face our clients and the communities we serve.”