About Liz Crotty

Born and raised in Manhattan with her roots in Stuyvesant town, Liz Crotty has enjoyed a full legal career as a criminal justice lawyer.

Growing up in Manhattan in the ‘70s and ‘80s, and having lived through some of the most tumultuous times in New York City, Liz understands the impact crime and civil unrest has on the city and its residents. From running into Safe Haven Program stores to escaping predatory men to knowing a local stabbing victim, Liz’s life —like all New Yorkers—had and has been intertwined with day-to-day crime in the city.

After graduating from Fordham Law School, Liz began learning the criminal justice system inside out from both sides. As a result, she understands how the system rises and falls for everyone who it comes into contact with, including victims, defendants, witnesses and police officers.

In 2000, Liz began her six-year career at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney in both the Trial Division and the Investigation Division. In the Trial Bureau, Liz took on cases involving street crimes, attempted murder, kidnapping, assault, burglary, robbery, and drug sales, as well as complex crimes like forgery, grand larceny, identity theft and money laundering. As an ADA, Liz had tremendous success investigating and resolving matters by trial or plea, before both judges and juries.

After serving over four years in Trial Bureau 70, Liz moved into the Investigation Division, training and expanding her legal skills. For two years in the Investigation Division, Liz worked on complex white-collar cases on the local, national, and international levels.

After leaving the Manhattan DA’s Office, Liz worked in civil law on complex international investigations and litigations, handling both state and federal matters involving aviation litigation, wrongful death, negligence, and product liability.

However, missing her calling in Criminal Law, Liz started her own criminal law firm 12 years ago. She and her partner have built a law firm from the ground up, representing people throughout New York City and around the world, to help them receive the justice they rightly deserve. Liz represents people on crimes ranging from grand larceny, fraud, assault to rape, DWI, and weapons possession. Liz’s meticulous preparation, persistent steadfastness, and high sense of ethics make her ideally capable in achieving success for her clients. A zealous advocate who fights aggressively for her clients, Liz is also well reasoned, approachable and personable— three qualities essential in becoming an exceptional District Attorney.

Liz will bring 20 years of firsthand criminal law experience to the Manhattan District Attorney’s office — experience that cannot be taught in a course on policy development or by tenure in an executive office, but experience that can only come from working in the trenches and the courts consistently, day after day.

Liz’s experience has provided her a clear vision to see that the District Attorney’s Office can do better. However, she understands the only way to better the office is with a plan that is practical and works with the system.

Her plan starts with ensuring the office is working in the people’s best interest — always prioritizing every New Yorker’s hope for public safety. Every neighborhood and community needs to feel that the District Attorney’s Office is working for them. That means it must work closely in each and every in diverse community in Manhattan, as well as work with the police to make sure that they are protecting the communities they are entrusted to serve with dignity and honor.

Liz is admitted to New York State Courts and the Southern and Eastern Districts of the New York. She currently serves as a board member for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Association, a not-for-profit alumni organization of the Manhattan DA’s Office. In addition, she serves on the New York City Bar Association’s Judiciary Committee, evaluating judicial candidates for election, reelection, appointment, reappointment, designation, and certification to judicial office. Most recently, she was a judicial delegate to the NYC Supreme Court judicial convention.

Liz is a trained Mediator, who completed the Mediation Training at the NY Peace Institute. In addition, she volunteers with the CFI Project, which assists recent immigrant arrivals who are requesting political asylum and prepares them for their credible fear interview. Liz is also a volunteer on the pro-bono panel in New York’s Southern District.

Liz Crotty has the breadth of experience, the toughness, the will, the common sense, and the discerning compassion to serve Manhattanites with the attention to detail and stalwart diligence they expect from their next District Attorney.