Page 66 - NYLJ Professional Excellence 2021

DISTINGUISHED LEADERS

criminal justice system—the courts, policy, jails and communi-
ties—for a more fair and just system. I’ve also been working with
Syracuse University to review its Public Safety Department’s
handling of bias-related incidents. I’m helping them identify
the challenges inherent in modern-day policing everywhere,
even on college campuses, and advising them on how to move
forward. I’m really proud to be a part of the dialogue, and to
include it in my work at Paul, Weiss.

Name a lawyer or mentor whose leadership inspired you.
The people who have inspired me the most throughout my
career are the victims and witnesses in the cases I’ve worked
on who have come forward to share their stories of pain and
trauma. As a prosecutor, I would use those stories to get justice
for them. Some of the most heart-wrenching stories came from
the people I met while I was Special Counsel to the Prosecutor
of International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in the mid-2000s.
They were brave enough to share their stories of trauma in a
system that was totally new to them, where they didn’t know who
they could trust. My experiences at the tribunal and in the related
witness tampering investigation were a culmination of everything
I’d learned before and the inspiration for much of my work since
then. You have to keep at the forefront of your mind, "Who are
you doing this for, on whose behalf are you waging these battles?"

How are the business and profession of law changing, and
how should lawyers adapt for the future? Technology has
greatly expanded the universe of the law, both in issues, such
as data privacy, and process, such as storage and retrieval.
LORETTA It’s crucial for lawyers to both keep up with new capabilities
and to ensure that clients have strong systems and practices
LYNCH in place. In the investigations space, for example, data storage
and retrieval is a significantly more involved process now.
Government regulators face the same challenges but often
have fewer resources; thus there is an increased expectation
Partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, on responding entities to be both comprehensive and provide
the technological bridges to allow government review.
Wharton & Garrison
What is the best advice for someone considering a career in
law, or someone already in the profession who is seeking to
make a greater impact? Every lawyer wants to make an impact.
What are some of your proudest recent achievements? As you start your career, learn your craft and become the best
you can be so that wherever you go, you’ll be applying the high-
T he issue of law enforcement and community est level of skill for the people who need you. At every stage
you should be growing, and as you advance, opportunities will
relations has been the defining work of my
career for the past 20 years. Recently, I’ve been
open up and different issues will resonate with you. Be open to
particularly gratified to work on the issue of
such as public service. Making an impact is a worthwhile goal,
how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the stepping off the traditional path and exploring other options,
criminal justice system. In July, I co-chaired the but remember that lasting impact is often visible only after the
bipartisan National Commission on COVID-19 fact, so don’t make that your only metric. Find a cause you
and Criminal Justice, where we put politics aside to focus on believe in and share your skills. Find someone in need and help
science and policy. Our findings identified the challenges and them. Find what touches your heart and give it your all. The
outlined opportunities within the four main elements of the opportunities are endless in this wonderful profession of ours.

64 October 2021 | Photo: Paul Weiss