Profile

Susan J. Abraham joined the full-time faculty at New York Law School in 2003, after practicing law for 20 years. She began her career representing indigent people charged with crimes at trial and after several years moved on to appellate criminal defense, appearing numerous times before the New Jersey Supreme Court. She became a supervising attorney at the Office of the Appellate Defender in New York, where she litigated criminal appeals while supervising and training volunteer lawyers from large firms. She has also represented clients on civil matters and graded criminal and constitutional law essays on the New Jersey Bar Exam.

Professor Abraham teaches Evidence, Advanced Appellate Advocacy, Deposition Skills, and Restorative Justice, and served as the faculty advisor for the NYLS Moot Court Association for 13 years. More recently, she has been focusing on criminal justice reform, especially through applications of restorative justice. She has created and teaches restorative justice courses, is a trained Circle Facilitator and Peacemaker, and is the faculty advisor of the NYLS Restorative Justice Law Student Association. She has also commented on restorative justice and criminal justice issues at conferences, CLE panels, and in the media. In addition, she was a member of the transition team for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and has served on a number of Advisory Boards, including for the Restorative Justice Initiative, the New York Commission of Human Rights Restorative Justice Projects, and the NYLS Alternative Dispute Resolution Program. She also enjoys being a volunteer writing mentor for Girls Write Now.

Professor Abraham has taught Evidence, Restorative Justice, Advanced Appellate Advocacy, Legal Practice, and Deposition Skills, and served as the faculty advisor for the NYLS Moot Court Association for 13 years. More recently, she has been focusing on applications of restorative justice to resolving conflict, healing from harm, and building community in schools, workplaces, transitional governments, courts, prisons, and neighborhoods. As the Director of the Restorative Justice Project at NYLS, she has created and teaches restorative justice courses, started a restorative justice externship program, is a trained Circle Facilitator and Peacemaker, and advises the NYLS Restorative Justice Law Student Association. She has presented on restorative justice at international conferences and CLE panels, provided media commentary, and written about restorative approaches to crime and restorative pedagogy. Professor Abraham was appointed to the transition team for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and has served on many Boards, including The Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility, the New York Commission on Human Rights Restorative Justice Project, and the NYLS Alternative Dispute Resolution Skills Program.

In addition to earning a J.D., Professor Abraham has an M.F.A. in Creative Writing and has published poems in literary journals, including The Paris Review, Poetry, Rattle, and Penn Review, and in Strangers to Us All: Lawyers and Poetry, an anthology of lawyer/poets published by the University of West Virginia College of Law. She has taught writing courses at community colleges and ESL programs and volunteers as a writing mentor with Girls Write Now.