New York Law School congratulates Anthony Perrotto ’14 on his appointment as Board President of the LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York (LeGaL). The remarkable achievement sees Perrotto leading the Board of a critical organization dedicated to “improving the administration of the law, ensuring full equality for members of the LGBT community, promoting the expertise and advancement of LGBT legal professionals, and serving the larger community” in metropolitan New York City, per the organization’s website.
The appointment is especially meaningful given LeGaL’s deep connection to NYLS. NYLS Robert F. Wagner Professor of Labor and Employment Law, Emeritus Arthur S. Leonard founded LeGaL in 1978 as the New York Law Group and served as its first president. The group was an informal, social gathering whose members met to discuss pressing issues facing the LGBTQ+ community. Through the group, Professor Leonard began publishing his “Law Group Notes”—a publication about legal news and LGBTQ+ events.
By 1984, the group had grown and become the Bar Association for Human Rights, then the Lesbian and Gay Law Assocation of Greater New York, and finally the LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York (LeGaL)—changes in nomenclature that reflect the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community. The group formed the 501(c)(3) LeGaL Foundation in 1994, which publishes LGBT Law Notes, now in its 42nd year. Professor Leonard continues to serve as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief.
It is fitting, then, that a member of the NYLS community would take on a leadership role at LeGaL—it contributes to an already admirable legacy.
“I am delighted that LeGaL has selected an NYLS alumnus to be its new President, strengthening the School’s ties to one of the city’s most active bar associations,” Professor Leonard says.
Perrotto is more than ready to lead, furnished with the skills he learned at NYLS.
“LeGaL is more than a bar association,” Perrotto said in LeGaL’s announcement of his appointment. “We are an indomitable organization that champions equality for all LGBTQ+ individuals. As Board President, I am humbled at the opportunity to marshal LeGaL through a new chapter of our shared history.”
Perrotto has been a dedicated public servant for almost his entire career, previously serving as Court Attorney to Justice Richard Lee Price in Supreme Court, Bronx County—Criminal Term and as an Assistant District Attorney with the Bronx County District Attorney’s Child Abuse/Sex Crimes Unit. Today, Perrotto is a Principal Law Clerk to Justice David J. Kirschner, Supreme Court, Queens County—Criminal Term. He first joined LeGaL as a clinic volunteer in 2015 and joined the Board of Directors in 2018. Among his many recognitions, Perrotto was the first ever recipient of the Award for Outstanding Commitment to LeGaL’s Clinics in 2015.
“I’m very proud of Anthony’s achievements and leadership role at LeGaL. It’s not a surprise to me to see him in this position. He is smart, dedicated, and a tireless advocate for the LGBTQ+ and NYLS communities,” says NYLS Dean and President Anthony W. Crowell. “It is gratifying to see one of our graduates and one of my own mentees take over at a critical time in our nation’s history. I feel confident with Anthony at the helm.”