Brooklyn Law Alumni Making Their Mark in Political Races

09/07/2017

The names of several Brooklyn Law School graduates will be on the ballot Sept. 12 in high-profile primary races in New York.

In the New York City mayoral race, Sal Albanese ’90 is seeking the Democratic nomination against incumbent Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Albanese is no stranger to New York politics and business. A former New York City Council member and lifelong resident who came to the city with his family as an eight-year-old immigrant from Italy, he is running for mayor for the third time. Albanese also ran for Congress in the early 1990s. As a council member, he earned a favorable reputation as “a reformer and political maverick,” according to The New York Times.

“I am the New York City story,” said Albanese during the final debate before Tuesday’s primary.

Adjunct Professor Anne Swern ’80 is a candidate for Brooklyn District Attorney, a role in which she hopes to put her more than 35 years of experience in public service, law, and education to good use.

Considered an expert in Criminal Justice Policy, Swern has worked with four District Attorneys for Kings County and most recently was Managing Counsel for Brooklyn Defender Services—which represents more than 45,000 clients per year in housing, civil, educational, immigration, criminal, and family defense matters.

“Throughout this race, I have stood up and put myself out there as a different kind of leader… [On Tuesday], the voters will decide who they will trust with their safety and civil rights in the era of the Trump Administration. I want to be the candidate who earns the trust, support and vote of each and every person in Brooklyn,” Swern recently posted on her Facebook page.

Timothy Sini ’05, currently Suffolk County Police Commissioner, is the Democratic candidate for Suffolk County District Attorney.

Like Albanese and Swern, Sini has dedicated his career to public service. Last year, he became Suffolk County’s youngest ever Police Commissioner. Sini came into the job facing major challenges, including rebuilding public trust following a scandal involving the former Suffolk police chief, as well as a spike in homicides. Despite this adversity, Sini quickly won the support and admiration of colleagues and the community.

Prior to becoming commissioner, Sini worked in corporate law in Manhattan and clerked for two federal judges before becoming a federal prosecutor for the Southern District of New York in 2010, where he worked for U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.

“Going into law school, I knew I wanted to do some kind of public interest/public service work,” Sini told Brooklyn Law School students last spring at an alumni panel about careers in law enforcement.

Sini said of his candidacy: “Through the hard work of the men and women of the Suffolk County Police Department, we have been able to drive crime to the lowest level in recorded history. But the fact remains that we have significant issues that need to be addressed in our communities, and we need a strong District Attorney’s Office to lead the way….As District Attorney, I will lead the County into a new era of law enforcement in which the only goal will be justice for all.”