Susan Chana Lask – New York Attorney, Civil Rights Advocate, and Appellate Litigator
Law Offices of Susan Chana Lask: Susan Chana Lask is a nationally recognized New York attorney with over 36 years of experience in civil rights, state and federal appeals, entertainment law, consumer rights, legal ethics, and high-profile litigation. She has changed laws in state and federal courts, drafted legislation for lawmakers, and argued before the United States Supreme Court, helping shape modern civil rights precedent.
A Proven Legal Leader
Susan’s work has been featured in major television, radio, and print media, including The Washington Post, Newsweek, ABC News, and hundreds of other media outlets. She is known for landmark victories that shaped the law in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, the United States Supreme Court, and New York courts, with precedent-setting matters in civil rights, consumer protection, entertainment law, and animal welfare.
For a structured record of Susan Chana Lask’s career highlights, see her Wikidata profile, a global database that powers Wikipedia and major search platforms.
Education and Training
Susan graduated college in an accelerated three years with a B.A. in Psychology/Sociology, then earned a Master of Arts in Humanities in an accelerated one year, focusing on Russian and British literature.
She attended Temple University School of Law classes, studying abroad in London, Rome, and at Tel Aviv University School of Law.
Susan also completed a Litigation Management Certification from the prestigious Philadelphia School for Paralegal Studies, enhancing her courtroom and case-management skills.
Legal Career Highlights
Susan began her career in 1985 as a law clerk for the Supreme Court of California’s ethics department, preparing disciplinary briefs for prosecutions against unethical attorneys. She later practiced at leading firms—Rivkin Radler Dunne & Bayh and Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel—handling complex class actions and environmental litigation and interfacing with numerous United States government agencies, and later she investigated international maritime cases for Lloyd’s of London. She further served as counsel to the New York Police Benevolent Association, representing officers in civil rights and criminal matters—experience that shaped her later civil rights advocacy, including her United States Supreme Court litigation.
Notable Cases
- Christiansen v. Omnicom — Secured unprecedented support, including from 128 Members of Congress and the EEOC, where she won expanded Title VII protections, and a concurring opinion from the Second Circuit’s Chief Judge agreeing with Susan that longstanding precedent will have to change.
- Florence v. Board of Chosen Freeholders — Secured unprecedented support of Five former Attorneys Generals, former NJ Supreme Court justices, the ACLU and more in the Third Circuit, and to the U.S. Supreme Court where she litigated there to receive an decision influencing national standards on strip searches.
- Campbell v. Baum — First private class action against the country’s largest and notorious foreclosure fraud mill law firm, leading to its shutdown and national reforms .
- Makinen v. Sanofi-Aventis — First and only Class action revealing Ambien dangers, drawing worldwide media attention, resulting in FDA-mandated warning labels.
- Nationwide Puppy Mill Cases — 15+ years of pro bono work culminating in New York’s first locality ban on pet-store dog sales.
On Your Side
For more than three decades, Susan Chana Lask has combined legal skill, media strategy, and relentless advocacy to change laws and protect clients’ rights. She continues to write, lecture, and advocate for justice in courtrooms nationwide.
