Anthony Crowell
Anthony Crowell | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 25, 1970 |
| Occupation(s) | Lawyer, academic, law school dean |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Known for | Dean and President of New York Law School; Counselor to NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg |
Anthony Crowell (born August 25, 1970) serves as the Dean and President of New York Law School, a role he took on in May 2012 following more than ten years as Counselor to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He has provided instruction in state and local government law at both New York Law School and Brooklyn Law School. Crowell’s leadership experience includes membership on the board of the New York City Economic Development Corporation and an appointment to the New York City Conflicts of Interest Board from 2013 through 2021. Presently, he holds positions on the New York City Planning Commission, the Executive Committee of the Association of American Law Schools, as well as the boards of the Brooklyn Public Library and Citizens Union Foundation. Additionally, he chairs the Independent Review Committee responsible for overseeing appointments to New York's Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government.
Education and early career
Crowell completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating magna cum laude in 1992 with a concentration in urban policy. He earned his J.D., cum laude, from American University's Washington College of Law in 1997. He is licensed to practice law in both New York and New Jersey. From 1992 until 1997, Crowell was employed by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) in Washington, D.C., where he directed government affairs and coordinated policy committees.
New York City Government
Following law school, Crowell joined the New York City Law Department as Assistant Corporation Counsel from 1997 to 2002. In this capacity, he led the World Trade Center Death Certificate Program in 2001, assisting families affected by the September 11 attacks. His work involved facilitating interagency collaboration to expedite issuance of death certificates and managing support services for victims’ relatives.
Between 2002 and 2006, Crowell acted as Special Counsel to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. Notably, he drafted the pivotal legal opinion that underpinned the administration’s decision to recognize same-sex marriages performed in Canada and Massachusetts. In 2005, he spearheaded the launch of the nonpartisan Video Voter Guide, which offered free television airtime to candidates in the New York City mayoral election, 2005.
As Counselor to Mayor Bloomberg until 2012, Crowell oversaw legal, regulatory, legislative, governance, and operational functions aimed at improving New York City's efficiency, competitiveness, transparency, and ethical standards. He coordinated efforts across city agencies and led initiatives focused on government reform and business process reengineering.
In 2008, Crowell provided testimony before the City Council regarding term limits extension and chaired the Regulatory Review Panel tasked with simplifying regulations and alleviating burdens on local businesses.
Crowell was actively involved in all four of Mayor Bloomberg’s NYC Charter Revision Commissions. He co-chaired the 2002 Commission that recommended changes to mayoral succession procedures and served as Chief Counsel for the 2003 Commission that introduced a nonpartisan voting system for municipal offices. His contributions extended to the 2004 Commission addressing budgetary and judicial conduct reforms as well as the 2010 Commission focusing on extending mayoral term limits.
In 2022, Mayor Eric Adams appointed Crowell to serve on the City Planning Commission.
Academic career
In February 2012, Crowell was appointed Dean and President of New York Law School following a unanimous decision by the board of trustees. Alongside his administrative role, he joined the faculty as a Professor of Law and Distinguished Practitioner. Crowell initially became part of NYLS in 2003 as an adjunct instructor and continues to teach courses on New York City law. Prior to this, he spent twelve years teaching state and local government law at Brooklyn Law School.
Upon assuming leadership, Crowell set goals to elevate NYLS’ ranking and reaffirm its identity as “New York’s Law School.” One of his early initiatives in 2012 was the introduction of the Jump Start bar preparation program, designed to enhance student success rates on the bar exam. Between 2012 and 2013, NYLS achieved the largest increase in bar passage rates across New York State.
Crowell worked closely with faculty members to craft a Strategic Plan addressing evolving legal market dynamics, enhancing student involvement, advancing scholarly work, and expanding clinical and experiential learning opportunities that utilize New York City as a practical classroom setting. This plan was developed following an operational review aimed at modernizing the institution’s administrative practices.
In September 2013, Crowell revealed plans for a two-year J.D. honors curriculum set to launch in January 2015, priced at no more than two-thirds of the cost of the traditional program. This innovative approach earned him recognition from Crain's New York Business as one of “People to Watch in Higher Education.” Additionally, he was featured in interviews with New York Public Radio and Bloomberg Law discussing this new program.
April 2015 saw Crowell announce a collaboration between NYLS and the University of Rochester’s Simon Business School, integrating legal and business education at NYLS’ Tribeca campus. He also managed the creation of the Joe Plumeri Center for Social Justice and Economic Opportunity, funded by a $5 million donation from businessman Joe Plumeri to support pro bono legal services.
Under Crowell’s stewardship, NYLS improved from being unranked in 2013 to securing the #111 spot in the 2016 U.S. News & World Report law school rankings.
In 2013, Crowell received the "Building Brooklyn Award" from the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. He also initiated the "Campus Climate Survey" at NYLS to assess progress on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Furthermore, he contributed a chapter on civics education in Beyond Imagination? The January 6 Insurrection, offering reflections on lessons learned from the January 6 Capitol events.
Professional Affiliations
- Awarded a bronze Congressional Award in 1987; currently serves on its Foundation Board based in Washington.
- Member and former Chairperson of the Brooklyn Public Library Board of Trustees.
- Serves on the board of directors for the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.
- Holds a directorship on the Citizens Union Foundation Board.
- Member of New York City’s Conflicts of Interest Board.
- Chairs New York State’s Independent Review Committee.
- Participates as an Executive Committee member of The Association of American Law Schools.
- Trustee for the Commission on Independent Colleges & Universities in New York.
Selected publications, articles, and op-eds
- Real Estate Issues: Toxic Tax Assessments - The Ad Valorem Assessment of Contaminated Property
- ICMA: Local Government and the Telecommunications Act of 1996
- ICMA: Playing in the Gray: Quality of Life and the Municipal Bond Rating Game
- New York Law Journal: Benefits of Urban Law Schools for Students
- NYLS Law Review: Forward on History of Charter Revisions