Laura J. Popa
Adjunct Professor of Law
Laura Popa is the Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislation and Policy at the New York City Council. In this capacity, she oversees the legislative and policy making functions of the Council.
Laura works with a staff of approximately 70 lawyers and policy analysts to develop and implement legal and policy initiatives in such diverse areas as criminal justice reform, policing, sustainability, emergency preparedness, human rights, fair labor practices, homelessness, transportation, access to civil justice, safe housing, service delivery, health and education.
Laura has negotiated hundreds of bills with key stakeholders in government and the private and non-profit sectors. She has also represented the City Council on the City’s Sustainability Advisory Board, Green Codes Task Force, Building Resiliency Task Force, Commission on Gender Equity and the Board of the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Previously, she held numerous committee counsel and supervisory positions at the New York City Council.
In those roles, she drafted and supervised the drafting of myriad legislation, legal memoranda and committee reports, as well as provided legal advice to Council Members and staff and assisted the General Counsel’s Office with writing legal briefs and formulating legal strategies to defend legislative initiatives.
Teaching
New York City Council Externship, 2007 - Present
Awards
Laura was a recipient of the 2012 Urban Green Service Award for her work on green building policies and legislation.
Education
Fordham University School of Law, JD
New York University, BA, politics