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Commission Bio: Anthony W. Crowell

Anthony W. Crowell

Anthony W. Crowell is Dean and President of New York Law School, and a Professor of Law. His areas of expertise are in state and local government law and civic engagement. He was appointed to the City Planning Commission by Mayor Eric Adams. Dean Crowell has worked with the NYLS faculty over the past decade to implement a new curriculum and programs to advance social justice and economic opportunity for the people of New York City and beyond. This has included offering a broad range of community-based legal clinics to help meet the vast needs of New York’s underrepresented and marginalized communities.

Before joining NYLS, he was Counselor to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, and served as a senior management and policy advisor, as well as general counsel to the Office of the Mayor for more than a decade. He managed a broad portfolio of legal, regulatory, legislative, governance, economic development, administrative, and operational matters focused on enhancing New York City’s performance, competitiveness, accountability, and public integrity. He worked on numerous civil rights and government-access initiatives, and served as the Mayor’s liaison to the LGBTQIA+ community. He also served as executive director, counsel, or commissioner for six city Charter Revision Commissions.

From 1997 to 2002, Crowell served as an Assistant Corporation Counsel in the New York City Law Department’s Real Property Tax & Condemnation Division, as well as the Legal Counsel Division. In 2001, he served as counsel to the city’s Family Assistance Center, aiding families’ of 9/11 victims and directed the City's World Trade Center Death Certificate Program. He later worked on issues related to 9/11 recovery and rebuilding.

He began his career at the International City/County Management Association in Washington, D.C., where he engaged in substantial policy work on environmental, land use, and community and economic development issues impacting municipalities. He also served as a law clerk at the State and Local Legal Center, assisting in the preparation of amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court, including in cases involving regulatory takings and development rights.

He is a recognized civic leader in New York City and is a member of the City Bar Association’s New York City Affairs Committee, the Citizens Union Foundation, as well as the Board of Trustees of the Brooklyn Public Library. He previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and as a mayoral appointee to the New York City Conflicts of Interest Board. In addition, he is a leader in American legal education. He is the Founding President of the National Association of Standalone Graduate Schools and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities in New York.

Dean Crowell received a B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied urban policy and planning. He received a J.D., cum laude, from American University.