Paul N. Samuels
Director and President, Legal Action Center
(212) 243-1313; psamuels@lac.org
Paul Samuels is Director/President of the Legal Action Center. Mr. Samuels has participated in ground-breaking litigation defending the rights of people with alcohol and drug histories, HIV disease and criminal records; worked on and overseen numerous advocacy campaigns to combat discrimination, expand services, reform sentencing laws, and effect other important public policy advances; testified before numerous Congressional and state legislative committees; lectured in more than 25 States; and served on numerous national and state advisory groups. He has received a number of awards, including the Robert Wood Johnson Innovator Award (2002), The Betty Ford Award, AMERSA (1998), New York City Coalition of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Organizations (1997), Veritas Villa (1995), New York State Association for Alternative Sentencing Programs (1994), and National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (1992 and 1994). Mr. Samuels joined the staff of the Legal Action Center while a law student in 1976, became a staff attorney upon graduation from Columbia Law School in 1979, became Executive Vice President in 1983 and Director/President in 1992. He is a graduate of Harvard College.