These are people’s moms, dads, sisters, brothers, husbands, wives. Over a decade of working as a public defender and standing side-by-side representing over 3,000 people and fighting for human beings charged with crimes in the city, I’ve seen the humanity in each and every person and I’ve defended. When I became a public defender over a decade ago, I saw how our cruel, unjust criminal legal system operated, and I remember being frustrated and heartbroken and angry. With that being said, why would you want to be Manhattan DA? Our cities tend to consume their best people. New York is kind of like Baltimore, where we’ll overwhelmingly elect someone and then immediately go about putting them through a meat grinder. I just saw how the criminal legal system operated and I knew that I wanted to fight for those who didn’t have the resources to pay for an attorney. This is all of my eggs in one basket.” All I ever wanted to do was be a public defender because of the passion I felt for standing up for those who were marginalized and the injustice they faced. He said to me, “Well, it was great to meet you and let us know if you get any other job offers.” And I said, “Can I ask a question? Will that enhance my application in any way?” And he said, “No, we just want to be kept apprised if you’re thinking about taking another job” and I said, “Okay, well, you should know there won’t be any other job offers. I remember when I had that final round of interviews with the head of the Legal Aid Society. I went to law school knowing that was the only job I would apply for when I graduated, and it was. I developed a very thick skin and I think that will serve me well given the attacks I’ve received and I’m sure will continue to receive.Īll I ever wanted to do was be a public defender. But some of the lessons I learned definitely translate to running for office. I have obviously spent far more of my life in the trenches, in the courtrooms, fighting against injustice than I ever have in front of a camera. Are you finding it helpful in politics? Because they’re not that different. That experience translates to this job because on a daily basis, I’m confronted with difficult people I may not like, but we still have to work together.” This was a lesson you learned pretty early. Steve King ( Under the Radar): You’ve said that being on Survivor “taught me how to deal with people who are sometimes very difficult and even some of whom I don’t like…. It doesn’t matter how we got there or how we spent our free time, as long as we were able to help shape reality back toward something resembling normal. What we leave behind is the only thing that matters. This is all there is when it comes to politics. If New York is supposed to be the center of the universe, it needs a new DA. Politics and policy are really the only lasting impacts we can make on the world around us while we’re here. She’s a Warren Democrat, a first time candidate, and known for being a “ relentless champion of the underdog.” On Father’s Day this year she tweeted “My dad taught me that the only things that remain after we’re gone are the ways in which we’ve taken on the challenges to make the world better.” That’s the whole magilla, to me. She has argued in front of the New York State Criminal Court and the New York Supreme Court. At Fordham Law School, she clerked for judges on the New York Supreme Court and was Symposium Editor at the Urban Law Journal at Fordham Law. Orlins graduated summa cum laude from Syracuse University. Now, the path she’s been on finds her at a crossroads, as she has entered the Democratic race for District Attorney of Manhattan. She did stints on Survivor and The Amazing Race and parlayed it into a career in law. But as Spacehog says, “in the meantime.”Įliza Orlins has been a Manhattan Public Defender for over a decade, defending those in court who cannot afford to defend themselves. This is not the most opportune time for an interview with a candidate running for office in 2021.
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