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Ronnie Abrams
Counsel

Ms. Abrams joined Davis Polk in the spring of 2008 as Special Counsel for Pro Bono. In this position for the firm, she oversees our broad array of pro bono cases and initiatives and manages the many relationships that the firm maintains with various legal services organizations. Working closely with our Pro Bono Committee, she also guides our strategy to enhance and expand its overall pro bono program.

From 1998 to 2008, Ms. Abrams was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, serving as the Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division from 2007 to 2008. From 2005 to 2007, she served as the Chief of the General Crimes Unit, where she supervised hundreds of investigations and prosecutions in a variety of cases, including ones involving violent crime, firearms offenses, immigration offenses, child exploitation, financial fraud and identity theft. She was responsible for the supervision and training of all new federal prosecutors in all aspects of criminal prosecution. Ms. Abrams also served in the Narcotics, Violent Crime and Public Corruption Units.

She received the Department of Justice Director’s Award for Superior Performance as a Federal Prosecutor for two cases—the first involved the convictions of members of a Colombian gang wanted for the murder of an NYPD detective and approximately 100 armed robberies and the second case was for the convictions of the leadership of the United Blood Nation, commonly known as the Bloods. She also received the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association’s Group Achievement Award.

Ms. Abrams is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia Law School, where she teaches students about investigating and prosecuting federal criminal cases in U.S. District Court.

Contact
Related Practices
Bar Admissions
  • State of New York
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, E.D. New York
  • U.S. District Court, S.D. New York
Education
  • B.A., Philosophy, Cornell University, 1990
    • cum laude
  • J.D., Yale Law School, 1993
    • Member, Yale Law & Policy Review

Of Note

Current Memberships

  • Member, New York City Bar, where she served on the Government Ethics Committee and currently serves on the Pro Bono and Legal Services Committee
  • Member, Public Service Committee of the Federal Bar Council
  • Counsel, New York State Justice Task Force
Professional History
  • Special Counsel for Pro Bono, Davis Polk, 2008-present
  • Assistant U.S. Attorney, Southern District of New York, 1998-2008
  • Associate, Davis Polk, 1994-1998
  • Law Clerk, Hon. Thomas P. Griesa, U.S. District Court, S.D. New York 1993-1994