CATHERINE CHRISTIAN

As chief of the Elder Abuse Unit for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, Catherine Christian oversees a team of 20 attorneys investigating and prosecuting criminal activity involving crimes against elderly victims, such as financial exploitation, physical abuse, and neglect.

Originally appointed as assistant district attorney in the New York County District Attorney's Office in 1988, Christian served in the trial division until she entered private practice in 1995 and began investigating public corruption as an assistant counsel to the New York State Commission of Investigation.

At age 43, Christian became the youngest person as well as the first Black woman to be inducted as president of the New York County Lawyers' Association (NYCLA), one of the largest metropolitan bar associations in the nation with over 8,000 lawyers.

As president, Catherine administered a multi-million dollar annual budget, expanding the bar association's pro bono program and establishing programs to assist former prisoners with successful re-entry and low-income persons plagued by consumer debt, while overseeing prosecutions of financial fraud and reviewing convictions where there are credible claims of innocence or wrongful conviction.

Christian has also been an outspoken advocate for protecting voting rights and combating corruption in public office. Through her public speaking engagements and media appearances, she has consistently emphasized the critical role that an independent judiciary and impartial prosecution play in maintaining democratic governance, while advocating for transparency and equal justice under the law regardless of political affiliation or social status.
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