Andrea Shapiro Davis ’84, Senior Advisor to New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Director of Public Service Engagement in New York City, has spent much of her career making positive change primarily working in the public sector.
After graduating from Hofstra Law, Davis began working at the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, where she focused on prosecution of domestic violence cases, sex crimes and crimes against children, and later worked in the Appeals Bureau. It was during that time, just four years after graduation, that Davis had a Hofstra Law reunion of sorts.
“I argued a case before the New York State Court of Appeals and my criminal law professor, Burton Agata, was my opponent,” she says. “Former Dean Stuart Rabinowitz, who had been my civil procedure professor, was also there for the argument. I started my presentation by telling the judges that I should win, because a ruling for me would be a great compliment to Professor Agata! I didn’t win the case, but I got a great dissent.”
A Formative Experience
After leaving the Queens DA’s Office, Ms. Davis went on to do medical malpractice defense with a special focus on AIDS litigation. She worked on some very interesting cases, but the rest of her experience at the firm was not as positive.
“I was harassed by one of the partners from the day I started working there,” she says. “There were multiple incidents over a period of years, including the partner taking a ruler to my skirt to determine how short I should wear my dresses and making inappropriate sexual remarks.”
Davis complained, but the firm did nothing about it. “He harassed other female employees as well, but my colleagues did not want to say anything for fear of retribution. I was afraid too, but at some point, you just have to call it,” she says. She consulted a lawyer and filed a complaint with the EEOC. “The case was settled within 30 days of the EEOC filing, but the firm would only settle if I signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).”
Davis left the firm, but the NDA prohibited her from telling potential employers what happened. “I was unemployed, but couldn’t tell anyone why. Meanwhile, the partner who harassed me was kicked out of the firm, but got jobs at other firms without disclosing what happened. Where is the equity, fairness for the victim?”
Davis says that NDAs only benefit the perpetrator and the business and hurt the victim. She penned an opinion piece on this topic which was published in the Huffington Post, and now she actively advocates against them. “Although I did the right thing in protecting myself and the other women in the firm, it was difficult to find another job,” she says. She and her husband had
also just purchased a home. “I was scared and didn’t know what I was going to do for money. That situation changed my career forever. Although I never practiced law again, it also empowered me. I was committed to never being a victim again, and I wanted to help empower others to stand up for themselves.”
Moving Away from Private Practice
Davis eventually started volunteering at CUNY Law School and was then hired thanks to Dean Haywood Burns, the first African American dean of a law school in New York State. “He was an extraordinary man who took a chance on me. He changed my life.” She stayed at CUNY Law for 10 years, where she was the Director of Development and External Relations, leading fundraising, press, communications, and legislative affairs. She started the CUNY Law Alumni Association and the CUNY Law Foundation and raised funds for scholarships and paid internships. “My legal background helped me engage with the students and professors, and in asking law firms for donations. I knew the importance of scholarships and the value of a paid internship. I loved my role and the way my law degree helped me to help a law school grow.”
“I loved my role and the way my law degree helped me to help a law school grow.”
The next stop in her career was working for Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, where she was Director of the Mayor’s Office of Appointments, Special Advisor to the Mayor, and later also served as the Executive Director of the NYC Commission on Women’s Issues.
“As Director of the Appointments Office, I would identify candidates for deputy mayor, and city boards and commissions. It was a great opportunity and one I thoroughly enjoyed. And once again, my law degree was beneficial when I reached out to bar associations seeking diverse candidates.”
While with the Bloomberg administration, Davis created a number of networks, including the Women’s City Network, a group for women working in city government. “There were lots of networking groups in the corporate world, but none for people working in city government, so I created an affinity group for public servants,” she says. The group grew to more than 300 women and continues programming with leaders from city, state and the non-profit world.
Davis is a strong believer in the need for diversity and inclusion, so during this time she created the Brothers Breakfast, a networking group for men of color who work in city government and the non-profit sector.
When Mayor Bloomberg left office, Davis returned to CUNY, where she became the Associate Vice Chancellor for Corporate, Foundation and Major Gift Development. “During that time, I led a few different programs including Women in Technology New York (WiTNY), whose goal was to double the number of women in technology.” The program received major support from the city, corporations and foundations, and is now is being replicated across the country. To date, the program helped thousands of women start careers in technology.
Davis also helped create the CUNY Cultural Corps, raising millions of dollars to create paid student internships in cultural institutions. “A lot of CUNY students come from households with incomes of $30,000 or less, and they can’t afford to take an unpaid internship,” she says. “With the help of the Rockefeller Foundation and The City of New York, the CUNY Cultural Corps continues to help increase the diversity in cultural institutions. Thousands of people have benefited from this program.”
Bringing About Change
When Eric Adams was elected Mayor, Davis was asked to lead the transition team in recruiting new people to staff the administration because of her previous experience with Mayor Bloomberg’s administration. “I had planned to stay at CUNY, but later decided to return to City Hall because there was more that I wanted to do.”
Currently, Davis is the Senior Advisor to the Mayor and Director of Public Service Engagement. In this capacity, she has re-started the Brothers Breakfast and the Women’s City Network, and helped to create the Latina Network, the LGBTQ City Network, the Network for People with Disabilities and more. She is working on a program to bring art to city buildings, helping city non-profits, developing a program of “social prescribing,” and much more.
“We all have challenges. It is how you face those challenges and move forward that makes the difference.”
Davis also recently joined the board of the Fortune Society, a non-profit that helps people reenter society from the criminal justice system. “It has been a big area of interest for me ever since I was an Assistant District Attorney,” she says. “There is a lack of equity in our justice system, and Fortune Society helps individuals find their next steps. We all have challenges. It is how you face those challenges and move forward that makes the difference.”
Reflecting on a Career of Giving Back
“I remember responding to a question on my law school application by saying I wanted to give back to my community, and looking back now, I smile because I did just that. I have worked in the public sector for more than 35 years, helping to positively impact the lives of countless people,” she says.
“Hofstra Law helped me get the background and legal training I needed, taught me how to think as a lawyer, and showed me how the law can be used to improve the lives of others. My message to current Hofstra Law students and recent alums — and indeed to everyone — is to try to find work that you are passionate about, particularly roles where you are helping others, believe in yourself, and never give up! You will be amazed at how engaged you will be at work, and how gratified you will be in what you are able to accomplish in your career.”
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