Peter L. Markowitz

Peter L. Markowitz is a Professor of Law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and is the founding faculty member and director of the Kathryn O. Greenberg Immigration Justice Clinic. The clinic focuses on the intersection of immigration and criminal law and on immigration enforcement issues. It provides deportation defense representation to individuals and represents community-based and national advocacy organizations on impact projects. The clinic has been awarded the Daniel Levy Award for outstanding and innovative advocacy and recognized by the New York City Council for groundbreaking work on behalf of immigrant communities.

Professor Markowitz and his clinic has been responsible for numerous innovations in the field, for example: spearheading the developing of the nation’s first public defender system for detained immigrants, developing the concept of detainer discretion sanctuary laws, and initiating the nation’s first full-service in-house immigration unit located in a public defender office.  Professor Markowitz received his J.D. from New York University School of Law, magna cum laude, in 2001, receiving the University Graduation Prize and the Sommer Memorial Award. Following graduation, Professor Markowitz clerked for the Honorable Frederic Block, U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of New York. From 2002 to 2004, he was a Soros Justice Fellow at The Bronx Defenders. Professor Markowitz has previously taught at both New York University and Hofstra Schools of Law. Professor Markowitz’s scholarship focuses on intersection of criminal and immigration law and on current trends in immigration enforcement.