Professor of Law
Director, Kathryn O. Greenberg Immigration Justice Clinic
Education
B.A., 1994, Wesleyan University
J.D., 2001, New York University School of Law
Areas of Expertise
Bio
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.
Contact Information
Cardozo School of Law
55 Fifth Avenue
Room 1109
New York, NY 10003
Current Courses
Peter L. Markowitz in the news
- Apr 25, 2019 Immigration Justice Clinic FIles Suit Against DHS
- May 14, 2018 Professor Markowitz Focuses on Policy Preventing Undocumented Immigrants from Obtaining Driver's Licenses
- Apr 20, 2018 Former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson Visits Cardozo
- Mar 12, 2018 Professor Markowitz Says State and Local Law Enforcement Can Stay out of the Federal Deportation Agenda
- Nov 28, 2017 Professor Markowitz Comments on Delays in Juvenile Immigration Cases
- Nov 21, 2017 Professor Markowitz Talks to NY Times About Lawsuit Stemming from an Immigrant's Arrest
- Nov 1, 2017 City Council, With Help From Immigration Justice Clinic, Ensures Immigrant Safety While Using City Services
- May 12, 2017 Immigration Justice Clinic Wins Freedom for Client Facing Deportation
- May 9, 2017 Cardozo Law's "The First 100 Days" Course Featured in Huffington Post
- Apr 10, 2017 Cardozo Clinic and Coalition Partners at the Epicenter of Progress: New York State Becomes First in the Nation to Provide Lawyers for All Immigrants Facing Deportation