Eric is the founder of Bennett Midland LLC, a management consulting company based in New York City. He has developed innovative solutions to address problems in urban planning, community and economic development and criminal justice, working with mayors and other civic leaders in New York City and across the United States. Eric Lee served as senior policy advisor for New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and was part of the founding team of the Center for Justice Innovation. He also serves on the board of directors of the Center for an Urban Future. Eric is a graduate of Vassar College and holds a Master’s degree in Urban Planning from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Midtown Community Court Celebrates 30 Years of Justice in NYC with Renaming to the “Midtown Community Justice Center”
This name change to Midtown Community Justice Center reflects the institution's holistic and community-based approach to delivering justice to New Yorkers.
2023 marks the 30th anniversary of our Midtown Community Court, which started as an experiment in a new, more human approach to justice. Today, that approach hasn’t just survived: it has even outgrown the walls of the courthouse.
“Hiding in Plain Sight”: The Untapped Power of Public Defense
Sixty years after Gideon v. Wainwright, in which the Supreme Court ruled that anyone facing the threat of incarceration is entitled to a lawyer regardless of their ability to pay, the right to counsel remains an unfulfilled promise for many. What would change if everyone, no matter their income, got the minimum that all people deserve: someone with the time, resources, and training to defend them effectively in court?
The Human Cost: Five Podcast Episodes on Rikers Island
With the launch of the Lippman Commission 2.0, New York City has taken a decisive step towards closing Rikers Island. Much is at stake, first and foremost the lives of the people detained in the jail complex. In these five episodes of our New Thinking podcast, we take a closer look at the human cost of Rikers through the testimony of advocates, researchers, and—most importantly—those who have experienced the harms of Rikers Island firsthand.
