Civil Rights Litigation
Representation in disputes involving equal protection, due process, public accountability, and individual rights.
About the firm
Clear guidance, steady presence.
Sussman & Associates continues to be at the forefront of efforts to improve the quality of life and justice for those living and working in the Mid-Hudson Valley. Cases we are now hard at work on illustrate the nature of our law practice and the commitments we
Practice areas
Clear counsel, structured by need.
Criminal Defense
Disciplined defense for clients facing investigations, charges, and high-stakes court proceedings.
Employment & Labor
Counsel for conflicts involving discrimination, retaliation, workplace rights, and public-sector employment.
Education & First Amendment
Advocacy involving schools, speech, religious liberty, student rights, and constitutional protections.
Land Use & Environmental Matters
Strategic response to development, zoning, environmental review, and community-impact disputes.
Government Accountability
Focused legal work where agencies, municipalities, or public officials must be challenged with precision.
Practice depth
Firm Mission & Public-Interest Practice
Civil Rights & Constitutional Advocacy
Land Use & Environmental Review
Education, Students & Religious LibertyFirst Amendment & Religious Freedom Employment Discrimination & Labor Rights Criminal Defense & Due Process Police Accountability & Misconduct Government Accountability Litigation
The firm’s own work, clearly presented.
Practice narratives are presented in plain language so visitors can understand the firm’s focus before the first call.
Firm Mission & Public-Interest PracticeFirm Mission & Public-Interest Practice
Sussman & Associates continues to be at the forefront of efforts to improve the quality of life and justice for those living and working in the Mid-Hudson Valley. Cases we are now hard at work on illustrate the nature of our law practice and the commitments we
Civil Rights & Constitutional AdvocacyCivil Rights & Constitutional Advocacy
Through the late 1980's, Michael continued to represent the Yonkers’ NAACP and other NAACP Branches throughout the United States in major civil rights cases. The cases involved voting rights, employment discrimination, housing and school segregation. In 1988, the City of Yonkers refused to comply with federal court orders…
Land Use & Environmental ReviewLand Use & Environmental Review
In 1991, having started a family in Orange County and having seen Morton retire, Michael re-located Sussman Law Offices to Goshen, New York. Quickly, the firm commenced representing Orange Environment in its struggle to stop the County of Orange from opening a $57,000,000 landfill adjacent to the Wallkill River, on the…
Education, Students & Religious LibertyEducation, Students & Religious Liberty
Sussman also branched out into fighting the totalitarianism which was represented by the majority in Kiryas Joel, a religious community in the Town of Monroe. The leaders of that community pressured state government to create a public school district. On the fifth try, the courts allowed its version of such a district to be…
First Amendment & Religious Freedom
In February 2020, a federal district court denied the Village of Monticello’s motion to dismiss the First Amendment retaliation case brought by James Snowden, the former Village Building Inspector who claims that he was terminated because of his close association with former Village Mayor and manager Gordon
Employment Discrimination & Labor Rights
In October-November 2019, a federal jury in White Plains concluded that the State of New York had terminated our client Jean Petion after learning he was diabetic. Ultimately, the State agreed to pay Mr. Petion’s lost wages for a period of five years as well as his court costs and attorneys’
Criminal Defense & Due Process
In April 2020, the federal court in White Plains declared our client Grafton Thomas mentally unfit to stand trial for his alleged attack on worshipers in Rockland County; our advocacy was piqued by the immediate prejudgment by our Governor, President and other elected officials of Mr. Thomas, who has profound and longstanding…
Police Accountability & Misconduct
Since 2003, Sussman and Watkins have continued to expand their work, litigating numerous cases on behalf of people injured by police misconduct and police abuse. At the same time, they have represented many police officers and other civil service employees whose rights have been ignored by local and state governments. They have…
Government Accountability Litigation
Unless we uphold the law equally, it has no value. Our county government regularly violates the law in my opinion...It now is encouraging Goshen to do so. There is no defense to this behavior which disrespects our community and its residents. Fight back by educating yourself and others; reach out to the the websites for…