Norman Siegel
Lawyer

Norman Siegel began his civil rights career with the American Civil Rights Union’s Southern Justice and Voter Project in 1968. There, he was co-counsel in numerous lawsuits challenging the systemic exclusion of blacks and women from juries and voting rights cases.
As the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) Field Director from 1973–76, he spearheaded the New York campaigns for the impeachment of President Richard M. Nixon and the New York State Equal Rights Amendment. He was also co-counsel in the historic Holtzman v. Schlesinger United States Supreme Court case, an effort to halt the bombing of Cambodia.

As executive director of the NYCLU (1985–2000), Norman was involved in some of the City’s most critical civil rights and civil liberties struggles, including the creation of an independent Civilian Complaint review board, the successful defense of the Brooklyn Museum’s right to exhibit controversial art, and the fight for citizens’ access to the steps of City Hall for protesting.
In the last four years of private practice, Norman has advocated for and represented myriad groups, including the Critical Mass Bicycle Riders (co-counsel) and the World Trade Center Families for a Proper Burial (co-counsel).