Carol Robles-Román (1962 - 2023)

Bio

1962 - 2023

Carol Robles-Román was a board member and former co-President and CEO of the ERA Coalition/Fund for Women’s Equality. The ERA Coalition and Fund for Women’s Equality are sister organizations working together to educate, advocate and organize to ensure constitutional equality in the United States. Previously she was the President and CEO of Legal Momentum – The Women’s Legal Defense and Education Fund where she led projects with big cities and organizations in gender justice, personal safety and access to justice reform.

Legal Momentum initiated high profile legal actions on behalf of exploited women and girls in the areas of sex trafficking and sextortion. Carol is featured in the recent documentary, “I am Jane Doe” about teen victims of online sex trafficking and their quest for justice.

Carol was active in global, national and local partnerships that enhance access to justice. She was a 2015 Ford Foundation Public Voices Fellow, and a 2015 Vital Voices Ambassador in Japan which connects global women leaders with women executives. She was co-chair of the New York City Council Young Women’s Initiative Advisory Council, a first-of-its-kind initiative to create intergenerational leadership for girls of color, is on the National Organization for Women (NOW) Advisory Board, the boards of the Women’s Forum of New York, the National Association of Women Lawyers and Veteran Feminists of America. Carol was a member of the National Football League Domestic Violence Working Group and is a former member of the Board and Executive Committee of the City University of New York.

Carol was Deputy Mayor for Legal Affairs and Counsel to NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg for 12 years. She oversaw 13 city agencies and spearheaded public-private partnerships in access to justice, judicial administration, domestic violence, enforcement of anti-discrimination laws and human trafficking. She led the city's efforts to combat domestic violence and human trafficking by creating Family Justice Centers and the Let’s Call an End to Human Trafficking citywide initiative. As a top executive for the NYS judiciary, she served as its first Special Inspector General for Bias Matters appointed by Chief Judge Judith Kaye and later as Special Counsel to the Chief Administrative Judge Jonathan Lippman. She served as a NYS assistant attorney general for civil rights.

A nationally known public speaker appearing regularly in the media, Carol’s recognitions include the American Bar Association Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence 2017 Sharon L. Corbitt Award, the National Women’s Political Caucus 2015 Women of Courage Award, the SmartCEO 2014 Brava Award, and designation as one of the “100 Most Influential Hispanics” by Hispanic Business Magazine.

A lifelong New Yorker, Carol helds a J.D. from New York University School of Law, where she received the Vanderbilt Medal for extraordinary contribution to the law school community, and a B.A. from Fordham University at Lincoln Center.