The New York State Trial Lawyers Association now has a new president. On June 20th at the Lighthouse in Manhattan, Michele Mirman was sworn in as the new president of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. She was sworn in by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Prior to her appointment as the president of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, Michele S. Mirman was the president of the Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association, a position currently being held by Meryl Schwartz. Mirman was also listed in City & State New York’s ‘Top 100 Women of Power’, ranking number 94 on the list.

As a wrongful death lawyer, Mirman’s expertise in law and litigation is focused on personal injury. This includes but is not limited to cases like medical malpractice, physical assault, and injuries caused by equipment that is either defective or lacked proper or regular maintenance. She is notorious for having brought about the highest verdict in the US for a rape victim, in which the victim was to be remunerated $4 million.

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Now that she is the president of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, Mirman has begun to advocate changes to certain legislation in New York, especially with regard to her specialization. In the same event where she was sworn in, she called for a modernization of New York’s wrongful death statute. Currently, the statute has limitations on how much the deceased and their estate can be awarded for damages. Very little regard or consideration is given to the pain and suffering the surviving members of the deceased go through. Mirman is hoping for changes to the statute to provide more justice and result in negligent individuals, groups, or institutions being held to greater accountability.

She also hopes that the limitations on existing legislations will provide greater access to justice for those who have fallen victim to car accidents. Because of the way New York’s statutes have been laid out, victims of auto accidents will be awarded significantly less for damages than if the incident happened outside of city limits.

Mirman, who is a partner at Mirman, Markovits & Landau is lobbying to make access to the plaintiffs’ bar open to anyone who feels that they have fallen victim to legal injustices. The New York State Trial Lawyers Association is also ensuring that consumers and patients are also protected by the legal system. NYSTLA has created a framework for the regulation of ride-share services like Uber and Lyft, allowing consumers better protection should something happen while they use such services. In a similar fashion, NYSTLA supported Lavern’s Law, which helps cancer patients who feel they may have been misdiagnosed or fallen victim to medical malpractice.

Worker safety is also one of the priorities of Mirman now that she is the incumbent president of NYSTLA. In her inauguration event, she noted that better safety can be provided to workers, especially those in construction, by increasing penalties and fines against employers who violate workplace safety protocols. She also adds that implementation of better preventive measures such as training, licensure and mandatory insurance can help create safer workplaces for employees.

As president of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, Michele Mirman hopes to enact changes that will help make New York City a safe and just place for both residents and non-residents alike.