Meet Eli
Eli Northrup is a public defender, policy advocate and community leader who has spent his career fighting for justice and standing up for people.
In 2024, Eli ran for the open State Assembly seat in the 69th District, finishing second place in a field of five candidates to succeed retiring Assemblymember Danny O’Donnell. He was proud to be endorsed by Assemblymember O’Donnell, Former Councilmember Helen Rosenthal, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Assemblymember Amanda Septimo, Zephyr Teachout, the Working Families Party, UAW Region 9A, SEIU-CIR, the Jewish Vote, Tenants PAC, and more.
With a proven track record as an effective advocate and champion for the people he represents, Eli has a reputation as a leader who gets things done. As Policy Director for the Criminal Defense Practice at the Bronx Defenders, Eli has led a team of advocates working tirelessly in the halls of power in Albany to ensure fairness and dignity for all New Yorkers. He played a central role in campaigns at the city and state levels to protect due process, guarantee transparency, ensure that people with criminal records can find jobs and stable housing, and reduce the population of Rikers Island. He is an expert in cannabis equity and was a key force in the fight to legalize adult use cannabis in New York. Fighting for racial and social justice is his passion and life’s work.
For over a decade, Eli has worked as a public defender in criminal court, representing low-income individuals who are unable to afford an attorney. He has seen firsthand how housing instability can upend a family’s life, and is deeply committed to protecting tenants' rights and advancing housing justice. He has fought against unfair evictions, worked to secure safe and affordable housing, and advocated for stronger protections for renters. Eli believes that everyone deserves a safe and stable home, and he has made it his mission to support and defend the rights of tenants across New York.
Prior to working at The Bronx Defenders, Eli was was an E. Barrett Prettyman Fellow at Georgetown University Law Center and clerked for federal judges on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and the Southern District of New York. In law school, he worked with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem and the Legal Aid Society.
Eli received his J.D. from New York University School of Law, where he graduated cum laude and was an Arthur Garfield Hays Civil Liberties Fellow. He received an L.L.M. in Trial Advocacy from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. in Psychology from Cornell University, where he was a member of the Sprint Football team.
Eli cares deeply about the environment, a passion shared by his late father, who worked for the Nature Conservancy for almost forty years. His mother, a poet and teacher, encouraged his lifelong love for the arts. A resident of Morningside Heights, Eli enjoys attending concerts, playing flag football and pickleball, and taking advantage of the neighborhood’s parks and bagels.
Eli currently serves as Policy Director for the Criminal Defense Practice and Counsel to The Bronx Cannabis Hub at The Bronx Defenders. He sits on the Board of the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and is a member of its Legislative Committee. He is a member of the Three Parks Democratic Club and a former member of the Civil Rights Committee of the New York City Bar.