Jeffrey S. Trachtman

Jeffrey S. Trachtman is a partner in the New York law firm of Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP, where he headed the pro bono program for seventeen years. He has participated in pro bono LGBTQ rights work since the 1990s, serving as co-counsel in Hernandez v. Robles, the case seeking equal marriage rights under the New York Constitution, and other cases establishing recognition under New York law for out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples. He led teams submitting amicus briefs in Dale v. Boy Scouts, Lawrence v. Texas, Hollingsworth v. Perry, U.S. v. Windsor, Obergefell v. Hodges, and Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. Earlier, he helped the lesbian survivor of a 9/11 victim obtain her fair share of the Victims' Compensation Fund award. Jeff has received pro bono awards from the American, New York State, and New York City Bar Associations and has written commentary for The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Nation, and other publications.