Sue Ellen Dodell

Sue Ellen Dodell has been a lawyer for more than 45 years, and a political activist for her whole life.

A native of Queens, Ms. Dodell graduated from Mount Holyoke College and Columbia University School of Law. After law school, she devoted herself to public service, including as General Counsel of the New York City Campaign Finance Board, Deputy General Counsel to three New York City Comptrollers, and Assistant Corporation Counsel in the City’s Law Department.

Ms. Dodell enforced the City’s landmark campaign finance law, drafted legislation and lobbied in Washington, D.C., Albany, and New York City, and served as the Comptroller’s representative on the City’s pension boards. After retirement, Ms. Dodell continued her public service as a
Hearing Officer.

Early in her legal career, she lobbied successfully in Albany for changes to New York’s sexual assault laws, including removal of the provision which required victims to show “earnest resistance” to an assault. She currently works with a coalition advocating to remove the “voluntary intoxication loophole” from the Penal Law.

Ms. Dodell was an active volunteer at the Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale, serving on its Board of Trustees. Ms. Dodell also has been a volunteer leader with Bend the Arc: Jewish Action and the Jewish Democratic Council of America, meeting with federal, State, and local legislators, planning rallies, phone banking, and texting to support Israel, fight antisemitism, welcome immigrants, and preserve our democracy.

Ms. Dodell’s strong Jewish identity, including her desire to fulfill the mandate set forth in Psalms 71:18 – “Do not forsake me when I am old and grey” – propelled her to volunteer virtually full time for the last two years with the New York City Organization of Public Service Retirees as Political Action Director. She helped mobilize more than 50,000 New York City elderly and disabled retirees to fight the City’s attempt to move them from traditional Medicare to an inferior Medicare Advantage Plan. Ms. Dodell organized meetings with City officials, developed written material for legislators and the public, and drafted amicus curiae briefs for the New York Court of Appeals and the Appellate Division, First Department.