About me
Lisa M. Zayas, Esq. serves as the Access to Justice Division Director in the New York State Unified Court System’s Office for Justice Initiatives. Throughout her career, she has been deeply committed to advancing social justice and expanding access to justice for unrepresented court users. Ms. Zayas uses a human-centered, equity-driven approach to design and implement programs that promote fairness, dignity, and meaningful participation in the court system.
Trained in mediation and in facilitating poverty simulations, Ms. Zayas has led poverty simulation programs for Judges, court staff, law students, and law school faculty. Her work aims to deepen understanding of the systemic barriers faced by individuals living in poverty and to support a judiciary and court workforce equipped to uphold the rule of law with empathy, impartiality, and integrity.
Ms. Zayas earned her Juris Doctor from the City University of New York School of Law and her Bachelor of Science from Fordham University.
