Bronx, New York, United States
Jodi Morales is a criminal defense attorney, educator, and public official with more than 18 years of experience in complex state and federal litigation. She is the founder of The Law Office of Jodi Morales, where she focuses on serious felony defense and civil rights matters. Morales began her career at The Bronx Defenders, where she served in the Criminal Defense Practice and later as a supervising attorney. She handled a wide range of cases, securing acquittals and negotiating favorable outcomes to protect clients from incarceration and immigration consequences, and represented youths charged as adults in Bronx County Supreme Court. In 2021, Morales was appointed by the New York City Council as the Bronx Democratic Commissioner of the New York City Board of Elections, and she serves as its President in 2026. In this role, she helps oversee election administration for the nation’s largest city, with a focus on access, integrity, and public trust. She has been recognized by City & State’s Bronx Power 100 and received the Flor de Maga “Unsung Heroine” Award from the Puerto Rican Bar Association for her leadership and public service. Her work has been featured in Univision, NY1 Noticias, MetroFocus, and The Village Voice. Morales is an adjunct professor at the University of Mount Saint Vincent, teaching MBA students in international law and global governance. She was also a research fellow at Harvard Law School’s Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice, where she worked on death penalty litigation. In 2023, she was appointed as a Special Master by the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission. Morales earned her J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and is admitted to practice in New York, multiple federal courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court. She serves as Financial Secretary of the Bronx County Bar Association and Treasurer of the Bronx Women’s Bar Association.
Serve as President of the New York City Board of Elections, overseeing one of the nation’s largest election administration systems and helping guide policy, operations, and public accountability across the five boroughs. First Puerto Rican woman to serve as President of the New York City Board of Elections.
Criminal defense attorney with nearly two decades of experience representing clients charged with serious felony offenses in New York State courts. The practice focuses on complex litigation, trial advocacy, and strategic motion practice, including homicide, violent felony, and multi-defendant cases. In addition to trial work, the practice includes appellate advocacy and post-conviction litigation. Jodi also serves on the Bronx homicide panel and teaches law as an adjunct professor.
Instructor for MBA course in International Law and Global Governance; develop curriculum and deliver asynchronous instruction focused on applied legal principles, global institutions, and policy analysis.