Carissa Caukin

Carissa Caukin, Esq. is a civil rights attorney with extensive experience litigating complex constitutional and wrongful conviction cases. She represents plaintiffs in actions brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and New York unjust conviction statutes, and has played a key role in securing multiple multi-million-dollar settlements on behalf of her clients.

Prior to entering civil practice, Ms. Caukin served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office, where she prosecuted cases involving child abuse, sex crimes, domestic violence, and human trafficking. In that role, she managed a high-volume caseload, conducted hundreds of witness interviews, presented cases to the grand jury, and served as lead counsel in multiple jury trials and evidentiary hearings.

Ms. Caukin has significant experience in post-conviction litigation and wrongful conviction work. She has conducted extensive reinvestigations into decades-old homicide cases, drafted CPL § 440.10 motions, and served as co-counsel in successful homicide exonerations. Her background on both sides of the courtroom gives her a strategic and well-rounded approach to litigation.

She began developing her litigation skills through internships and clinical work with the New York County and Queens County District Attorney’s Offices, as well as the Appellate Division, First Department, where she worked under the Honorable Richard Andrias. During law school, she also contributed to a successful exoneration through the Post-Conviction Innocence Clinic.

Ms. Caukin earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from New York Law School, where she graduated with high honors and was consistently named to the Dean’s List. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, with honors, from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

She is a certified forensic interviewer and the founder of the Special Victims Cyber Crime Initiative, through which she has provided training on cybercrime investigations.