Raya F. Saksouk
Raya F. Saksouk has spent her entire legal career advocating for the rights of employees. She has successfully argued and briefed numerous motions in state and federal court on behalf of victims of discrimination, retaliation, and wage theft. Outside of the courtroom, Ms. Saksouk has played a key role in obtaining numerous substantial settlements and severance packages on behalf of whistleblowers and victims of discrimination. She also regularly represents employees before administrative agencies such as the EEOC and the New York City Commission on Human Rights, and counsels non-profits and small business on a range on employment-related issues.
Particularly well-versed in the area of disability and reasonable accommodation law, Ms. Saksouk led the briefing and argument in a reasonable accommodation case resulting in an important legal ruling clarifying the definition both of disability and reasonable accommodation under federal and New York City law. See Malzberg v. New York University, 2022 WL 889240 (S.D.N.Y. 2022).
Ms. Saksouk has also given lectures around the country on employment law-related issues, including disability law and contract law. In 2023, Ms. Saksouk was selected as the sole employment law attorney to present at the FAB Workshop for women entrepreneurs in the hospitality business.
Ms. Saksouk graduated in May of 2019 from New York University School of Law. Over the course of her time there, she had the privilege of working with attorneys at the New York City Commission on Human Rights, the Brennan Center for Justice, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the Legal Aid Society, advocating for clients on issues ranging from criminal justice reform to housing and employment discrimination. She received her bachelor’s degree in International and Comparative Studies from the University of Michigan, where she was a James B. Angell Scholar as well as the Co-Chair and Co-Founder of the Middle East & Arab Network. Ms. Saksouk is proficient in French and Levantine Arabic.
Education
New York University School of Law, J.D.
Law Women, Advocacy Committee
Fair Defense Project, Fair Policing Committee
University of Michigan, B.A. in International & Comparative Studies
Admissions and Professional Activities
Admitted to New York State Bar June 2020
Federal Court for the Southern District of New York
Federal Court for the Eastern District of New York
Member, National Employment Lawyers’ Association (NY Chapter), September 2019–Present
Member, New York City Bar Association, September 2020–Present