Dawn M. Cardi, Esq.

Dawn M. Cardi, Esq.

Ms. Cardi began her legal career in 1979 as a staff attorney for the Legal Aid Society, Criminal Division, where she was promoted to supervisor of trial attorneys.

In 1987, she was appointed Assistant Attorney General in the New York State Department of Law, in the division of Investor Protection and Security Fraud, where she received the New York State Special Achievement Award for successfully supervising a six-month, $34 million security fraud trial on behalf of the New York State Attorney General’s Office.

From 1990 to 1992, Dawn practiced corporate law and began her practice in matrimonial and family law as an associate at Baden, Kramer, Huffman, Brodsky & Go.

In 1992, Dawn opened her own firm, which evolved into Cardi & Edgar LLP in 2013 and continues to this date. Over the past three decades, Dawn has focused her practice on matrimonial and family law, and state and federal criminal defense as a trier of her own cases and as trial counsel for other attorneys.

In addition to pursuing her busy legal practice, Dawn is committed to public service. She performs extensive pro-bono work for the Network for Women’s Services, Sanctuary for Families’ Center for Battered Women’s Legal Services, New York Legal Assistance Corporation and other organizations.

She has served on the Board of Directors for the Brooklyn Philharmonic, the Maternity Center Association (now called the Childbirth Connection), Brooklyn Young Mother’s Collective (BYMC), HOPE Charity and was a member of Community Board 6, and its various committees, in Brooklyn, New York where she lives with her husband and family.

PRESENTATIONS

Dawn is regularly invited to teach courses and lecture on topics related to trial advocacy, criminal and matrimonial law (including topics on custody litigation by fathers, rape trauma and Battered Women’s Syndrome) in such forums as bar associations and law schools, where she also conducts NITA trial advocacy programs.

Dawn is also a sought-after and frequent commentator on national television, newspapers, magazines, and radio programs, where she has provided opinion and commentary on such high-profile cases as the O.J. Simpson trial, the Duke rape case, the “Nanny” case, Anna Nicole Smith and Brittany Spears.

EDUCATION

Fordham University, cum laude (B.A. 1973)
Pace University, Member of Law Review (J.D. 1979)

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

Association of the Bar of the City of New York

  • Member of the Matrimonial Law Committee
  • Member of Women in the Law Committee
  • Member of Children’s Law Committee

New York Women’s Bar Association

  • Secretary of the Association
  • Co-Chair of the Matrimonial Committee
  • Co-Chair of the LGBTQ Committee
  • Co-Chair of the Judiciary Committee

New York State Trial Lawyers Association

  • Member of the Family Law section

Women’s Bar Association of New York State

18B Screening Committee for Criminal Law, Appellate Division, First Department

Member of the Homicide, Appellate and Felony Panels, Appellate Division, First Department

Certified Law Guardian, Appellate Division, First Department

Member of the Neutral Evaluator Committee (to assist in the settlement of contested matrimonial matters)

New York State Criminal Bar Association

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

New York County Lawyers Association