Luna Droubi is a civil rights litigator and advisor to non-profit organizations dedicated to social justice. Her practice encompasses governmental misconduct, wrongful death, First Amendment violations, and employment discrimination, with a particular focus on driving systemic reform through both advocacy and strategic counsel.
Luna frequently serves as lead counsel in high-stakes civil rights matters involving governmental misconduct and institutional accountability. She is currently at the center of the national debate over free speech as lead counsel in Mahdawi v. Trump, et al., representing a Columbia University student arrested at his naturalization interview for advocating for Palestinian human rights; she successfully secured his emergency release from federal detention in 2025. Luna has also represented the Estate of Eric Garner and, alongside Jonathan Moore and David Rankin, filed the historic case for the Estate of Malcolm X, alleging a multi-agency conspiracy. Her litigation work includes the wrongful death cases of Win Rozario, Samuel Harrell, David Felix, Robert Chambers, and Sandy Guardiola, as well as representing Renay Lynch in a civil rights action following her exoneration after 26 years of wrongful imprisonment.
Luna is at the forefront of class action litigation challenging unconstitutional policing. She is lead counsel in Greene v. City of New York, challenging New York City's use of police in mental health crisis response, and is actively involved in the remedial stage of the ground-breaking “Stop and Frisk” litigation.
Luna also defends academic and religious freedom. She successfully represented a Professor in an academic freedom hearing, securing a unanimous finding that he should not be disciplined for the specific content of his curriculum. Additionally, she successfully challenged NYPD and FDNY grooming policies, obtaining a temporary restraining order against the NYPD, and securing landmark religious accommodations for officers and first responders.
In addition to her litigation practice, Luna serves as a strategic advisor to not-for-profit organizations. She guides social justice groups through complex governance, management, and employment issues, helping them navigate internal crises and independent investigations.
Prior to joining the firm, Luna clerked for the Honorable Sterling Johnson Jr. in the Eastern District of New York. She earned her J.D. from New York Law School, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review.
Education
New York Law School
(J.D. 2011, cum laude),
Editor-in-Chief, New York Law
School Law Review
New York University
(B.A. 2006, cum laude)
Practices
Employment
Civil Rights & Discrimination
Wrongful Death
International Human Rights
Non-Profit Formation and Maintenance
Bar Admissions
Second Circuit Court of Appeals
Third Circuit Court of Appeals
United States District Court, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of New York
United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
New York
New Jersey
Professional Activities
Arab American Bar Association & Fund
Muslim Bar Association of New York
National Employment Lawyers Association
National Lawyers Guild
National Police Accountability Project
New York Civil Liberties Union
New York County Lawyers' Association
Awards
2023–2026 SuperLawyers Top Rated Civil Rights Attorney
2024 Best Lawyers in America, Employment Law-Individual
2017–2022 New York Metro Rising Stars in Civil Rights
2017 Associate Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
2011 Graduation Award for Excellence in the Field of Human Rights
2010–2011 Editor-in-Chief, New York Law School Law Review
Publications
Henry Dlugacz, Luna Droubi, and Mehgan Gallagher, Custodial Suicide and Class Action Remedies: Current Obstacles and Future Directions, Behav. Sci. & L. (2019)
Henry Dlugacz & Luna Droubi,The Reach and Limitation of the ADA and its Integration Mandate: Potential Implications for the Successful Reentry of Individuals with Mental Disabilities in a Correctional Population, 35 Behav. Sci. & L. 135 (2017).
Note: The Constitutionality of the Niqab Ban in Egypt: A Symbol of the Struggle for Egypt’s Legal Identity, 56 N.Y.L. Sch. L. Rev. 687 (2011–2012).
Comment: People v. Guardino, 55 N.Y.L. Sch. L. Rev. 1157 (2010–2011) (discussing whether an individual can rely on numerical evidence of a high juror dismissal rate to demonstrate a prima facie case of jury discrimination in New York).
Representative Cases
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Defeated motion to dismiss and anti-SLAPP defense on a case challenging Defendant Accuracy in Media's creation and funding of mobile billboard trucks and websites displayed Plaintiffs' images and names and labelling them "Columbia's Leading Antisemites." In its motion, the Court held that "antisemitism is not an issue for Defendants to profit from by impermissibly utilizing Plaintiffs' names and images while simultaneously and recklessly destroying Plaintiffs' health and reputations." Hafez v. Accuracy in Media, 2026 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1084 (Sup. Ct., NY Co. Mar. 8, 2026).
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Secured the release of Mohsen Mahdawi, who was arrested at his naturalization interview and detained in retaliation for his First Amendment protected speech advocating for Palestinian human rights. Mahdawi v. Trump, No. 2:25-cv-389, 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 84287 (D. Vt. Apr. 30, 2025); obtained a temporary restraining order enjoining the U.S. Government from removing Mr. Mahdawi from the District of Vermont or the United States. Mahdawi v. Trump, No. 2:25-cv-00389, 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 71920 (D. Vt. Apr. 14, 2025).
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Obtained class certification, summary judgement, and injunctive relief on behalf of Corrections Officers seeking to wear their beards due to their sincerely held religious beliefs. Sughrim v. New York, No. 19-cv-7977 (RA) (SDA), 2023 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 156519 (S.D.N.Y. Sep. 5, 2023).
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Defeated motions to dismiss, and obtained sanctions against the State of New York, in the wrongful death case of Sandy Guardiola, who was shot and killed in her bed after a retaliatory wellness check by colleagues at the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Ocasio v. City of Canandaigua et al., 513 F. Supp. 3d 310 (W.D.N.Y. 2021); Ocasio v. City of Canandaigua et al., 2023 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 118111 (W.D.N.Y. July 10, 2023).
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Defeated summary judgment in a disability discrimination case on behalf of a physician terminated from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Piligian v. Icahn Sch. of Med. at Mount Sinai, No. 1:17-CV-01975 (ALC), 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 178058, at *2 (S.D.N.Y. Sep. 28, 2020).
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Defeated motions to dismiss and summary judgment in the wrongful death case of David Felix, who was shot and killed by two NYPD detectives on April 21, 2015. The Court denied summary judgment, finding that a question of fact existing given the Detectives' use of subterfuge to enter the apartment building where they ultimately shot and killed Mr. Felix. The Court also twice found that Plaintiffs successfully asserted a claim for failure to train and supervise officers on how to properly treat emotionally disturbed persons by plausibly supporting the existence of a training deficiency and the city’s awareness of same. Felix v. City of N.Y., 344 F. Supp. 3d 644 (S.D.N.Y. 2018); Felix v. City of N.Y., 408 F. Supp. 3d 304 (S.D.N.Y. 2019); Felix v. City of N.Y., No. 16-cv-5845 (AJN), 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 189223 (S.D.N.Y. Oct. 13, 2020).
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$2.25 million jury verdict finding Rockefeller University discriminated against Iranian scientist Dr. Effat Emamian based on her race and national origin. Emamian v. Rockefeller University, No. 07-cv-3919 (DAB) (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 28, 2018), remitted verdict aff'd, Nos. 19-127, 19-168, 2020 U.S. App. LEXIS 26261, at *26 (2d Cir. Aug. 19, 2020)
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Obtained a Preliminary Injunction in a religious discrimination lawsuit against the FDNY. Lewis v. City of New York, No. 17-cv-6114 (GHW)(HBP) (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 24, 2017).
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Obtained a Temporary Restraining Order in a putative class action against the NYPD challenging the NYPD's policy on religious accommodation and the right to wear a beard for religious purposes. Syed v. City of New York et al., No. 16-cv-4789 (S.D.N.Y. 2016).
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Filed a wrongful death lawsuit after investigating the death of Samuel Harrell, a mentally disabled inmate at Fishkill Correctional Facility who was beaten to death by a group of guards known as the "Beat Up Squad." Estate of Harrell v. DOCCS et al., No. 15-cv-7065 (S.D.N.Y. 2016).
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$169,750 settlement on behalf on a client who was excessively pepper-sprayed by NYPD officers. Luckey v. City of New York et al., No. 14-cv-01571 (E.D.N.Y. Nov. 23, 2016).
