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Natalie J. Kraner

Partner
Legal Director, Lowenstein Center for the Public Interest

New York
T: +1 973.422.6722 F: +1 973.422.6723 nkraner@lowenstein.com
  • BIO
  • EXPERIENCE
  • HONORS & AWARDS
  • NEWS & INSIGHTS

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As a child of refugees and first-generation college graduate, Natalie Kraner is committed to using her law degree to give back to her community and to make justice equally accessible to all people. After her clerkship, she chose to begin her career at Lowenstein Sandler because of its pro bono program and deep commitment to supporting marginalized populations. As a litigator at the firm, Natalie gained extensive experience representing a range of corporate and institutional clients in complex civil litigation in state and federal courts, while also maintaining an active pro bono docket. 

In 2014, Natalie joined the Lowenstein Center for the Public Interest as full-time senior public interest counsel, enabling her to focus solely on maximizing the impact of Lowenstein Sandler's pro bono work. She helped expand the firm's historic commitment to public service by building an award-winning program that serves hundreds of low-income individuals and the nonprofit organizations that support them. 

In addition to helping run the pro bono program firmwide as Legal Director of the Center, Natalie maintains a substantive practice as a litigator, applying her extensive experience in complex and appellate litigation to achieve widespread law reform for low-income and other marginalized persons by challenging unjust and unlawful practices. 

Natalie focuses in particular on criminal justice reform efforts through impact litigation and legislative and executive advocacy. She also oversees the firm's civil rights and asylum dockets. When she isn't leading her own teams in appeals or impact litigation, she manages and participates in a number of Lowenstein Sandler's signature pro bono initiatives, including representation of children in immigration proceedings; victims of persecution in asylum proceedings; survivors of domestic violence seeking orders of protection and custody of their children; veterans in disability hearings; low-income individuals in bankruptcy proceedings; tenants trying to avoid eviction; low-income entrepreneurs who need business advice; low-income inventors who need assistance with patent applications; adults seeking to become legal guardians of children in their care; and nonprofit organizations seeking counsel and assistance in corporate and governance matters.

In pro bono practice:

  • Appointed by the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey to serve as lead counsel in several federal civil rights actions brought by detained individuals challenging the bases and/or conditions of their confinement.
  • Representing three New Jersey families who were forcibly separated at the U.S. border in their lawsuits against the U.S. government.
  • Represented a class of more than 700 young immigrants in a successful challenge to the government’s illegal policy of disqualifying 18- to 21- year olds from Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, a form of immigration relief.
  • Represented New Jersey residents of Latino descent in federal constitutional challenge to nonconsensual, warrantless, predawn raids of their homes by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as part of its “Operation Return to Sender.” Settled on favorable terms.
  • Represented amici curiae in appeals involving complex issues of statutory interpretation and/or challenges under federal and state constitutions. Representative matters include:
    • State v. Comer and Zarate, 249 N.J. 359 (2022) (challenged extremely long sentences for youthful offenders and instituted a lookback period)
    • Rucho v. Common Cause, 139 S. Ct. 2484 (2019) and Gill v. Whitford, 138 S. Ct. 1916 (2018) (challenged partisan gerrymandering)
    • Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Comm’n, 138 S. Ct. 1719 (2018) (challenged baker’s refusal to sell wedding cake to same-sex couple); Zubik v. Burwell, 136 S. Ct. 1557 (2016)
    • S.P. v. J.K., 223 N.J. 196 (2015) (clarifying role of the state courts in cases involving Special Immigrant Juvenile Status and lifted barriers to this key form of immigration relief for children)
    • Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., 134 S. Ct. 2751 (2014) (defended Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate)
    • Arizona v. Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc., 133 S. Ct. 2247 (2013) (challenged law requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote)
    • In re M.D., 2018 WL 4653889 (N.J. Sup. Ct. App. Div. 2018) (challenged juvenile’s guilty plea).
  • Leader in juvenile justice coalition that successfully advocated for passage of reform bills that:
    • reduced the number of youth incarcerated in adult prisons
    • eliminated punitive solitary confinement in juvenile facilities
    • reformed juvenile parole and sentencing schemes to address racial disparities and provide rehabilitated youth with opportunity for early release.
  • Litigated to secure due process protections for juveniles facing administrative transfers from detention facilities to adult prisons.
  • Partnering with Prudential Financial, assisted in development and launch of court-based pro bono Tenancy Clinic in Essex County. Supervise volunteer lawyers at monthly clinics and provide full representation to tenants seen through clinic.
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Education

  • The George Washington University Law School (J.D. 2005), cum laude, George Washington Scholar; Notes and Projects Editor, The George Washington Law Review

    The College of New Jersey (B.A. 2001), cum laude

Affiliations

  • YWCA of Eastern Union County, Board Member
  • Covenant House NYC, Member of Legal and Advocacy Programming Board
  • Lead New Jersey, Member of 2015 class

Admissions

  • New York
  • New Jersey

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