On February 17, 2022 from 3-7pm, Cooper Sirwatka, Esq. will be providing free legal assistance for individuals seeking to change their name and/or gender markers on their identifying documents or have any LGBT-related legal questions.
Trans rights law specialist Cooper Sirwatka will provide trans and gender non-conforming students and staff with forms and advice about how to pursue a legal name change. This service will be provided by the GSRC at no cost.
Cooper Sirwatka is the Director of Operations at CNY Fair Housing in Syracuse, New York. In this role, he oversees many facets of the agency’s anti-discrimination work, most significantly investigative, educational, and policy matters. Mr. Sirwatka previously worked as the Legal Director at the Fair Housing Justice Center in New York City, where he was responsible for managing the organization’s legal docket and expanding its legal network within the region.
Additionally, Mr. Sirwatka is consistently involved in a number of other consultancy positions including LGBT rights education and advocacy, working to protect intellectual property for start-up podcasters, and a smattering of other legal research activities. In his free time, Mr. Sirwatka has committed himself to a variety of pro bono projects including name changes for trans folks, protest monitoring, and voting rights advocacy. He previously served on the board of the LOFT LGBT Center in White Plains and as a facilitator for CANDLE's Trans Youth Group.
Mr. Sirwatka received his Bachelor of Arts in Literature from Purchase College and his JD cum laude from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. He also is an avid ultramarathoner and a proud wearer of full-color RBG tattoo