Leslie Crocker Snyder

Leslie Crocker Snyder (born 1942) is an American lawyer, author, and former judge, most notable for her work writing and instituting the original rape shield laws in the state of New York. A pioneer in her field, she was the first woman to try a homicide in the state. Snyder graduated from Radcliffe College (now Harvard) on scholarship in 1962 and completed a certificate from the Harvard-Radcliffe Program in Business Administration in 1963. She then attended the Case Western Reserve University School of Law - where her father was dean of the graduate school.

She resigned from the Court of Claims in 2004 in order to prepare for her run for District Attorney. Snyder became a partner at Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman LLP in 2003. She has since left the firm.

Running for Manhattan District Attorney In 2005, Snyder challenged incumbent District Attorney Robert Morgenthau in the Democratic Party primary for election to the position of Manhattan District Attorney. Snyder garnered 42% of the vote, while Morgenthau took 58%. Morgenthau was eventually elected to his ninth term. The New York Times, a long supporter of Morgenthau, endorsed Snyder in its August 30, 2005 editorial, "When To End An Era", citing Snyder's "unquestioned ability and broad experience", "impressive energy", and "new ideas".

In 2008, Snyder renounced her support for the death penalty. She said she had done so after learning more about wrongful convictions in capital cases.

Snyder, along with Cyrus Vance, Jr. and Richard Aborn announced their candidacy for the district attorney race. The New York Times this time did not endorse Snyder but chose to endorse Cyrus Vance Jr., who won by a wide margin.

Television Snyder served as a legal consultant for the series Law & Order and Law & Order: Trial by Jury from 2004-2007 and has been a legal analyst for MSNBC and the Today show. In 2004–2005, she made several guest appearances on Law and Order portraying New York judge Rebecca Logan.

Publications Snyder has written and published 2 books the most recent in 2026. Her first book 25 to Life: The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing But the Truth was co-written with Tom Shachtman and published on September 23, 2002. This book is a non-fiction account of her life and career in as a female lawyer and judge in New York City. Snyder's second publication is a fictional work called Restoring Justice: A Thriller. This novel was co-written with author Matthew Hall who is notable for his other crime related novels. This book was published on March 25, 2026, and revolves around a female judge in New York City who must solve a crime with national security implications. Snyder brings her own personal experiences with drug lords and death threats to this novel to make it come alive.

Affiliations Leslie Crocker Snyder is also a board member of the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club, DARE, Abraham House, Federal Drug Agents Foundation, and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Personal life In 1968, Crocker married pediatrician Fred Snyder; She is the author of 25 to Life, a memoir of her legal experiences, both as a prosecutor and as a judge.

She has appeared on numerous television programs including 60 Minutes, The Today Show, and The Charlie Rose Show. She has been featured on news, cable, and Court TV programs regarding crime, drugs and drug gangs, rape, women and the law, criminal law, and law enforcement.