Ms. Mandal divides her independent practice as a forensic mitigation specialist and therapist. She has extensive experience in criminal and civil legal proceedings. Ms. Mandal has conducted mitigation on potential state and federal death penalty cases in north and southeast regions of the country. She has been involved in numerous felony drug cases in New York City. Her work has given her experience with over 50 correctional facilities. She has also consulted with the Innocence Project of New York. In addition to capital defense and criminal proceedings, she provides psychological evaluation and assessment of extreme hardship, child abuse, spousal abuse, and asylum in immigration cases. She provides expert testimony when necessary.
Ms. Mandal works as an in-house mitigation specialist at the Legal Aid Society of New York and also works independently on various cases as a freelancer. She briefly worked as a public defender at the Bronx Defenders in New York. Ms. Mandal holds a Juris Doctorate degree from Rutgers-Newark School of Law and a Master of Clinical Social Work degree from Smith College School for Social Work, an internationally recognized clinical program. She has her New York State Licensed Master Social Work certification, and has received extensive post-graduate training.
Her legal training gives her the benefit of understanding the legal implications of her clinical assessments and mitigation, and her clinical skills have helped her during challenging legal advocacy. She draws holistic insight from law, clinical social work, and forensic practice.
Ms. Mandal speaks fluent Bengali (Bangla), has expertise in working with a multicultural base, and has knowledge of cross-cultural psychologies. She has a private practice based in mid-Manhattan and is also affiliated with The DiMele Center for Psychotherapy and Counseling in New York. In her psychotherapy practice, she specializes in working with patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, and Depression.
Background
Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:A: Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, 2007
New York Licensed Master of Social Work certification, 2003
Juris Doctorate, 2003
Master of Clinical Social Work degree, 1999
Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
A: Detention Watch Network
New York State Defenders Association
National Association of Social Workers
National Association of Sentencing Advocates and Mitigation Specialists
National Legal Aid Defender Association
Detention Watch Network
National Organization of Forensic Social Workers
Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
A: 1) Training pro bono counsel city-wide on conducting sentencing mitigation for resentencing petitions under the New York Drug Law Reform Act of 2004 (Rockefeller Drug Law Reform.)
2) National conference on forensic practice in criminal defender office; Participant in the International Drug Policy Conference 2007.
Q: Have any of your accreditations ever been investigated, suspended or removed? (if yes, explain)
A: No.
Q: On how many occasions have you been retained as an expert?
A: 30+
Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?
A: 1) Criminal proceedings (sex offender; felony drug cases)
2) Immigration Proceedings (removal; Bengali Expert; psychological evaluations; hardship assessment for asylum claims.)
3) Asylum cases, mental health expert.
4) Assessment of Battered Women's Syndrome and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
Q: On how many occasions have you had your deposition taken?
A: 20+
Q: On how many occasions have you been qualified by a court to give expert testimony?
A: 15+
Q: On how many occasions have you testified as an expert in court or before an arbitrator?
A: 10+
Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?
A: 3
Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
A: consulting; reports; biopsycho-social assessments; mitigation & reentry services
Q: What is your hourly rate to consult with an attorney?
A: $150 per hour with private counsel. I offer flate rates for non-profit/public interest law firms.
Q: What is your hourly rate to review documents?
A: $100 per hour.
Q: What is your hourly rate to provide deposition testimony?
A: $100 per hour.
Q: What is your hourly rate to provide testimony at trial?
A: $100-200/hr depending on the level of detail and circumstances of the case. I offer flate rates for non-profit/public interest law firms.
Q: Please list any fees other than those stated above (E.g.: travel expenses, copy fees, etc.)
A: travel expenses should be reimbursed.
