About Liana
Liana Cotto completed her undergraduate studies at the City University of New York’s Baruch College in 2006 and later earned her J.D. from New York Law School in 2016. Her academic path spans more than a decade, bridging a business-oriented undergraduate program and a later commitment to law school. The timeline reflects steady professional progression rather than a continuous, traditional track.
Her earliest legal experience came nearly a decade before law school when she worked as a paralegal at Kohn & Kohn in 2002. That role exposed her to the day-to-day mechanics of case preparation and client files. In 2009 she served as an associate and law clerk at the Law Office of Jay H. Tanenbaum. Those years in smaller office settings offered hands-on courtroom and office practice exposure and a sense of how transactional and litigation work complement each other.
After obtaining her J.D. in 2016, Cotto moved into roles that expanded her responsibilities and courtroom presence. By 2018 she is listed as a lawyer at Leav & Steinberg, L.L.P. The position marked a shift into a larger firm environment where case management, client counseling and collaborative practice are core elements of daily work. She maintains professional ties through current membership in the State Bar of New York and participates in the New York City Bar Association’s Women in the Legal Profession Sub-Committee. Those affiliations indicate ongoing engagement with the local bar and with efforts to address issues that affect women practitioners.
Colleagues describe Cotto as deliberate and practical in approach. She has followed a career path that moved from support roles to licensed practice, adding layers of responsibility at each stage. Her background as a paralegal and as a law clerk informs how she handles case preparation and client contact. It also gives her an appreciation for the administrative and procedural work that underpins substantive legal advocacy.
Today she practices in New York and is listed at Leav & Steinberg, L.L.P. She combines prior in-office experience with courtroom work cultivated over years in private practice. She currently handles legal matters for clients in New York and practices out of the Leav & Steinberg, L.L.P. office.
