Landon Schuster (’26)

Elie Honig’s (’93) senior year picture from Cherry Hill High School East’s 1993 yearbook.

Before he was an organized crime prosecutor, a graduate of Rutgers University and Harvard Law School, a best-selling author, and the senior legal analyst for CNN, Elie Honig (‘93) walked the halls of Cherry Hill High School East. Today, Honig appears regularly on CNN, breaking down major legal and political developments, ranging from the legal loopholes President Donald Trump could exploit for a potential third term to the legality of the Trump administration’s continued deportation of Venezuelan gang members.

Though Honig’s career has taken him far from Cherry Hill, he still looks back on his teachers with appreciation. In fact, he devoted part of one of his books’ acknowledgments to educators from East and across the Cherry Hill public school district. In particular, Mr. Matthew Carr, Honig’s senior-year English teacher, who challenged students to cut 10% of the content from their essays each day they returned to class, is credited for instilling Honig’s strong command of language and disciplined, concise writing skills. Honig’s other English teachers, he said, also helped him write with clarity and structure. Beyond writing, Honig’s interest in politics was first sparked during his senior year of high school amid the 1992 presidential election.

“That was early during November of my senior year, and that was Clinton versus Bush,” said Honig. “I remember following that election very closely in my social studies classes.” 

Honig wasn’t merely an observer of elections, though; he was a participant. Running as Student Government Association president for his senior year, Honig initially finished as the runner-up. However, when allegations surfaced that the winner’s girlfriend had coerced students into voting for her boyfriend, an investigation ensued. Ultimately, East conducted a second election, and, devoid of any election interference, Honig emerged victorious.

“I’m not a believer in these election fraud theories, but I guess mine had been impacted by it, and so I got to be a senior class officer,” said Honig. “That experience in student government really inspired me, so East had a real impact on my future career direction.”

After graduating from East, Honig attended Rutgers University, where he currently serves as the executive director of the Rutgers Institute for Secure Communities. Upon earning a bachelor’s degree in political science, he continued his studies at Harvard Law School, gaining hands-on courtroom experience through the Harvard Defenders program. As a second-year law student, Honig represented low-income clients in minor criminal cases and found arguing in Boston-area courts exhilarating. 

“You had to be able to think on your feet [and] learn how to investigate a case. I remember talking to witnesses, trying to talk to cops [and] pulling police files,” said Honig. “That was really an inspiring experience during law school.”

Four years after graduating from Harvard, Honig became Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. During his time in this position, he played a significant role in prosecuting La Cosa Nostra, notably taking on members of the Gambino and Genovese crime families. At times, however, this line of work presented its challenges.

“[In the] mob [they have] what they call Omertà. The overarching principle is … you never talk to the cops. You never flip. You never cooperate,” said Honig. “We were able to break through that [and] flipped certain people.” 

Despite the profoundly formidable task of dealing with dangerous individuals, Honig remained undaunted.

“I was never threatened or harmed in any direct way,” said Honig. “In the movies, maybe they’ll do things to prosecutors … but one of the rules that [the mob] really does observe is, you don’t mess with prosecutors, cops or judges because, if you do, it’s no benefit to them. It’s not like, if they did something to me, the case would be dismissed.”

Thanks to his aggressive approach to prosecuting organized crime, Honig moved up the ranks at the prosecutors’ office, developing an extensive understanding of law in the process. Now serving as CNN’s senior legal analyst, he aims to communicate that knowledge in a digestible manner to all audiences. Honig sees his role at CNN as helping the public understand major legal issues by offering the perspective he gained during his 14 years as a prosecutor.

“To me, the best service I can provide is to bring our viewers into the mind of the prosecutor. The [same] way [that] if you watch a good football announcer, like Troy Aikman, they will be able to tell you, ‘OK, I’ve been in the huddle. It’s third and short; here’s what they’re worried about.’”

With East seniors approaching graduation and gaining the right to vote, Honig encourages them to take that responsibility seriously — just as he did when following the 1992 election as a student. He urges students to research and think critically before casting a ballot.

“Actually vote,” said Honig. “Young people historically vote in astonishingly small numbers, and that’s part of the reason politicians don’t really focus on issues that affect young people. So, use your vote and put some thought into it. I always encourage people not to just blindly pull one lever or the other.”

From following presidential elections in social studies class to winning a contested student government race, Honig’s journey began in the classrooms and hallways of East. Decades later, whether he’s in a courtroom or on national television, Honig still draws on the lessons and experiences that first took shape during his time as a Cougar.