On Monday, June 24, the Asian American Law Fund of New York (AALFNY) gathered with members of the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) to celebrate the recipients of AALFNY’s 2024 Public Interest Scholarships at the AALFNY-AABANY Summer Reception at FTI Consulting, held at their offices at 1166 Avenue of the Americas.
Upon arrival, attendees chatted with one another, enjoying a grazing table, pizza, and drinks. The program began with the sound of clinking bottles, drawing everyone’s attention to Sylvia Chin, President of AALFNY. Sylvia presented introductory remarks about AALFNY and thanked Jason Sabot, Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting, for generously providing the venue for the gathering. Yang Chen, Executive Director of AABANY, also spoke, touching on the origins of AALFNY and its prior incarnation as the AABANY Foundation, the charitable arm of AABANY. He reminded the lawyers present of their shared ethical and moral obligations to perform pro bono legal services and emphasized the importance of good works done by AABANY’s Pro Bono Clinics, highlighting the significance of giving back to the community.
Sylvia then presented the 2024 Public Interest Scholarship award to Ranjana Venkatesh. Ranjana attends CUNY School of Law, and shared that this summer she will be interning at The Bronx Defenders’ Criminal Defense Practice under the Adolescent Defense Project. Ranjana noted that the Bronx is a historically under-represented borough, but with The Bronx Defenders, she hopes to represent low-income residents through a holistic approach.
Jessica Chan, the other recipient of the scholarship, unfortunately could not attend the reception. Jessica, an AABANY member, attends New York Law School and will be interning with the Legal Aid Society in its Criminal Defense Practice. She is looking forward to using her experience in criminal defense work to build bridges between communities of color.
Thank you to all who attended the Summer Reception at FTI Consulting to not only celebrate the recipients of the 2024 Public Interest Scholarship, but also the value and importance of public interest work. To learn more about AALFNY, please click here.
