HONORING THE AMERICAN DREAM

Jenifer is proud to be born and raised in New York, as the first generation American in her family. Her mom was born in a mud hut in India. Her parents immigrated to the United States with just $300 and a suitcase, settling in Queens where they got their start. To honor the promise of a country that gave her family so much opportunity, Jenifer decided to dedicate her life to public service.

DYNAMIC CAREER IN PUBLIC SERVICE AND JUSTICE

Jenifer is a lawyer, Professor at CUNY and former New York State Government official. With early roots in public service and giving back, Jenifer graduated from Stanford Law School with distinction for her pro bono legal work on behalf of vulnerable individuals. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania at the top of her class magna cum laude, phi beta kappa where she received the Alice Paul Award for exemplary service to women and families. 

Jenifer has been dynamic, passionate and persistent in her efforts to make a difference in the lives of others.  For Jenifer, service is a way of life.  She served for years as the people’s lawyer, fighting corporate fraud and excess, and advocating for workers, women, and families in vulnerable situations.  Later, she served at high levels of state government, appointed by the Governor of New York as a Special Counsel and as Director of Immigration Affairs for New York State. She also proudly dedicates her time to uplifting our city’s youth, as a Professor of Political Science at the City University of New York (CUNY).

But her proudest accomplishments are for her neighbors right here at home.  For her work for the people of Queens providing access to counsel to people in vulnerable situations, and working for youth and immigrant communities, the Queens Courier honored her as a 2017 “Rising Star” and the Queens Tribune awarded her its “Glass Ceiling Award” for being a path-breaking woman serving the Queens community.

THE PEOPLE’S LAWYER

Jenifer has always advocated and stood up for working-class Americans throughout her career. Jenifer litigated class action cases on behalf of workers, tenants, and women at Sanford Heisler Sharp LLP, a public interest law firm. She collaborated with the U.S. Department of Justice on several qui tam cases combating corporate fraud and excess.  The resulting settlements saved millions in taxpayer dollars. Rajkumar was also part of the legal team of Velez v. Novartis, ranked by the United Nations as one of the top 10 cases in the world advancing women’s equality.  The largest gender discrimination case every go to trial, the case took on big pharma on behalf of a class of 5,600 women for their gender pay and pregnancy discrimination claims, resulting in the largest ever monetary awards in the United States in an employment discrimination case.

Rajkumar was also originating counsel on an amicus curiae brief filed in the United States Supreme Court on behalf of NOW, Legal Momentum, the National Women's Law Center, and Equal Rights Advocates in Mach Mining v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, presenting arguments in favor of equality for women in nontraditional fields of employment such as firefighting, construction and law enforcement. 

Rajkumar serves on the Legal Advisory Council of Sanctuary for Families, New York City's leading service provider and advocate for survivors of domestic violence, sex trafficking, and related forms of gender violence. She has spoken on public interest law and policy at Stanford Law School, CUNY Law School and Harvard Law School.

In 2015 and 2016, she was selected to Super Lawyers' New York-Metro Rising Stars List, a recognition given to no more than 2.5% of the lawyers in New York.

PROFESSOR AT CUNY

Jenifer’s upbringing centered around education.  Her family believed that a good education is the key to success. Jenifer is grateful to have received a world class education graduating from Stanford Law and the University of Pennsylvania.  She now gives back as a Professor at CUNY’s Lehman College, where she served since 2015 uplifting our city’s youth.  Jenifer believes in the potential of each child and is inspired daily by her students.

GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL FOR THE PEOPLE OF NEW YORK STATE  

The Governor of New York Andrew M. Cuomo appointed Jenifer as the Director of Immigration Affairs & Special Counsel for New York State in the age of Trump. Working out of New York’s Department of State and the Governor’s Executive Chamber, Jenifer led the Liberty Defense Project, a first-in-the-nation $31 million dollar state-led public-private project to assist immigrants in obtaining legal services. Jenifer also represented New York State in litigation before Administrative Law Judges. She served as an ethics officer, handling ethics matters for the State.  She was a state-wide surrogate for the Governor on the State’s signature policy items. She traveled from the farms of upstate New York to her home in Queens to help New York’s communities. Inspired by the people of New York, she is more motivated than ever to dedicate herself to service.