“Public Service is my destiny.
I live for this.”
Honoring the
American Dream
As the first generation of her family born in the United States, Jenifer is first and foremost a proud American. Jenifer’s mom was born in a mud hut in India. Her parents immigrated to the United States with just $300 and a suitcase. To honor the promise of a country that gave her family so much opportunity, Jenifer decided to dedicate her life to public service. An Ivy League educated attorney, she graduated from Stanford Law School and the University of Pennsylvania.
Jenifer with her parents and brother. Jenifer is the girl in the middle.
Groundbreaking state legislator–
winning against all odds
Every win Jenifer has ever had has been against all odds. She made history when she became the first South Asian-American woman ever elected to New York State Office, defeating an 11-year incumbent by the largest vote margin of any challenger in the State. As a groundbreaking State Assemblywoman, she passed nationally recognized legislation securing full human rights protections for domestic workers, making Diwali a school holiday in New York after a 30-year fight, and allowing for the closure of over 36,000 illegal smoke shops across the State through the passage of her originally authored SMOKEOUT Act.
Jenifer is a champion in fighting hate crimes citywide. She has organized communities to stand up against hate crimes targeting the Jewish, Sikh, and Hindu communities. Her leadership in combating hate crimes garnered national support, including the backing of the White House.
As a civil rights lawyer, she won landmark cases nationally for women’s equality and workers, combatted corporate fraud saving millions in taxpayer dollars, and securing justice for thousands of women and workers. She collaborated with the U.S. Department of Justice on several qui tam cases combatting corporate fraud and excess. The resulting settlements saved millions in taxpayer dollars. Rajkumar 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.
She passed a groundbreaking bill to modernize the procurement process in New York City, by speeding up contracting so that building affordable housing and critical infrastructure happens faster and cheaper in New York City. As Comptroller, she will build upon her work in procurement and contracting ensuring your hard earned tax dollars are used efficiently.
A champion of public safety and justice, she passed legislation expanding compensation for crime victims. In a landmark win for diversity and inclusion, she drove through her historic bill establishing the first ever AAPI Commission in State Government.
The People’s Lawyer
Director Of Immigration Affairs
For New York State
The Governor of New York appointed Jenifer as the Director of Immigration Affairs & Special Counsel for New York State. Working out of New York’s Department of State and the Governor’s executive chamber, Jenifer built and 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 statewide surrogate for the Governor on signature policy items, traveling 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.
Jenifer’s upbringing centered around education. Her family pulled themselves up by their own hard work believing that a good education is the key to success. Jenifer is grateful to have received a world class education graduating from Stanford Law with distinction for her work in the public interest, and the University of Pennsylvania Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude, winning the Alice Paul award for helping low-income women. She then gave back as a professor at CUNY’s Lehman College, where she uplifted the youth of the Bronx. Jenifer believes in the potential of all youth and was inspired daily by her students.
