Jane Aoyama-Martin to Lead Legal Services NYC’s Bronx Program

July 17, 2015, Bronx, NY— Legal Services NYC is pleased to announce that Jane Aoyama-Martin has been selected to lead its Bronx program as Project Director. Jane comes to LSNYC-Bronx from her position as Director of the Pace Women’s Justice Center at Pace Law School, and brings more than 20 years of experience in the fields of family law and domestic violence to the job.

“We are thrilled that Jane Aoyama-Martin has taken the helm of our Bronx program,” said Raun Rasmussen, LSNYC’s Executive Director. “It is no small task—the Bronx is the poorest urban county in the nation, and our office is the borough’s largest provider of civil legal services with a staff of more than seventy. We are confident that with her experience, dedication, and record of leadership, Jane will provide the vision and management skills that are necessary to lead us into the future.”

Jane has spent most of her life in public service: her first legal job was serving the poor as a legal services attorney in upstate NY; shortly after that, she was a staff attorney at Bronx Legal Services for several years. She is a founding and former Board member of the New York Asian Women’s Center, the first project on the East Coast to organize women to address the problems of battering and sexual assault in Asian communities. In addition, she has worked as a NY State Assistant Attorney General, solo practitioner, and senior associate in a private firm. Prior to serving as PWJC’s Executive Director, Jane supervised The Legal Aid Society’s family law practice in the Bronx and Harlem, and co-supervised the Society’s city-wide Domestic Violence Project.

“Jane was the unanimous selection of a hiring committee made up of staff, management and board members, who conducted a rigorous interview process of several highly qualified candidates before choosing her,” said Joseph Moodhe, chair of the LSNYC-Bronx board. “Jane impressed everyone with her combination of commitment to poverty law, management savvy, and calm, problem-solving demeanor. We received glowing reports from many of those who have worked with her in recent years, and look forward to her leadership.”

“Returning to the Bronx where I’ve spent over 13 years of my legal career is like a homecoming for me,” said Jane. “I am grateful for the opportunity to support the important work of LSNYC-Bronx in providing social, economic and racial justice in the Bronx community.”

Jane graduated from UC Berkeley, School of Social Welfare, and UCLA School of Law. She is admitted to practice in New York and California.

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Contact: Kate Whalen, 646-442-3654, kwhalen (at) legalservicesnyc.org