NEWARK, NJ – Tonight Seton Hall Law School honored Aney K. Chandy, Esq., former Corporation Counsel to Mayor Cory Booker, for her service to the City of Newark. During its annual scholarship banquet, the school’s chapter of the Asian-Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA) presented Ms. Chandy, a Seton Hall Law School alumna, with the Impact Award, which recognizes an Asian member of the legal community who is an inspiration as both a professional and as a scholar.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker presented the award to Ms. Chandy, commenting, "As my corporate counsel Aney Chandy demonstrated remarkable dedication and leadership. Most people don't take their job personally but Aney does—because she cares and she holds a standard which is above and beyond...In the midst of a very challenging reality, where it's not all black and white but filled with gray areas, you need a moral compass to navigate through these murky waters. I am fortunate to have had Aney Chandy as my navigator.”

When introducing Mayor Booker, Seton Hall Law Dean Patrick Hobbs remarked, “Leaders are judged by the caliber of the people they rely on for advice and expertise. Cory Booker did the City of Newark a great service when he brought Aney Chandy to his office as his Corporation Counsel. Her tenacity, her work ethic, and her ability to honor the needs and views of those around her enabled Aney to deliver on her promise to reorganize the Department of Law.

“Seton Hall Law is proud of its longstanding and successful partnership with the City of Newark and its role in bringing the city forward. Through her many professional achievements, and through her commitment to the Law School, Aney Chandy is a perfect illustration of this partnership.”

In accepting the award, Ms. Chandy spoke of her dedication to public service, challenging Asian students to consider their own contributions to the community. “There are nearly 700,000 Asians living in New Jersey and at Seton Hall Law, they are the fastest-growing population. Statistics show Asians to be well above the curve in terms of literacy, educational achievement and affluence. The question we must ask ourselves is, ‘What have we done to serve the community that has embraced us?’”

Ms. Chandy is the former Corporation Counsel for the City of Newark, a role from which she stepped down in February. She now serves as Special Counsel to Mayor Booker. During her tenure as Corporation Counsel Ms. Chandy reorganized the Department of Law for the City. As Special Counsel, she provides advice and counsel to the Mayor and his Administration during a transition period to the incoming Corporation Counsel. Ms. Chandy is a former State Assistant Attorney General and a founding member of the South Asian Bar Association of New Jersey and New York. She graduated from Seton Hall Law in 1996.

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Seton Hall University School of Law, New Jersey’s only private law school, and a leading law school in the New York metropolitan area, is dedicated to preparing students for the practice of law through excellence in scholarship and teaching, with a strong focus on clinical education. Seton Hall Law is located in Newark, NJ and offers both day and evening degree programs. For more information, visit law.shu.edu. APALSA is an organization of law students interested in the growth of the Asian legal community and in the development of Asian and Asian-American-related legal issues.