Two Indian Americans to be recognized by New York State Bar Association

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The Senior Lawyers Section of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) will recognize two Indian Americans with separate awards at their Annual Meeting on January 17.

Shirani B. Ponnambalam, Esq. of Bedford, New York will be recognized with the Jonathan Lippman Pro Bono Award while Preetha Chakrabarti, Esq. of New York will be recognized with the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award.

According to a press release, Ponnambalam is a volunteer attorney with the Pace Women’s Justice Center, where she helps individuals navigate the legal system and provides direct representation to clients with issues relating to family offenses, divorce, custody, and support.

Her career began in academia at the University of Sri Lanka, where she also earned a law degree.

She began working a private practice in New York in 1988, focusing on family law and divorce mediation.

Chakrabarti is a member of her firm’s intellectual property group, which deals with litigation, counseling, and prosecution, as well as the environment and natural resources group, which assists clients with regulatory issues arising under various federal and state environmental laws, according to a press release.

NYSBA’s 142nd Annual Meeting will take place from January 14 to 18, and will explore current issues in the law with a presidential summit on January 16 that looks at the #MeToo movement, wrongful prosecutions and whistleblower laws.

Speakers at other programs during the week include former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara; New York State Solicitor General Barbara Underwood, who recently served as the state’s first female Attorney General; Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Charles Rettig; Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.; State Assembly Health Committee Chair Richard Gottfried; and Court of Appeals Chief Judge Janet DiFiore.