The Asian American Law Fund of New York (AALFNY) is proud to announce the recipients of its 2025 Public Interest Scholarships.
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- Lori Giargias, St. John’s University School of Law
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- Jackie Huang, University of Florida Levin College of Law
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- Issalina Sagad, CUNY School of Law
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- Eqra Muhammad, St. John’s School of Law
1. Lori Giargias, a student at St. John’s University School of Law, graduating in 2027, will be interning with the Jewish Association Serving the Aging (JASA) Legal Services for the Elderly in Queens, focusing on eviction defense, foreclosure prevention, and other housing-related legal issues affecting older adults. Through this internship, she hopes to provide meaningful assistance to individuals at risk of losing their homes, and to learn how to be a more effective advocate for those who often go unheard—especially elderly clients from immigrant backgrounds who may be reluctant to seek legal help due to cultural stigma or fear of authority.
2. Jiaqi Huang, a student at University of Florida Levin College of Law, graduating in 2027, will be interning with the Legal Aid Society’s Immigration Law Unit, contributing to efforts that protect immigrant families, advocate for housing justice and ensure equal access to essential services. She is looking forward to furthering her ability to serve the Asian American community through direct advocacy and legal services.
3. Issalina Sagad, a student at City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law, graduating in 2027, will be interning with Catholic Charities Community Services. She is eager to learn how legal support can be made accessible to those without any source of entry to legal support, or people who feel it is out of reach.
Eqra Muhammad, a student at St. John’s University School of Law, graduating in 2026, who will be interning at Urban Justice Center’s Domestic Violence Project’s Immigration Team, was awarded the AALFNY/SABANY fellowship in April 2025.
We also applaud the organizations with which these students will be working. The scholarship awards will be presented at a Summer Reception to be held on July 17, 2025 at 6 pm. Information regarding the Summer Reception is available at https://www.asianamericanlawfund.org/reception/.
AALFNY awards Public Interest Scholarships each year to law students with a demonstrated commitment to the Asian American community. The purpose of the award is to assist law students with their tuition while encouraging them to use their legal knowledge and training to benefit the Asian American community in New York and to foster commitment by law students to public service in New York. Since 1997, AALFNY has funded more than 60 public interest scholarships to law students.
AALFNY was established in 1993 by the Asian American Bar Association of New York to create and support non-profit and charitable efforts to eliminate prejudice and discrimination and to defend human and civil rights.
Donations to AALFNY may be made at asianamericanlawfund.org/donate.
A copy of our latest annual report may be obtained from AALFNY at P.O. Box 161, 41 Purdy Ave., Rye NY 10580 or from the NY Attorney General’s Charities Bureau website www.charitiesnys.com. Information may also be obtained from AALFNY at donations@AsianAmericanLawFund.org or the NYS Attorney General at 212-416-8686.