Anya Mukarji-Connolly

Anya Mukarji-Connolly is a graduate of the City University of New York School of Law and a former Equal Justice Works fellow. She has been an advocate for low-income and homeless communities in New York City for ten years. Anya is currently an attorney with the Brooklyn Family Defense Project (BFDP) where she represents low-income parents in child welfare proceedings. BFDP works to support families and prevent them from being torn apart, while also seeking to change the child welfare policies and practices that disproportionately target low-income communities. Prior to joining BFDP, Anya had been an advocate for homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) youth for over eight years at the Peter Cicchino Youth Project (PCYP) of the Urban Justice Center. While at PCYP, Anya represented LGBTQ youth struggling to survive on New York City’s streets, and in its foster care, juvenile justice and shelter systems. In 2002, Anya was awarded an Equal Justice Works fellowship to represent LGBTQ youth who were at risk of entering the foster care system. Anya is currently on the Board of Directors of Streetwise and Safe (SAS), a youth development project for LGBTQ youth of color in New York City. From 2004 until 2006, Anya sat on the Board of Directors of FIERCE!, a community organizing project for Transgender, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two Spirit, Queer, and Questioning youth of color in New York City.