An Indian American Appointed Chairperson of NYC Bar's Human Rights Committee

Ramya Jawahar Kudekallu, a Bengaluru-born lawyer in the United States (US), has been appointed as the chairperson of the New York City Bar's International Human Rights Committee.

The 32-year-old is the first woman of colour to hold this position. She has been appointed for a tenure of three years.

The appointment is a huge honour, but, equally, an indication that the New York City Bar, one of the largest association of lawyers in the US, stands to benefit from a membership that is diverse, multicultural and inclusive.

Ramya Jawahar Kudekallu to the Times of India

The daughter of a gynaecologist mother and advocate father, Ramya was born and brought up in Bengaluru. She studied in Bengaluru and Ooty before moving to New York for her master's in International Law and Justice. She then secured a fellowship with the Leitner Center for International Law. She is currently a teaching fellow at the Cardozo Law School in New York.

Ramya Jawahar Kudekallu has strong research and advocacy interest in anti-discrimination frameworks within International Human Rights Law, the Cardozo law school website states.

After her graduation, she interned at World YWCA at Geneva and later at the United Nations where she worked on women and children’s issues with a special focus on violence against women. She also worked with Alternative Law Forum (ALF) for the rights of civic workers, street vendors, members of the LGBTQ community, sex workers, and women and children, Deccan Herald reported.

(With inputs from Times of India and Deccan Herald.)