Jane Aoyama-Martin Selected to Head Legal Services NYC’s Bronx Chapter

The Bronx court system has long been hobbled by delays, burdensome bureaucracy, and financial instability. Poverty in the borough – the poorest urban county in the country – only amplifies these glaring faults. 

To support the Bronx residents who must navigate these courts, Legal Services NYC has hired Jane Aoyama-Martin as its new Project Director. Ms. Aoyama-Martin, facing down an enormous responsibility and immense challenge, will channel into her new post the talents she has accrued in over two decades in legal services. 

“It is no small task – the Bronx is the poorest urban county in the nation, and our office is the borough’s largest provider of civil legal services with a staff of more than seventy,” noted Raun Rasmussen, Executive Director of Legal Services NYC, in a public statement. “We are confident that with her experience, dedication, and record of leadership, Jane will provide the vision and management services that are necessary to lead us into the future.”

Ms. Aoyama-Martin arrives at Legal Services NYC by way of Pace Law School, where she served as Director of the Pace Women’s Justice Center. Women’s rights and justice have long been her calling. Before Pace, Ms. Aoyama-Martin helped to establish the New York Asian Women’s Center, and oversaw The Legal Aid Society’s Bronx and Harlem family law practice, as well as its Domestic Violence Project. 

Moreover, Ms. Aoyama-Martin, a graduate of UC Berkeley, School of Social Welfare, and UCLA School of Law, is no stranger to the Bronx legal network, where she has spent the majority of her legal career. 

“Returning to the Bronx where I’ve spent over 13 years of my legal career is like a homecoming for me,” she observed. “I am grateful for the opportunity to support the important work of LSNYC-Bronx in providing social, economic and racial justice in the Bronx community. 

LSNYC-Bronx claims to have an impact in the lives of over 10,000 Bronx residents annually. Besides legal representation, LSNYC ensures that low-income Bronx residents receive their benefits and are aware of their rights, both inside and outside of the legal labyrinth. 

In choosing Ms. Aoyama-Martin, LSNYC-Bronx voiced their confidence in her ability to steer this wide-reaching advocacy and support institution. 

“Jane was the unanimous selection of a hiring committee made up of staff, management and board members, who conducted a rigorous interview process of several highly qualified candidates before choosing her,” added Joseph Moodhe, chair of the LSNYC-Bronx board. “Jane impressed everyone with her combination of commitment to poverty law, management savvy, and calm, problem-solving demeanor.”