City & State’s new 2021 Power of Diversity: Asian 100 list includes two representatives from The Legal Aid Society. The list, covering New York’s Asian American leaders, includes Archana Jayaram, the Society’s Chief Operating Officer, and Jason Wu, Attorney-in-Charge of its Harlem Community Law Office.

Archana Jayaram

Chief Operating Officer, The Legal Aid Society

Archana Jayaram’s extensive background in New York City government and social justice affairs – with stints at the Department of Correction, the Department of Buildings and the Department of Homeless Services – prepared her well to serve as Chief Operating Officer at The Legal Aid Society, the oldest and largest legal aid provider in the U.S. With Jayaram’s assistance, the organization is consolidating its offices into a 200,000-square-foot space in Tribeca, one of the largest office leases this year.

Jason Wu

Attorney-in-Charge, Harlem Community Law Office
Co-Chair, GAPIMNY-Empowering Queer & Trans Asian Pacific Islanders

Jason Wu advocates for LGBTQ rights as co-chair of GAPIMNY-Empowering Queer & Trans Asian Pacific Islanders. The all-volunteer, membership-based organization, formerly Gay Asian & Pacific Islander Men of New York, was a lead organizer among organizations against the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act on the grounds that it doesn’t address root causes of violence. Wu recently was promoted to the role of Attorney-in-Charge of The Legal Aid Society’s Harlem Community Law Office. GAPIMNY’s other co-chairs are Ryan Shen and Jason Kwong.