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Anjana Samant
Senior Staff Attorney at ACLU
Anjana Samant is a Senior Staff Attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), specifically working within the Women's Rights Project. She has a strong background in civil rights litigation, focusing on issues related to racial and gender discrimination, particularly in the child welfare system. Her work involves challenging the policing and enforcement of societal norms surrounding family and parenting through constitutional litigation and movement support.12
Professional Background
Before her role at the ACLU, Samant served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s Office. There, she worked on significant cases including:
- The sexual harassment and corporate misconduct action against The Weinstein Company.
- Litigation challenging the Muslim travel ban.
- Investigations into anti-abortion “crisis pregnancy centers” and algorithmic discrimination in credit decisions.23
Samant also has experience from her time as a senior staff attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights, where she dealt with matters related to racial justice and government misconduct. Her legal career began after graduating from NYU School of Law, where she was co-editor-in-chief of the NYU Review of Law & Social Change.24
Advocacy and Impact
Anjana Samant's advocacy extends to addressing systemic issues within the child welfare system, particularly how predictive analytics tools can perpetuate biases against marginalized communities. She has voiced concerns about how these tools may exacerbate existing inequalities rather than alleviate them.46 Her work is vital in ensuring that families are treated fairly and justly within legal frameworks that often overlook their rights.5
Personal Interests
Outside her professional commitments, Samant enjoys gardening, traveling, attending plays, and engaging in fitness activities such as running and weightlifting. She also appreciates leisure activities like enjoying cocktails and watching "Bob's Burgers".2
Overall, Anjana Samant is recognized for her dedication to civil rights and social justice, making significant contributions to the ACLU's efforts in advocating for women's rights and family integrity.