Deputy General Counsel Awarded for Commitment to South Asian Community

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Priya Harjani, deputy general counsel for Northwestern University, has received the Corporate Counsel Achievement Award from the South Asian Bar Association of North America (SABA). 

The award is given to individuals who demonstrate extraordinary leadership and innovation in the field of law. Recipients exemplify excellence within the South Asian legal community and a demonstrated commitment to diversity.

SABA provides a vital link between South Asian lawyers and the South Asian community across North America by promoting the South Asian bar and focusing on the legal needs of the South Asian community.

Harjani was promoted to deputy general counsel in February having held several positions during her 12 years in the Office of the General Counsel at Northwestern. She has distinguished herself by leading some of the University’s highest-profile legal cases, including numerous labor and employment matters as well as litigation matters. Her role at Northwestern makes her one of the highest-ranking and prominent Indian-Americans in the higher education legal field in the U.S.

Harjani is very involved in the Indian-American community, serving as a board member for the Indian-American Bar Association of Chicago Foundation (IABACF) -- the charitable arm of the bar association. In her role, she recently helped organize a service project to paint the interior of the Indo-American Center, a non-profit organization in Chicago serving Indian immigrants who are new to the U.S. She has also worked with the IABACF to grant scholarships to law students who are committed to South Asian causes and has participated in other fundraising initiatives that allow the foundation to assist other non-profit organizations.

Harjani will be presented with her award along with other SABA award recipients at SABA’s annual conference in Houston, Texas, on May 14, 2016.