NEW YORK, January 10, 2022 – Today, Mobilization for Justice (MFJ) welcomed Belinda Luu as its first-ever Alan Mansfield Racial Justice Fellow. Ms. Luu will work in MFJ’s Special Litigation Project (SLP) to develop and advance impact and class action litigation across the organization’s program areas with a particular focus on racial justice and equity work. The Mansfield Fellowship was created in memory of Alan Mansfield, a beloved former Chair of MFJ’s Board of Directors, partner at Greenberg Traurig LLP, and longtime member of the New York State Commission on Judicial Nominations.
“It’s an honor to be able to advance this important work as the first Mansfield Racial Justice Fellow,” said Ms. Luu. “I look forward to leveraging MFJ’s resources and expertise to address systemic inequities affecting our client base through litigation and other creative advocacy.” Ms. Luu joins the SLP from MFJ’s Foreclosure Prevention Project, where she was a Senior Staff Attorney representing low-income homeowners in defensive and affirmative litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts to preserve homeownership and intergenerational wealth. Ms. Luu has also presented legislative testimony and trainings on racial justice issues such as fair lending, the racial wealth gap, deed theft, and the negative impacts of gentrification. Ms. Luu says her dedication to social justice is rooted in her personal background as the daughter of refugees. Before joining MFJ, Ms. Luu was a fellow in the Special Litigation Unit at the New York Legal Assistance Group. She is a 2013 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law.
“I am truly thrilled to welcome Belinda as our first-ever Mansfield Racial Justice Fellow,” said Tiffany Liston, MFJ’s Executive Director. “With her litigation experience, commitment to racial and social justice lawyering, and extensive relationships across MFJ, Belinda is uniquely positioned to help the SLP deepen its racial justice advocacy.”
MFJ created the SLP in November 2020 to expand and strengthen its work of identifying, developing, and litigating systemic issues affecting MFJ’s low-income client base. The SLP works closely with attorneys and staff across MFJ’s Housing, Economic Justice, Disability and Aging Rights, and Children’s Rights program areas to engage in litigation and non-litigation advocacy, often with pro bono firm or non-profit partners. SLP Supervisor Mike Litrownik said, “I am confident that Belinda will be a fantastic asset to the SLP’s racial justice work with her creative lawyering, energy, and passion.”
Mobilization for Justice is a civil nonprofit legal services organization with offices in Manhattan and the Bronx whose mission is to achieve social justice, prioritizing the needs of people who are low-income, disenfranchised, or have disabilities. It provides the highest quality and free direct civil legal assistance, conducts community education and builds partnerships, engages in policy advocacy, and brings impact litigation, with a focus on four key areas: Housing, Economic Justice, Disability and Aging Rights, and Children’s Rights. For media inquiries, contact: Mike Litrownik at (917) 573-8086 or mlitrownik@mfjlegal.org