Partner Paula Anderson (New York-Litigation) co-chaired the 2019 Educating for Justice Gala held at The Plaza Hotel in New York on May 7, 2019 to support the John Jay College of Criminal Justice (John Jay) Honors Program.

A senior college within the City University of New York (CUNY), John Jay serves a student population that reflects the rich culture and diversity of New York City. Nearly half of the 15,000 students enrolled at John Jay are the first in their families to attend college, and several of them are either immigrants themselves or the children of immigrants. 

An annual event, the gala’s mission is to provide a vital pathway for students to pursue advanced study, find meaningful careers and achieve social mobility through education. The event was the most successful on record, raising over $1 million to support the John Jay Honors Program, which, along with John Jay’s Pre-law Institute, serves as a major pipeline for students seeking to attend law school and ultimately join the legal profession. 

“As we seek to achieve more diversity within the legal profession, we are thrilled to support a key educational institution in the heart of New York City with an incredibly talented student body comprised of many different races, ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds,” said Paula Anderson, a Litigation partner at Shearman & Sterling and member of John Jay’s Board of Trustees. “We are optimistic about the future generation of leaders who will represent the communities we serve and contribute to a more diverse and inclusive society.” 

The event brought together a stellar list of attendees, including students, alumni, faculty and board members of John Jay. Yrthya Dinzey-Flores, Chief Diversity Officer at Time Warner, co-chaired the gala alongside Paula, with Pat Battle, anchor of NBC Weekend Today in New York, serving as the emcee for the evening. The gala honored Tony West, Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary at Uber, for his many professional accomplishments and his unwavering commitment to social justice.