Kanika Chitnis ’26 Wins Mass. Lawyers Weekly Scholarship, Grads Honored as “Top Women”
10.30.2024 —Kanika Chitnis ’26 has been named the 2024 “Top Women in Law” scholarship recipient by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, an honor that recognizes a current law student in the commonwealth who demonstrates high academic achievement, exceptional leadership qualities and involvement with community service.
Both as an undergraduate at Boston University and as a law student, Chitnis has prioritized social justice and service. At Northeastern, she serves as an associate editor of the Northeastern University Law Review and is involved with the Women’s Law Caucus and the Business Law Society. As part of the school’s Legal Skills in Social Justice program, she served as a team member researching pretrial detention for the Massachusetts Bail Fund. In summer 2024, she completed a law co-op with Justice Jennifer Boal at the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts. As an undergraduate, she held legal internships in a variety of fields, including public policy law, criminal law and employment law. She was also a volunteer with Sunrise Assisted Living and Ronald McDonald House Charities for a handful of years.
Prior to attending Northeastern Law, Chitnis worked as an investment management paralegal at Ropes & Gray, where she focused on corporate work while also devoting time to the firm’s pro bono efforts and serving on the asylum paralegal team. Chitnis will return to Ropes & Gray in summer 2025 as a summer associate.
“I am so grateful to be given this honor by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly,” said Chitnis. “This scholarship will provide me with support for my legal education and enable me to further my goals of exercising the law in service of others. Inspired by the mentors who have guided me and the past recipients of the Top Women in Law Scholarship, I hope to continue fostering a supportive and empowering environment within the legal community.”
2024 Top Women of Law Honorees
Patrice Dixon ’12, Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete
Jill Havens ’09, Workplace Justice Law Group
Laura MacLellan ’09, Boston Consulting Group
Desiree Murphy ’13, CVS
Elizabeth Reinhardt ’88, Law Offices of Elizabeth S. Reinhardt & Associates
Andrea Zoia ’12, Morgan, Brown & Joy
The nation’s leader in experiential legal education since 1968, Northeastern University School of Law offers the longest-running, most extensive experience-based legal education program in the country. Northeastern guarantees its students unparalleled practical legal work experiences through its signature Cooperative Legal Education Program. More than 1,100 employers in a wide range of legal, government, nonprofit and business organizations participate in the program. With a focus on social justice and innovation, Northeastern University School of Law blends theory and practice, providing students with a unique set of skills and experiences to successfully practice law.
For more information, contact d.feldman@northeastern.edu.