"Always felt like she was only sharing these gems of wisdom with me" -Karen K Y

I am devastated by the news of Vanessa's passing. I keep mumbling to myself that it cannot be true. How can such a vibrant spirit be gone from this world? Vanessa was brilliant yet humble, tough yet compassionate, passionate about what was important to her yet still open to other people's ideas.

When I met her as a clinical teaching fellow in the early 2000's, she mentored me and, like so many other wonderful people in this community, encouraged my efforts to be a clinical law professor. After I left the clinical teaching community after a few years, we reconnected after she came to the New York State Attorney General's Office for a meeting where I then worked. She continued her role as a mentor, not only about law practice and workers' rights, but about being a mother and living a good life. Regardless of what I was talking to her about - practicing law, teaching law, fighting for workers' rights, or defending immigrant kids at the border, I always felt like she was only sharing these gems of wisdom with me, even though I knew she served the same role for generations of other lawyers and students. I have taken her spirit into my work and mentoring of law students and young lawyers.

I admired her commitment in trying different kinds of law, criminal defense, criminal prosecution, and immigration law and justice as well as numerous other subjects. Once I ran into her at a CLE about deportation defense as she was just starting the Immigration Justice Clinic at Pace. Here was this revered law professor attending a basic training. Yet she was unapologetic that she did not know immigration law and was absolutely committed to starting over and learning a new subject.

Like legions of other lawyers, colleagues, and clients, I have benefited from her wisdom, kindness, and commitment to justice, I can only continue to look to her example as I continue my work as a tribute to her.

Karen K Y