From an early age Hemangi knew that she wanted to devote her life to empowering marginalized people. Growing up in Ohio, Hemangi often felt her minority voice was overlooked and ignored. Hoping to assist others who shared her minority experiences, she majored in pre- law at the University of Toledo with the intent of becoming a civil rights attorney. While at Toledo, Pai worked closely with professors to create Law and Social Thought, an interdisciplinary program centered on the relationship between law, morality and power. Based on her studies, she became interested in criminal law.
Following her undergraduate studies, Hemangi attended Northeastern Law School focusing her attention on race and criminal law. After graduating from law school, Hemangi worked as a Staff Attorney at the Committee for Public Counsel Services, Public Defender Division, in Springfield, Massachusetts. She took a holistic approach to lawyering by building relationships with her clients based on trust and support that went beyond the courtroom. Hemangi worked closely with key players in the criminal justice system, including probation officers, community organizations and even judges, to find alternative resolutions to incarceration.
In 2007, Hemangi moved to New York to pursue her academic interests and attended the New School for Social Research, focusing her studies on race and crime. Shortly after, Hemangi realized her purpose was advocacy and she was better suited for the courtroom. She returned to practicing law in 2009 when she began working as an Agency Attorney for the Administration for Children’s Services. In 2011, Hemangi returned to criminal defense and began working at Brooklyn Defender Services. She is currently a Senior Trial Attorney in the Homicide/Serious Crimes Unit. Prior to her work in this unit, Pai worked as a Senior Trial Attorney on the Brooklyn Adolescent Representation Team at BDS, where she exclusively represented youth, ages 14-24, charged with serious felonies. She is also an Adjunct Professor at the Borough of Manhattan Community College.
Hemangi is a proud member of the Kingsboro Temple Seventh Day Adventist Church where she serves on the AY Committee. She is also a member of Spartan Sundays and Spartan Sundays running club. With the help of her Spartan family, Hemangi has completed 13 spartan races, a tough mudder, dozens of NYRR races and 2 NYC marathons! She and husband Sean Thomas live in Brooklyn with their amazing 5 year old daughter, Sonali.
