Butler Snow attorney Charity W. Karanja was recently named to The National Black Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 list in Mississippi. This exclusive recognition is reserved for the top 40 under 40 African American lawyers in each state, recognized for their outstanding legal skills and professional contributions. Membership is exclusively by invitation, based on referrals from existing members, the Executive Committee, and independent research.
The National Black Lawyers is a professional organization dedicated to honoring legal excellence, promoting attorneys as subject‐matter experts, sharing information and fostering a strong national network of top African American lawyers.
Charity is a member of Butler Snow’s Public Finance, Tax Incentives & Credit Markets group, where she concentrates her practice in public finance, economic development incentives, and government relations. She recently earned her certification as a Development Finance Certified Professional (DFCP) from the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA).
Charity has served in multiple roles on public, private, and public-private finance transactions, including economic development matters. She has the distinction of being one of six women across the nation named to the 2024 Class of the Caren S. Franzini Fellowship, a merit-based program by the CDFA Foundation recognizing outstanding women in development finance for their leadership and dedication to the advancement of the industry. Charity has also been featured in a Spotlight by the National Association of Bond Lawyers, highlighting her career and accomplishments in public finance.
Charity earned her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and her Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Lawandis a member of various civic and legal organizations, including the National Association of Bond Lawyers (NABL), Women in Public Finance (WPF), and the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). As part of her continued dedication to the industry, Charity has presented at various conferences and seminars on matters relating to development finance, and jointly or individually authored various articles, including a financing toolkit for medium-density housing developments titled: “Financing Tools and Incentives for Developers in Missing Middle Housing.”