Month: March 2013

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From SAALT: National South Asian Summit 2013

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National South Asian Summit 2013

April 19-22 | Washington, DC 


Don’t miss out on Early Bird Registration for the
National South Asian Summit 2013! 
Deadline: March 1st

For less than $19 each day, you can: 

  • Build skills to deepen your organization’s work and your individual leadership
  • Connect with government officials and congressional offices
  • Expand your networks image
  • Strategize on how to advance a movement in pursuit of justice

Early bird registration through March 1: $75

General registration after March 1: $125

Please visit Summit 2013 to learn more about this biannual event,  then register to be one of hundreds of South Asian Advocates, community members, students, business leaders, and allies convening in our nation’s capital to work towards social change.

Changemakers Reception Keynote: Pramila Jayapal

ChangeMakers Reception

Friday, April 19, 2013

Location TBD

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Pramila Jayapal is an activist, author and speaker with over 20 years of experience in social justice issues. Pramila founded and led OneAmerica, Washington state’s largest immigrant organizing and advocacy organization, for almost 11 years. Pramila is currently the Distinguished Taconic Fellow at the Center for Community Change and a Distinguished Fellow at the University of Washington Law School. Learn more about Pramila here.

The ChangeMakers Awards recognizes individuals, programs, and organizations that have made a significant impact on social justice in the South Asian community in the US.  Join us at theChangeMakers Reception to honor these agents of change in our community and to connect with fellow community members, leaders, and allies!

Registration for the ChangeMakers Reception is available through two great options:

  1. Summit 2013 registration: Summit 2013 registrants will have the opportunity to RSVP for the ChangeMakers Reception when they complete their Summit 2013 registration form. If you register for Summit 2013, you do not need to register or pay separately for the reception using the form mentioned in option 2 below. You can register for Summit 2013 here to take advantage of all events and sessions. Early bird registration is only $75 until March 1!    
  2. Reception-only registration: Can’t attend the entire Summit 2013, but interested in networking with fellow community members, leaders, and allies? Tickets for the ChangeMakers Reception ONLY are available for $50 and you can register and pay online here. Please note, this option does not include Summit 2013 registration. If you would like to register for Summit 2013-which includes the ChangeMakers Reception, Summit, and Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill-please use see this information instead.  
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Climate for Change: Overhauling a Broken Immigration System

Congratulations, Rio Guerrero, Co-Chair, Immigration and Nationality Law Committee, on being published in the ABA Litigation Section Minority Trial Lawyer! 

The sun set on pragmatic and broad immigration law relief on April 30, 2001, and few could have predicted that a decade would pass before we would see any rays of hope. Indeed, the post-9/11 anti-immigrant rhetoric and vitriol have raged for more than a decade, but in recent years a chorus of voices supporting immigration-law reform has grown louder, achieving piecemeal improvements and calling for a comprehensive solution to our country’s broken immigration system. Today, almost unexpectedly, we finally begin to see meaningful change emerging on the horizon. 

Click here to read more.

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AABANY WELCOMES AND APPLAUDS THE CONFIRMATION OF PAMELA K. CHEN TO THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

NEW YORK – March 5, 2013 – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) welcomes and applauds the confirmation of Pamela K. Chen to serve as a federal district court judge in the Eastern District of New York.  On March 4, 2013, the United States Senate confirmed Pamela Chen by a voice vote to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.  “AABANY is delighted to learn that Pamela Chen has been confirmed to serve on the Eastern District of New York bench,” said Mike Huang, President of AABANY.  “Ms. Chen is the first Chinese-American female Article III judge outside of California and the second-ever Chinese-American female federal judge in U.S. history, continuing to add to the rich legacy of the Second Circuit and New York State.  AABANY applauds President Obama and Senator Schumer for their continued commitment to diversifying the Federal Judiciary.”

Asian Pacific Americans (“APA”) are significantly under-represented in the Federal Judiciary, including in New York State.  In fact, according to the 2010 Census, approximately 8.3% of the population of New York State and 14.0% of the population of New York City consists of Asian Americans, and the APA percentage continues to grow at a rate that outpaces all other ethnic groups in the State.  In the Eastern District of New York, Ms. Chen joins Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto as the two Article III judges of APA descent in a district that serves the growing APA communities of Flushing, Queens and Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

“With her confirmation, Ms. Chen joins the growing number of Asian Americans who have been recognized for distinguished service on the federal courts,” said Theodore K. Cheng, Co-chair of AABANY’s Judiciary Committee.  “Although Asian Americans remain under-represented at all levels in the Federal Judiciary, President Obama and Senators Schumer and Gillibrand ought to be commended for their tireless dedication to increasing diversity on the federal bench.”

After spending the first five years of her career in the private sector, Ms. Chen began a dedicated and much longer career in public service, with a distinct focus on civil rights work.  Ms. Chen served as a trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.  She then moved to New York City in 1998 and became an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York (“USAO EDNY”).  There, she was promoted to Chief of Civil Rights Litigation, Deputy Chief of the Public Integrity Section, and then finally to Chief of the Civil Rights Section.  Ms. Chen held that last position since July 2006 except for a brief period of time in 2008 when she accepted an opportunity to serve as the Deputy Commissioner for Enforcement in the New York State Division of Human Rights.  She soon returned to the USAO EDNY and has remained there ever since.

AABANY thanks President Obama for nominating Ms. Chen and Senator Charles E. Schumer for recommending her to the President.

For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (718) 228-7206, or direct any inquiries to [email protected].

The Asian American Bar Association of New York was formed in 1989 as a not-for-profit corporation to represent the interests of New York Asian-American attorneys, judges, law professors, legal professionals, paralegals and law students.  The mission of AABANY is to improve the study and practice of law, and the fair administration of justice for all by ensuring the meaningful participation of Asian-Americans in the legal profession.

© 2013 Asian American Bar Association of New York.  All rights reserved.  Logo is a registered trademark of the Asian American Bar Association of New York.

Additional information about AABANY is available at www.aabany.org

Find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/aabany

Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aabany

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NAPABA Applauds President Barack Obama for Signing Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act Into Law

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

1612 K Street NW, Suite 1400 
Washington, DC 20006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
March 7, 2013

Contact: Azizah Ahmad 
(202) 775-9555

NAPABA APPLAUDS PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA FOR SIGNING 
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN REAUTHORIZATION ACT INTO LAW

Today, President Barack Obama signed the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA) into law. Advocates, law enforcement officials, tribal leaders, members of Congress, and Vice President Joe Biden, the author of the original VAWA passed in 1994, attended the signing ceremony.

“The Violence Against Women Act will provide much needed protections to some of the most vulnerable members of our society,” said Wendy Shiba, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “Today marks a historic day because immigrant, Native American, and LGBT victims of violence will finally receive the resources that they so desperately need and deserve. NAPABA commends Congress for reauthorizing the bill and the President for signing it into law.”

VAWA was first enacted into law in 1994 and reauthorized in 2000 and 2005. The bill expired in 2012 and last month, the House and Senate voted to reauthorize VAWA. The 2013 reauthorization includes increased safeguards for immigrant, Native American, and LGBT victims of violence. The law also includes the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which was originally a stand-alone bill that expired in 2011. VAWA will remain in effect until 2018, when it will again be up for reauthorization.

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 40,000 attorneys and 63 local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members represent solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal service and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government. NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes professional development of people of color in the legal profession.

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AABANY at the AAAYA Dinner at the Golden Unicorn on 3/9

Past President Rob Leung is being honored by the AAAYA (Association of Asian American Yale Alumni) on Saturday, March 9, at the Golden Unicorn. AABANY will be taking a table. AABANY members who wish to join can do so at the subsidized rate of $50 per person. You don’t have to be a Yale alum to attend. If interested, please send email to [email protected]. Seats are limited.

Here are the details:

The Association of Asian American Yale Alumni and the Yale Alumni Nonprofit Alliance

Cordially invites you to

 

WELCOME THE YEAR OF THE SNAKE!

 

Join your fellow Yale alumni at AAAYA’s 5th Annual Lunar New Year Banquet!

Connect and re-connect at the cash bar Happy Hour with dim sum!

Savor a sumptuous 10 course Chinese banquet featuring traditional New Year dishes!

Enjoy the lucky Lion Dance performed by students from P.S. 124, The Yung Wing School!

Honor your fellow Yalies:

Julie Otsuka, YC ’84, National Book Award-nominated author

Robert Leung, LAW ’94, Partner, Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP

Ken Chen, LAW ’05, Executive Director, Asian American Writers’ Workshop

TICKETS

Individual Ticket $100

Tables            *All tables seat 10

Unicorn Table $1000

Bulldog Table $1250

Dragon Table $2000

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NAPABA and AAJC Applaud Confirmation of Pamela K.M. Chen to the Eastern District of New York

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
March 4, 2013

NAPABA Contact: Emily Chatterjee (202) 775-9555 
AAJC Contact: Kimberly Goulart (202) 499-7027

NAPABA and AAJC Applaud Confirmation of 
Pamela K.M. Chen to the Eastern District of New York

WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate confirmed Pamela K.M. Chen by a voice vote to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. She becomes the first openly gay Asian Pacific American to serve on the federal judiciary.

“NAPABA congratulates Pam Chen on her historic nomination and confirmation and is proud to have supported her in the nomination and confirmation process along with the LGBT community,” said Wendy Shiba, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “We applaud President Obama and Senator Schumer for their continued commitment to diversifying the federal judiciary.”

For almost 14 years, Judge Chen has served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, where she has served as chief of the Civil Rights Section for more than eight years, and previously as a deputy chief of the Public Integrity Section of the Criminal Division. She also served as a deputy commissioner for enforcement at the New York State Division of Human Rights, as a trial attorney in the Justice Department in Washington D.C., and in private practice. Judge Chen has won numerous awards for her work, particularly in addressing human trafficking.

“Judge Chen’s confirmation is a step in the right direction,” said Mee Moua, president and executive director of the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice. “There are more than 40 federal District Court judges in New York City. Judge Chen will become the third Asian Pacific American, bringing APA representation on the bench more in line with our 14 percent share of the city’s population.”

Judge Chen’s confirmation increases the number of active Asian Pacific American Article III judges to 18 nationwide: two federal Appellate Court judges and 16 federal District Court judges. President Obama nominated a record 17 Asian Pacific American to the Article III courts. Three more Asian Pacific American Article III nominees are pending in the Senate: Sri Srinivasan, nominee for the U.S. Circuit Court for the D.C. Circuit; Raymond T. Chen, nominee for the U.S. Circuit Court for the Federal Circuit; and Derrick Kahala Watson, nominee for the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii. NAPABA and AAJC urge the Senate to move quickly to confirm these individuals, who are highly qualified for the federal bench.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 40,000 attorneys and 62 local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members represent solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal service and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government. NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes professional development of minorities in the legal profession.

The Asian American Justice Center (www.advancingequality.org), a member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice (www.advancingjustice.org), works closely with the other Advancing Justice members – the Asian American Institute in Chicago (www.aaichicago.org), the Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco (www.asianlawcaucus.org) and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center in Los Angeles (www.apalc.org) – to promote a fair and equitable society for all by working for civil and human rights and empowering Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other underserved communities.

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With over 750 in attendance, last week’s Annual Dinner, held again at Cipriani Wall Street, shattered previous records. We thank everyone who attended, especially all the sponsors who came out to celebrate with us and to support AABANY’s mission. Thanks also to all the volunteers who helped to keep everything running smoothly. We thank Richard Lui of MSNBC for doing a great job as MC of the event. Congratulations to President Mike Huang and the entire Dinner Planning Committee for a job well done. What a way to kick off the Year of the Snake. To read the press release go to http://blog.aabany.org/post/44552241384/aabanys-annual-dinner-attracts-more-than-750-guests

(Source: http://blog.aabany.org/)
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Honorable Charles L. Brieant, Jr. Judicial Summer 2013 Internship

From Stephanie Cirkovich, Esq., Public Information Officer U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York:

Loretta A. Preska, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, is pleased to announce that the court is accepting applications for the Honorable Charles L. Brieant, Jr. Judicial Internship for the summer of 2013. Applications are due on April 1, 2013. Please click HERE for information on how to apply; this information is also available at www.nysd.uscourts.gov.&nbsp

Open to 1L and 2L students with a $5000 tuition credit paid directly to your law school.