Month: June 2014

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SDNY BOARD OF JUDGES ADOPTS LOCAL RULE 83.10, A PLAN FOR CERTAIN § 1983 CASES AGAINST THE CITY OF NEW YORK

The Board of Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York has adopted Local Civil Rule 83.10, which governs how certain 1983 cases against the City of New York are managed.

Initially a pilot program implemented in 2011, the goal of the Local Rule is to improve the administration of justice by standardizing discovery and the dates of production, resulting in more material being produced earlier in the process so as to aid in the required early mediation or settlement conference. The 1983 Plan is responsible for the settlement of 70% of Plan-eligible cases in the first six months after the filing of a complaint.

The Board of Judges extended the pilot program in 2013, and it adopted the plan into the courts Local Rules after soliciting public feedback on the program. The rule will become effective upon approval by the Second Circuit Judicial Council. Prior to the revised rule taking effect, the public is invited to comment. Comments are to be submitted in writing on or at the close of business on Friday, July 20, 2014 to:

Edward A. Friedland
District Court Executive
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
500 Pearl Street, Room 820
New York, NY 10007-1312

A complete version of the Plan and the codified Local Rule follows this notice and can be found at the court’s website at http://www.nysd.uscourts.gov.

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From NYIC: GOT DACA? IT’S TIME TO RENEW!

  • Everyone MUST renew!
  • Send during the 5th month before your DACA expires
  • Remember to use the NEW Form I-821D
  • Don’t forget the Form I-765 and Form I-765WS
  • Renewing your DACA will cost $465

WANT MORE INFORMATION?

Join the New York Immigration Coalition and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services for an informational session in Manhattan!

When:

June 26th, 2014 – 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Where:

Community Church of New York

40 East 35th Street (between Madison and Park) New York, New York 10016

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On June 18, 2014, the Prosecutors’ Committee celebrated its 6th Annual Reception at the New York County Lawyers Association with over 100 state and local prosecutors, law enforcement partners, and friends. The Committee was pleased to honor two Asian American women trailblazers in law enforcement: Wen Ting Cheng, NY ICE Chief Counsel, US Department of Homeland Security and Belle Chen, Assistant Special Agent in Charge NY FBI, US Department of Justice. Congratulations to these extremely deserving recipients.

Some of the city’s best prosecutors and law enforcement agents gathered to honor their fellow colleagues. US Attorney Preet Bharara, Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson, Richmond County District Attorney Daniel Donovan, New York County District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan and Queens Executive Assistant District Attorney Jesse Sligh also attended and delivered uplifting and inspiring remarks. Each speaker delved into the importance of having a diverse staff, one that reflected the community of which they had dedicated their lives to serving. We were also grateful that The Honorable Pamela Chen, The Honorable Doris Ling-Cohan and The Honorable Gilbert Hong were among the dignitaries to join us for this joyous occasion. 

Thank you to Co-Chairs Rosemary Yu & Brian Lee, Monica Huang, Sabrina Thanse, and the rest of the Prosecutors’ Committee for organizing this wonderful event.

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On Tuesday, June 17, the In-House Counsel Committee and Corporate Law Committee held their 7th Annual Winetasting and Networking Reception at La Fonda Del Sol in Midtown Manhattan. Blossom Kan and Austin So, Co-Chairs of the In-House Counsel Committee, kicked off the event by welcoming all the attendees and introducing Dwight Yoo, Larry Wee, and Charlotte Kim, Co-Chairs of the Corporate Law Committee.

Following the welcomes, Clara Ohr, AABANY President, introduced and thanked all the sponsors for the event, especially the anchor sponsors, Planet Depos and Summit Financial Printing.

As part of the event, in-house counsel and corporate attorneys had the opportunity to network over hors d’oeuvres and wine. As an icebreaker, in-house counsel attorneys had an incentive to network with corporate attorneys; they had the opportunity to win an iPad Mini. Austin So, Co-Chair of the In-House Counsel Committee explained that the in-house counsel attorney with the most business cards from law firm attorneys would win the iPad Mini. Congratulations to Jean Lee, who won with a total of 59 business cards! Jean raffled off the iPad Mini amongst the attendees who dropped his or her business card in Planet Depos’ raffle bowl. Congratulations to Francis Chin, who won the raffle! Francis Chin generously raffled the iPad Mini amongst the volunteers who are also law students. Congratulations to Christina Nguyen! [Note: Christina is an AABANY Legal Intern and she wrote this summary – not on her iPad Mini, though, as far as we know.]

Thank you to our anchor sponsors, Planet Depos and Summit Financial Printing, our premier sponsor Perkins Coie, and other Wine Tasting sponsors, Archer & Greiner, Dentons, Haynes and Boone, Mayer Brown, Morgan Lewis, Paul Weiss, Reed Smith, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. We would also like to acknowledge all of our Annual Dinner sponsors, without whom the events throughout the year would not be possible.

The event was a great success and we hope to continue to enjoy the In-House Counsel Committee and Corporate Law Committee’s annual wine-tasting and networking reception. Thank you to all our sponsors, attendees, and volunteers. (Thanks to Kevin Wong for the photos!)

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Asian American Bar Association of New York and Legal Services NYC Launch Pilot Program to Increase Free Legal Services to Low-Income Asian Americans

June 19, 2014, New York, NY— The Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) is partnering with Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) to expand pro bono legal services to low-income Asian Americans in NYC. The collaboration will begin with a pilot program offering AABANY members a CLE training on immigration remedies available to victims of domestic violence. Training participants will represent clients pro bono to obtain U Nonimmigrant Status, commonly known as “U-Visas.” U-Visas are available to crime victims who have suffered substantial physical or mental abuse and have cooperated with law enforcement. Pro bono attorneys will prepare U-Visas for LSNYC clients under the supervision of LSNYC attorneys. The first training will take place on June 25, 2014. 

The program launches at a time when Asian Americans in New York City have become the poorest New Yorkers, who face special challenges in accessing public services due to limited English proficiency. The Asian American community is the fastest growing ethnic group in New York City, doubling in size from 1990 to 2010.  Nearly one in six New Yorkers is an Asian American.

The collaboration will expand services to a population that is desperately in need of assistance, while enabling prospective and active attorneys to engage in meaningful pro bono work. AABANY and LSNYC hope to expand this project to offer opportunities and continued support for pro bono service for low-income Asian Americans in various practice areas. 

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 is a professional membership organization of attorneys concerned with issues affecting the Asian Pacific American community.  Incorporated in 1989, AABANY seeks not only to encourage the professional growth of its members but also to advocate for the Asian Pacific American community as a whole.  AABANY is the New York regional affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).

Legal Services NYC fights poverty and seeks justice for low-income New Yorkers. For more than 45 years, we have challenged systemic injustice and helped clients meet basic needs for housing, income and economic security, family and immigration stability, education, and health care. LSNYC is the largest civil legal services provider in the country, with deep roots in all of the communities we serve. Our staff of almost 300 people in neighborhood-based offices and outreach sites across all five boroughs helps more than 70,500 New Yorkers annually.

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HUD LEGAL HONORS PROGRAM

The brochure and application for HUD’s Office of General Counsel Legal Honors program for 2015 Law School graduates are now available online here

The U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of General Counsel (OGC) is now accepting applications for our 2015-2016 Legal Honors Program.  The Legal Honors Program is the hiring vehicle for entry-level attorneys for the Office of General Counsel.  Through this program, OGC recruits the most talented and committed law school graduates interested in playing a vital role in helping HUD accomplish its mission to “create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality, affordable homes for all.”

Legal Honors is the entry level position for attorneys at HUD.  HUD typically hires between 10 and 20 new attorneys each year for its offices in Washington, D.C., and across the United States.  At the completion of the 14-month Legal Honors Program, participants who have gained bar admission typically graduate to attorney positions at the agency.  Additional information regarding the nature of our legal work and office locations can be found in the brochure.  Attorneys at HUD work in a broad range of matters, including program advice, program enforcement, civil rights, litigation, real estate finance and other transactional matters, personnel, labor and procurement.  Information about our programs is available at hud.gov.

The application deadline is September 5, 2014, and that is a firm deadline.