Legal Services NYC Names Katrina Goyco One of Top 30 Pro Bono Lawyers of 2014 for Assisting Immigrant Victims of Domestic Violence

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 20, 2014 

Contact: Yang Chen, Executive Director
(718) 228-7206

NEW YORK – October 20, 2014 – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) is proud to announce that Government Service & Public Interest Committee Co-Chair Katrina Goyco has been named one of Legal Services NYC’s Top 30 Pro Bono Lawyers of 2014 for her tireless efforts on an AABANY U-Visa initiative for immigrant victims of domestic violence. Katrina will be honored at Legal Services NYC’s Volunteer Reception on Thursday, October 23, 2014, hosted by WilmerHale.

Launched by AABANY’s Government Service & Public Interest Committee in conjunction with Legal Services NYC, the U-Visa initiative began in June 2014 to provide immigration relief for low-income survivors of domestic violence. The initiative trained pro bono lawyers on the step-by-step process of U-Visa application, the first step to a naturalization path for undocumented victims of qualifying crimes, as well as how to work with victims of mental, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Ms. Goyco headed the efforts to match pre-screened survivors with attorneys and law students who could help them prepare their narratives and offer legal advice through the difficult-to-navigate path to citizenship.

“AABANY is fortunate to have someone as dedicated to the public interest as Katrina Goyco is to be among its members and its leadership,” says Executive Director Yang Chen. “When the Government Service and Public Interest Committee first brought this project to AABANY’s attention, it was received with much enthusiasm. Without the energy and dedication of Katrina as the Committee’s co-chair, the project would have just remained an idea. Through her efforts, the U-Visa project now helps many deserving members of the community get the legal assistance they need. We are pleased and proud to be working with Legal Services NYC on this important initiative, and we are grateful to Katrina for all that she has done to bring this project to fruition. Congratulations, Katrina!”

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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).

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NYC Family Justice Center – Fall 2014 Core Training Program

The NYC Family Justice Center in Manhattan is happy to announce their next round of core trainings. The core training program provides professional development on the most relevant topics for service providers working with victims and survivors of intimate partner violence, sex trafficking, and elder abuse. More training content details will follow in several weeks. All trainings are held at the MFJC: 80 Centre St., 5th floor.

REGISTER NOW! 

Monday, November 3rd 2-5 pm
Domestic Violence Dialogue: Focus on Poverty & Racism
Facilitated by Black Women’s Blueprint

Thursday, November 6th 10 am-1 pm
Immigration Law: Options and Remedies for Survivors
Facilitated by Sanctuary for Families

Friday, November 7th 2-5 pm
Safety Assessment and Planning
Facilitated by STEPS to End Family Violence

Monday, November 10th 1:30-3:30 pm
Family Planning, Clinical & Educational Services
Facilitated by Planned Parenthood of NYC *special one-time training

Wednesday, November 12th 10 am-1 pm
Elder Abuse: Focus on the Asian Community
Facilitated by Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, NY Asian Women’s Center, Weinberg Center for Elder Abuse, JASA  
 
Wednesday, November 12th 2-5 pm
Culture Conversations: Focus on Faith-Based Communities and DV
Facilitated by CONNECT, Turning Point, Met Council

Thursday, November 13th 10 am-1 pm
Criminal Justice in Manhattan
Facilitated by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office

Thursday, November 13th 2-4 pm
Human Trafficking
Facilitated by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office

Friday, November 14th 10 am-1pm
Self-Sufficiency & Economic Empowerment
Facilitated by MFJC staff

Wednesday, November 19th 2-5 pm
Housing Options for Survivors of Domestic Violence
Facilitated by New Destiny Housing
 
Date TBD
Family & Matrimonial Law
Facilitated by NY Legal Assistance Group
 
For any inquiries, please don’t hesitate to contact Sarah Flatto, Programs & Outreach Director of the Center, at [email protected].

The Affordable Care Act – Transforming Health Systems for AAPI Communities: New Options in Health Careers

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, The New York Regional Interagency Working Group of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, in partnership with The NYU Center for the Study of Asian American Health, invite you to a day focused on Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Communities.

Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Time: 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM

Place: NYU Langone Medical Center – Farkas Auditorium, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016

Cost: FREE

Register online at: https://aapihealth.eventbrite.com 

Participating professionals and college and university students from or serving the AAPI communities will:

  • get up-to-date information about key provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that impact their communities, such as new options for health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace and Medicaid Expansion;
  • provide feedback on opportunities for educating the community and obstacles; and,
  • learn more about various career paths for young people to be engaged in the work of health systems transformation.

Register online at: https://aapihealth.eventbrite.com

MICHELLE K. LEE FIRST WOMAN NOMINATED TO HEAD UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

1612 K Street NW, Suite 1400
Washington, DC 20006


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 16, 2014 

Contact: Tina Matsuoka
(202) 775-9555

WASHINGTON — Today, President Barak Obama announced his intent to nominate Michelle K. Lee as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). If confirmed, Lee would be the first woman and person of color to lead the USPTO.

“This is a historic moment as we celebrate Michelle Lee’s nomination to the USPTO,” said William J. Simonitsch, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “We congratulate Michelle on her well-deserved nomination, as she continues to break barriers in the legal and tech industries. And we applaud the Administration’s commitment to advancing more women of color into leadership roles.”

Lee has over twenty years of experience advising some of our country’s most innovative companies on intellectual property and other legal matters. She is the Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the USPTO and current acting Director of the USPTO. Prior to that position, she served as USPTO Director of the Silicon Valley office. Lee also served as Google’s first Deputy General Counsel and Head of Patents and Patents Strategy.

Lee holds a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering and Masters of Science in computer science from MIT. She received her JD from Stanford Law School.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American (APA) attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 40,000 attorneys and approximately 70 national, state, and local bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government. NAPABA engages in legislative and policy advocacy, promotes APA political leadership and political appointments, and builds coalitions within the legal profession and the community at large. NAPABA also serves as a resource for government agencies, members of Congress, and public service organizations about APAs in the legal profession, civil rights, and diversity in the courts.