Month: March 2015

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DACA & DAPA Trainings – Be Sure You’re Ready to Help!

Registration is now open!

A judge in Texas may have delayed the implementation of Administrative Relief, but he hasn’t stopped it! We need to continue preparing our communities so that when the court injunction is lifted, as many people can be ready to apply for expanded DACA or DAPA as possible.

The time is now to learn how to be fully prepared – to engage in outreach, respond to questions, and to learn how to pre-screen for eligibility and prepare cases for legal review. Since community groups are the trusted first point of contact for many immigrant New Yorkers, it is our aim to empower you with the tools and trainings needed to make sure you are ready for Administrative Relief.

To that end, we have developed a series of trainings for community partners. We encourage you to select a training that best suits your organization’s capacity and ability to work on Administrative Relief (specifically expanded DACA and DAPA):

Community Ambassador Training (3 hour training):
This is the ideal training for partners looking for a basic understanding of what President Obama’s November Executive Actions means and for instruction on how to educate our immigrant communities through public education, workshops and referrals. This training will teach groups how to answer basic questions on Administrative Relief, offer informational workshops, and help direct community members to local Community Navigators and legal service providers. We will discuss the difference between administrative relief and immigration reform, the substance of DACA and DAPA, and ways to prepare today.

Examples of participating organizations may be small CBOs that may not want to participate as full Community Navigators, or may be large social service agencies not set-up to provide immigration services but that interact with immigrants daily.

Upcoming Ambassador Trainings:

  • Rockland County: April 17th from 2pm to 5pm at the Rockland County BOCES Conference Center (65 Parrott Rd., Bldg. 10, West Nyack, NY)
  • New York City, Brooklyn: April 21st from 9am to 12pm at the Brooklyn Public Library’s Main Branch, (10 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, NY)
  • New York City, Manhattan: May 5th from 9am to 12pm – Location TBD
  • Westchester County: May 8th from 10am to 1pm at the White Plains Public Library (100 Martine Ave, White Plains, NY)
  • Suffolk County: Tentatively May 22nd in Central Islip.
  • Nassau County: Tentatively June 12th in Garden City.

Community Navigator Training (full day training):

This is the ideal training for partners seeking to engage more deeply by conducting pre-screenings and referrals as well as by assisting in case preparation and document collection. This workshop will cover the basic track’s content but will also include an in-depth exploration of what role “community navigators” or non-attorneys can play in administrative relief preparation, the benefits of seeking BIA recognition and accreditation, and what requirements we expect for expanded DACA and DAPA. Groups will leave able to conduct basic eligibility pre-screenings, make direct referrals to legal providers, and help community members collect documents to submit with their application.

Examples of Participating organizations may be small to medium-sized CBOs looking to take a more active role in preparing communities for administrative relief, or organizations with limited legal capacity looking to play an expanded role in administrative relief that stresses community preparedness.

Upcoming Navigator Trainings:

  • New York City, Manhattan (& via livestream): April 1st from 9am to 5pm at New York Law School (185 W. Broadway, New York, NY)
  • Westchester County: May 19th from 9am to 5pm at Neighbors Link (27 Columbus Ave, Mount Kisco, NY)
  • Dutchess County: June 5th from 9am to 5pm at Catholic Charities Community Services Office for New Americans (218 Church St. Poughkeepsie, NY)
  • Suffolk County: Tentatively July 10th

We are currently planning our calendar for further trainings later this Spring, including more outside of New York City.

All trainings will include access to a Community Provider Toolkit, and ongoing technical assistance and training opportunities from the NYIC.

Visit www.Ready4Relief.org for future dates, locations, resources and additional information.

Beyond our partnerships for these trainings, all workshops and materials will be jointly conducted and released by the New York Immigrant Assistance Consortium, a partnership of immigrant-serving providers, community-based non-profits, state and local government agencies, and other stakeholders jointly convened by the New York State Office of New Americans and the New York Immigration Coalition. The aim of the Consortium is to ensure a coordinated strategy to reach, educate, and assist every New Yorker eligible for administrative relief. For more information about NYIAC and Administrative Relief please visitwww.Ready4Relief.org.

Should you have any questions, particularly around which training might be most ideal for your organization, please contact:Betsy Plum at [email protected] or (212) 627-2227, x240.

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White House Summit on AAPIs

White House Summit on AAPIs

The White House Summit on AAPIs is on Tuesday, May 12, 2015, in Washington, DC. The Summit will run from 9am-6pm at the George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium and Marvin Center.

Please join us for the White House Summit on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders on May 12, 2015 at The George Washington University in Washington, DC! Register today!

Held during Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, this Summit will be an unprecedented and historic all-day convening of senior federal officials and leaders from across the country. The day will include conversations with federal officials and AAPI leaders, artistic presentations by distinguished AAPI artists, and interactive sessions on diverse issues including economic growth, education, healthcare, civil rights, and immigration. The Summit will celebrate President Obama’s leadership, showcase Administration policies and programs that have supported the AAPI community over the past six years, and outline efforts for the next two years and decades to come.

As a participant, you will have the opportunity to Connect, Share, and Mobilize:

  1. Connect. Interact with federal and community leaders from across the country working on diverse issues to advance the AAPI community.
  2. Share. Discuss your own experiences, stories, and priorities with leaders and other participants.
  3. Mobilize. Gain tools to mobilize your communities to expand opportunity for AAPIs everywhere.

Your participation in the Summit will be vital as we continue our work together to improve the quality of life for AAPIs.

The Summit is free of charge and open to the public.

Questions? Email [email protected]. Click here for more information on the Summit.

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This past Annual Dinner, we were privileged to award three inspirational honorees: Jenny R. Yang, An-Ping Hsieh, and Preet Bharara. We invite you to view the video playlist of the friends and colleagues that were kind enough to share the stories, successes, and journeys.

Jenny R. Yang
Chair, United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Women’s Leadership Award

An-Ping Hsieh
Vice President & General Counsel, Hubbell Incorporated
Corporate Counsel Leadership Award

Preet Bharara
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York
Public Service Leadership Award

Thanks to all those who attended the Annual Dinner in person and celebrated the strides that AABANY has made in getting a seat at the table, meeting amazing trailblazers such as the ones honored, and changing the game. Special thanks to all those featured, videographer Peter Chin, Lotas Productions, and the Annual Dinner Video Committee, chaired by Marianne Chow: Diane Gujarati, Naf Kwun, Amy Ngai, Ligee Gu, and Irene Tan. 

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
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Modern Societal Impacts of the Model Minority Stereotype, March 27

Join the Asian American / Asian Research Institute for a talk on,Modern Societal Impacts of the Model Minority Stereotype, by Nicholas D. Hartlep, on Friday, March 27, 2015, from 6pm to 8pm, at 25 West 43rd Street, 10th Floor, Room 1000, between 5th & 6th Avenues, Manhattan. This talk is free and open to the general public.

The model minority stereotype is a form of racism that targets Asian/Americans, portraying them as consistently hard working and academically successful. Rooted partially in news media portrayal and popular press reinforcement, the model minority stereotype has tremendous societal, ethical, moral, and psychological implications. In his talk, editor Nicholas D. Hartlep will discuss Modern Societal Impacts of the Model Minority Stereotype, an edited volume that highlights current research on the model minority stereotype and the implications it has on American culture and society, as well as the U.S. Asian/American population. In this dynamic presentation, Dr. Hartlep will discuss why the stereotype is socio-politically volatile. This presentation will be nontraditional because the thoughts of various chapter contributors are audio-visually embedded within Dr. Hartlep’s talk.

Nicholas D. Hartlep, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Educational Foundations at Illinois State University (Normal, IL). His three research foci are (a) the model minority stereotype of Asians, (b) teaching for transformation, and © critical race theory. His research has been published in Equity and Excellence in Education, Critical Questions in Education, Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue, and Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. He is the author of The Model Minority Stereotype: Demystifying Asian American Success (2013); editor of The Model Minority Stereotype Reader: Critical and Challenging Readings for the 21st Century (2014) and Modern Societal Impacts of the Model Minority Stereotype (2015). His “Model Minority Stereotype Project" website lists over 500 references to model minority stereotype literature. He recently delivered a TEDx talk, "How to Talk Nasty About Asians Without Sounding Racist.”

To RSVP for this talk, visit www.aaari.info/15-03-27Hartlep.htm. Can’t make it to the talk? Watch the live webcast online at our homepage beginning 6:15PM EST, or catch the streaming video and audio podcast the following week.

Have a good weekend and see you on Friday!

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Ruling gives posthumous law license to victim of anti-Chinese 1890s

Ruling gives posthumous law license to victim of anti-Chinese 1890s

A descendant of the wife of Hong Yen Chang was researching a book about an ancestor when she learned that her great-grand-uncle Chang had received a law degree but never practiced in California.

Thanks to the efforts of the University of California Davis Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, Hong Yen Chang, the first lawyer in America of Asian descent, was posthumously granted a law license in California! A victim of anti-Chinese racism in the 1890s, Hong Yen Chang was denied admission to California, although New York State passed legislation to admit him. 

In their ruling on March 16, the California Supreme Court repudiated its 1890 decision denying Chang a license because “persons of the Mongolian race” were not entitled to citizenship. This acknowledges the often overlooked anti-Asian discrimination and injustice of the Chinese Exclusion Act. 

As part of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month last May, AABANY granted him a posthumous membership. We commend the UC Davis APALSA students for their efforts and the California Supreme Court on their unanimous decision. 

If you’re interested in learning more about the rich history of the Chinese in America, consider joining AABANY for our special tours of the New York Historical Society’s Chinese American: Exclusion/Inclusion exhibit on March 28 and April 4. We will be offering discounted tickets for AABANY members.  Click here for more information.

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Judicial Campaign Ethics Handbook

Judicial Campaign Ethics Handbook

For attorneys interested in or considering a campaign for elective judicial office, here is the link to the latest Judicial Campaign Ethics Handbook issued in November 2014 by the New York State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics.

It is fully searchable online and contains links to published ethics opinions. 

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Join a Committee!

Welcome, new members! We hope you enjoyed our 26th Anniversary Dinner: Charting New Frontiers. Many of you are coming to us by way of Sponsor Memberships, so we would like to take a moment and introduce you to the easiest way to update your member profile and join the Committee mailing lists. From Corporate Law, to Government Service & Public Interest, to Academic, to Newsletter, to Young Lawyers, AABANY truly has something for everyone.

(This is an explanation of how to join a Committee Mailing List via your AABANY membership. If you’re not a member, you can still join a Committee. Just email the appropriate Committee Chair and asked to be placed on the mailing list. Info below.)

Here is a list of the current Committees: 

  • Academic Committee
  • Audit Committee
  • Awards Committee
  • Career Placement Committee
  • Commercial Bankruptcy & Restructuring Committee
  • Compensation Committee
  • Corporate Law Committee
  • Finance Committee
  • Government Service & Public Interest Committee
  • Immigration & Nationality Law Committee
  • In-House Counsel Committee
  • Intellectual Property Committee
  • Issues Committee
  • Judiciary Committee
  • Labor & Employment Law Committee
  • LGBT Committee
  • Litigation Committee
  • Membership Committee
  • Military & Veterans Affairs Committee
  • Newsletter Committee
  • Nominations Committee
  • Pro Bono & Community Service Committee
  • Professional Development Committee
  • Prosecutors Committee
  • Real Estate Committee
  • Solo & Small Firm Practice Committee
  • Student Outreach Committee
  • Tax Committee
  • Women’s Committee
  • Young Lawyers Committee

Feel free to email each of the Committee Chairs individually as well. Their contact information is available on our website. Keep up to date with our AABANY Calendar to see what events we’re offering.

Now that you’ve had a chance to see what AABANY has to offer, read below for a step-by-step guide on how to update your member profile. 

First, visit our home on the web, www.aabany.org. Click “Sign In” and log in with your username and password. (If you have trouble logging in, contact [email protected].)

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In the upper right hand corner, click on “Manage Profile” next to the “Sign Out” button. Your screen should look like the below. Click on the first item under the Manage Profile page is “Edit Bio” under the Information & Settings heading.

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On that page, scroll down to “Additional Information” and check the boxes for the Committee mailing lists you would like to join – easy as pie!

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Don’t forget to save!

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Should you have any trouble, contact [email protected]. The changes should be effective within 24 hours. Each Committee mailing list is different and managed at the discretion of the Committee Chair. 

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Join AAJA NY & Beijing Club of NY for 2015 Year of the Sheep Spring Mixer

Join AAJA NY & Beijing Club of NY for 2015 Year of the Sheep Spring Mixer

Join us as we celebrate the coming of spring on March 21.

Join the Asian American Journalists Association of New York and Beijing Club of New York for the 2015 Year of the Sheep Spring Mixer! 

AABANY Members can use the code AABANY2015 for free tickets ($15 for the public)! 

The 2015 Year of the Sheep Spring Mixer will be a Tiger Beer sponsored casual event organized to bring together various Asian American and US-Asia communities in New York. The event is co-organized by the Asian American Journalists Association of New York and Beijing Club of New York.

Tiger Beer will provide the beer, and the event space has been provided by the generosity of the venue proprietor, a member of Beijing Club of New York.

Raffle tickets will also be sold at the event and will give you a chance to win a number of great prizes. All proceeds will go towards AAJA in supporting AAJA scholarships and professional stipends.

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NAPABA Press Release: Michelle K. Lee First Woman to Lead U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 10, 2015

Contact: Tina Matsuoka
(202) 775-9555

WASHINGTON — Last night, the U.S. Senate confirmed Michelle K. Lee as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Lee is the first woman and person of color to lead the USPTO.

“We congratulate Michelle Lee on her historic confirmation,” said George C. Chen, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “Ms. Lee is breaking barriers not only for the Asian Pacific American community, but for all women and communities of color in the tech and legal industries.”

President Obama nominated Lee for the position in October 2014. Lee has over twenty years of experience in intellectual property and patent law. Prior to her confirmation, Lee served as the Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and the acting Director and Deputy Director of the USPTO, and she also headed the USPTO Silicon Valley office. Prior to her public service, she was 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.

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Public Interest Fellowships for the 2015 ACS National Convention

In order to help public interest lawyers attend the ACS National Convention, ACS will again be making available a limited number of fellowships for attorneys working in the government and public interest sectors.  The 2015 ACS National Convention will take place at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC from June 11-13.  Recipients will receive a combination of registration for the Convention, lodging at the Capital Hilton and/or a stipend for travel.

The ACS National Convention provides unparalleled networking opportunities for progressive lawyers.  There will again be dedicated networking time following each panel discussion and fellowship recipients will be able to meet leaders from their respective practice and geographic areas. In order to strengthen ties between fellowship recipients and ACS, we require that fellowship recipients join ACS and complete at least three of the following in the coming year:

To apply, please click here and complete the simple online application.  Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and will be accepted until April 15, 2015, or until filled. Please share this information with public interest attorneys who may be interested in this opportunity. 

ACS National Convention
June 11-13, 2015
Capital Hilton
1001 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 

2015 Fellowship Applications Accepted Until: Wednesday, April 15

To apply, please click here.