Day: May 20, 2016

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First Asian Pacific American attorney in New York

First Asian Pacific American attorney in New York

We hope that you have been enjoying APA Heritage Month! This month commemorates a number of important events, one of which is May 17, the day that New York State granted admission to the bar to Hong Yen Chang – reportedly the first Asian American attorney admitted to the bar in New York. While having passed the bar examination, he was first denied admission because of his lack of U.S. citizenship due to the Chinese Exclusion Act. A special act of the New York Legislature (N.Y. L.1887 c. 249) allowed his admission despite this bar, and Chang was finally admitted in 1888. 

As we celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we honor the first Asian Pacific American member of the bar in New York, and reportedly anywhere in the United States. In May 2014, AABANY was also proud to grant him a posthumous membership.

Have a thoughtful rest of May, and check out our Calendar to see what upcoming events you can attend to celebrate Asian American history!

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The Top 100 Firms For Minority Attorneys – Law360

The Top 100 Firms For Minority Attorneys – Law360

Check out Law360′s Top 100 Firms for Minority Attorneys. 

The firms on this list have made some headway in shaking up a stubbornly bleak picture of diversity in the legal industry. Law360’s 2016 Diversity Snapshot revealed that less than 15 percent of attorneys at U.S. law firms surveyed by Law360 are minorities. Less than 9 percent of partners at U.S. law firms are minorities. 

We’re proud to count quite a few among our sponsors:

  • White & Case
  • Ropes & Gray
  • Morrison & Foerster
  • Paul, Weiss
  • Cleary Gottlieb
  • Davis Polk
  • Akin Gump
  • Baker & McKenzie
  • Arnold & Porter
  • Perkins Coie
  • Debevoise & Plimpton
  • Kelley Drye
  • Gibson Dunn
  • Cadwalader Wickersham
  • Sidley Austin
  • Shearman & Sterling
  • Hinshaw & Culbertson
  • Latham & Watkins
  • Sutherland Asbill
  • Reed Smith
  • Sullivan & Cromwell

For more information, click on the link in the title.

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The Top 50 Firms For Minority Equity Partners – Law360

The Top 50 Firms For Minority Equity Partners – Law360

Check out Law360′s Top 50 Firms for Minority Equity Partners.

While equity partnerships at U.S. law firms remain overwhelmingly white, 50 firms have widened the playing field for attorneys of color, according to Law360 data. These 50 firms have the highest percentage of minority equity partners out of the 308 U.S.-based law firms that disclosed their equity partner data by race to Law360 as part of the 2016 Diversity Snapshot.

AABANY is proud to recognize a few former and current Board Members who are Partners at firms who made the list:

  • Karen Lim, Fross Zelnick
  • Sylvia Chin, White & Case
  • Larry Wee, Paul, Weiss

Learn more about these firms by clicking the link in the title.

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NAPABA Solo & Small Firm Network Webinars, June 8 and June 22

SSF June Meeting

Please join SSF co-chairs Charles H. Jung, Eve Guillergan, and Sara Sakagami, for the NAPABA Solo & Small Firm Network’s monthly meetings, which are held on the second Wednesday of each month. The June meeting will be by conference call on Wednesday, June 8, 2016, at 4 p.m. EDT.  The dial-in number is 202-847-6031 (no PIN required).

SSF Webinar Series

The NAPABA SSF Webinar Series highlights the talents of the SSF Network’s members. Please contact SSF if you are interested in presenting a future webinar. The next webinar is:

Insurance Issue Spotting for the Solo and Small Firm Practitioner

Webinar Date/Time: June 22 at 4p.m. EDT

Presenters: Debbie Crockett and Tacie Yoon

Please e-mail Peter Sabido at [email protected] if you wish to propose a future SSF webinar.

Register here.

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#MyAAPIStory: Sharing the Diverse Stories of the AAPI Community

#MyAAPIStory: Sharing the Diverse Stories of the AAPI Community

Tell your story for APA Heritage Month. Thank you to Alissa Ko, Associate Director of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement, for sharing this opportunity to speak about our shared identity and diverse perspectives. 

In February, we launched a call for nominations for White House Champions of Change for AAPI Art and Storytelling. But we know that there are countless other inspiring and powerful stories within the AAPI community. That’s why we’re teaming up with StoryCorps to document and share these stories.

We encourage you to share your story and those of others within the AAPI community. Highlight issues you care about, share what your identity means to you, or interview others – friends, family members, community leaders, for instance – that are making a difference for the AAPI community.

You can share a story about any topic you wish, and the recording can be as short or as long as you’d like. Themes could include:

  • Being the first in your family to go to college
  • Your immigration story
  • Defying the model minority myth
  • Preserving culture and identity
  • Overcoming odds

Be as creative as you’d like!

You can use the StoryCorps app to record your story or interview, and then post it on Twitter or Facebook with the hashtag #MyAAPIStory. Select stories may be highlighted throughout the month of May in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

For more information, click on the link in the title.