On June 9, 2016, the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) Prosecutors Committee celebrated their 8th Anniversary Reception at the New York County Lawyers Association by honoring two trailblazers in Public Service, Hon. Alexander Jeong (Justice of the New York State Court of Claims, Deputy Administrative Judge, New York City Criminal Court) and Diane Gujarati (Deputy Chief, Criminal Division, United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York).
The evening featured representatives from the prosecutors’ offices who spoke admirably about the important work of their esteemed colleagues in representing the people and defending the public, injecting some collegial humor and inspiring remarks along the way. What started as a casual and serendipitous dinner among Asian American prosecutors eight years ago, the AABANY Prosecutors’ Committee Reception has grown to an annual event that fills the room to capacity with attendees from all across New York City.
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara praised Diane for her insight and character that was obvious from the very beginning. Diane arrived at the US Attorney’s Office seven months before Preet did. After having served for almost 17 years, she has tried every case imaginable and, according to Preet, she has met every challenge with intellectual rigor and grace.
Justice Alexander Jeong, a trailblazer in the court system, reminisced over his early happy and stressful days as a prosecutor. It was his first full-time position following an accident that rendered him disabled. He realized how empowering the faith of his superiors and colleagues at the District Attorney’s Office was, and he went on to have a tremendously successful career as a prosecutor before joining the bench. He is now lauded as a judge with the utmost respect for the court system and victims, always keeping in mind his mission of serving the public with fairness and integrity.
Instilling the public with faith that the law will uphold the rights of the people, as told by each of the distinguished speakers at the Reception, a diverse population of prosecutors and judges also inspires the next generation of lawyers serving the public interest. Thank you to Co-Chairs of the Prosecutors Committee, Jim Lin, Kin Ng, and Helen Ahn for organizing this wonderful event. Congratulations to each of the extremely talented and deserving honorees.
Among the distinguished speakers were:
- Catherine Christian, past NYCLA President
- Susan Shin, AABANY President
- Robert L. Capers, US Attorney, EDNY
- Madeline Singas, Nassau County DA
- Bridget Brennan, Special Narcotics Prosecutor, NY County DA’s Office
- Jesse Sligh, Executive ADA, Queens County
- Nitin Savur, Executive Assistant District Attorney for Strategic Initiatives, Deputy Chief of the Trial Division, Criminal Court, NY County
- Leroy Frazer, Chief of Staff, Kings County
- Preet Bharara, US Attorney, SDNY
For photos from the event, check out the album on AABANY’s Facebook page.