Month: October 2016

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Buy a T-Shirt and Support Black Lawyers Today!

Buy a T-Shirt and Support Black Lawyers Today!

Buy a T-Shirt and Support Black Lawyers Today!

You kept telling us you wanted an official MBBA t-shirt, and now they’re here! The very first MBBA t-shirt is available today!

Don’t just put it on your to do list to get around to later;  we’ve only printed a limited number of the shirts, and when they’re sold out, they’re sold out. We hope you’ll buy one today before they’re all gone.

All funds raised will be paid directly to Metropolitan Black Bar Association (MBBA) for working towards increasing the number of black lawyers and law students and supporting the work of the organization. 

Click on the link above to make your purchase.

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Ng v. King Henry Realty, Inc., 16 Civ. 0013

Ng v. King Henry Realty, Inc., 16 Civ. 0013

Congratulations to our Government Service & Public Interest Committee Co-Chair Anita Wu! New York Law Journal published the decision Ng v. King Henry Realty, Inc., 16 Civ. 0013. Anita was part of a legal team that represented Plaintiff Chee Sum Ng, who lived on the 7th floor of a building in Chinatown and suffered from end stage renal disease. He needed to leave his apartment several times a week for dialysis treatment but the one elevator in the building was being taken out of service for five months. The landlord did not offer Mr. Ng any accommodation, such as a first floor apartment, that would permit him to safely exit and enter the building. After reaching a settlement in favor of Mr. Ng, Anita and her team moved for and was awarded nearly $40,000 in attorneys’ fees in the case.

She had this to share from Judge James Francis’ decision: 

“Many of the defendants’ other objections to hours worked are entirely frivolous. For example, the defendants’ attorney objects to Ms. Wu’s billing entries totaling 8.6 hours on December 30, 2015 because ”[her] firm is in the public sector and I doubt that they are required to work a total of 7 full hours in 1 day.“ (Def. Memo., ¶15). The crux of the defendants’ argument is that lawyers at not-for-profit organizations are categorically unwilling to work long hours to meet their clients’ needs. This view is entirely divorced from reality and requires no further attention, except to note that it is debunked by the conduct of the plaintiff’s lawyers in this case. After learning of the planned elevator shutdown less than a week before it was scheduled to occur, the attorneys worked on a holiday weekend to file the case in time to stop the defendants from shutting the elevator down. (Wu Decl., ¶¶4, 6).”

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Judge at Empire New York

Judge at Empire New York

Earn 3 CLE credits for FREE while taking part in a great cause!

The nonprofit Empire Mock Trial is pleased to invite you to participate as a judge in its tenth annual “World Championship” mock trial program on November 12-13 at the federal court in Brooklyn.  Over 650 talented high school students from across the globe are traveling to the Big Apple and they need you to serve as their mock judges and jurors but real life educators!  By volunteering just a few hours of your time, you can make a meaningful impact in these young people’s lives while earning CLE credit in the process.  It’s a win-win for everyone!

I’ve included general information about the program below, and you can register to judge HERE.  

  • Features four preliminary rounds of competition, and you can judge as many or as few as you like—no litigation experience is required.
  • Please feel free to invite a friend or colleague to judge with you at the program.  We’ll pair you together!
  • Our participants hail from 7 countries (Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Korea, United Kingdom, and the United States) and 20 states.
  • We’ll serve complimentary food and beverages as a token of our appreciation.
  • NEW this year: pre-trial evidentiary argument and “guest witnesses” – one witness must come from a different team, meeting the directing attorney less than an hour before trial!
  • Registering takes less than a minute – you can do so here.

We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have; simply call (917-426-3682) or email us at[email protected]. Thank you!

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Supreme Ambitions: A Novel

Supreme Ambitions: A Novel

Supreme Ambitions details the rise of Audrey Coyne, a recent Yale Law School graduate who dreams of clerking for the U.S. Supreme Court someday. Audrey moves to California to clerk for Judge Christina Wong Stinson, a highly regarded appeals-court judge who is Audrey’s ticket to a Supreme Court clerkship. While working for the powerful and driven Judge Stinson, Audrey discovers that high ambitions come with a high price. Toss in some headline-making cases, a little romance, and a pesky judicial gossip blog, and you have a legal novel with the inside scoop you’d expect from the founder of Above the Law, one of the nation’s most widely read and influential legal websites.

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Registration – National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

Registration – National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

T-Minus 5 Days Until the Advance Registration Deadline

Register here by Oct. 21 | Rates will go up by $200 in San Diego

The NAPABA Convention is less than three weeks away and you won’t want to miss the largest gathering of Asian Pacific American attorneys in the country! Check out some of our Convention highlights you have to look forward to below. A full Convention schedule can be found here.

Already registered for the Convention and see something you’d like to add to your agenda? Click here to modify.

Visit NAPABA Sponsor Exhibit Booths

NAPABA has partnered with firms and companies that want to meet you! Whether you are looking for career or networking opportunities, stop by their booths during the Convention. A complete list of NAPABA partners and supporters can be found here.

Microsoft Recruiting at 2016 NAPABA Convention in San Diego

Microsoft will be attending the NAPABA Convention in San Diego from Nov. 3-5,  and we are looking to connect with top talent who are at the Convention. Microsoft wants to reach out and see if you would be interested in learning more about the Microsoft legal department and potentially meet with us while at the Convention.

If you or someone you know might be open to connecting with us, please visit our Microsoft NAPABA landing page to provide a few details and we’ll be in touch.

Thursday

8 a.m.–3 p.m. | NAPABA Golf Tournament to benefit the NAPABA Law Foundation
Advance registration required. Registration has closed.

10 a.m.–4:50 p.m. | Specialty Programming (see schedule for details)

  • NAPABA Affiliate Leadership Summit sponsored by MUFG Union Bank
  • Solo & Small Firm Network Bootcamp presented by the Solo & Small Firm Network
  • International Law Symposium presented by the International Law Committee
  • Inaugural Women’s Leadership Workshop presented by the Women’s Leadership Network
  • Pro Bono Language Access Update and Forum presented by the Pro Bono and Community Service Committee

3–3:30 p.m. | First Time Attendees Meeting

First time attending a NAPABA Convention? This session is for you! Join us as seasoned NAPABA Convention-goers share the best ways to navigate and take advantage of all the ways in which you can network, engage, and connect with NAPABA and your colleagues.

3:45–4:45 p.m. | NAPABA Committee/Network Social

Meet with NAPABA Committee/Network Leaders and active members to learn how to maximize your involvement with a NAPABA council, affinity network, substantive law committee, and/or service committee. Learn what events committee leaders have planned during the Convention and how to participate!

5–7 p.m. | Welcome Reception featuring the Best Under 40 Awardees sponsored by DLA Piper

Join us as we kick-off the Convention in San Diego and honor the 2016 class of Best Lawyers Under 40 Award winners.

8–10 p.m. | Committee/Network Dinners Advance registration required. Register by Oct. 21.

8–10 p.m. | NAPALSA Bowling Social sponsored by the United State Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps

10 p.m.–midnight | Late Night Bowling at East Village Tavern & Bowl

Friday

6:30–7:30 a.m. | Early riser? Join us for a morning jog or yoga.

CLE Breakout Sessions including NAPALSA Programming

Earning CLE credit? Click here to view our accreditation chart and written materials for each panel.

  • 9–10:15 a.m. | CLE Breakout 1
  • 10:30–11:45 a.m. | CLE Breakout 2
  • 12–1:30 p.m. | Luncheon & Plenary Session | The Portrait Project: A Portrait of Asian Americans in the Lawsponsored by Duane Morris LLP
  • 1:45–3 p.m. CLE Breakout 3

2–5 p.m. | 2016 National APA Pre-Law Conference

FREE registration for prospective law students. Click here for more information.

3:30–4:45 p.m. | Committee/Network Business Meetings

5–6 p.m. | Committee/Network Receptions

6–7:30 p.m. | Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award Reception sponsored by Walmart

7:30–10:30 p.m. | NAPABA Partners/In-House Council Dinner Advance registration required. Please email[email protected] for more details.

8–10 p.m. | Judicial Council Dinner Advance registration required. Limited to bench officers.

8–10 p.m. | NAPALSA Reception sponsored by the United States Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps

11 p.m.–2 a.m. | Late Night Karaoke at Fluxx

Saturday

6:30–7:30 a.m. | Early riser? Join us for a morning jog or yoga.

8–9 a.m. | Women’s Leadership Breakfast & Plenary | Asian Pacific Americans in the Media

CLE Breakout Sessions including NAPALSA Programming

Earning CLE credit? Click here to view our accreditation chart and written materials for each panel.

  • 9:15–10:30 a.m. | CLE Breakout 4
  • 10:45 a.m.–12:00 p.m. |  CLE Breakout 5
  • 12:15–1:45 p.m. | Luncheon & Plenary Session | An Informal Conversation with Asian Pacific American Federal Judges sponsored by Seyfarth Shaw LLP

2–4:30 p.m. | Tours (register by Oct. 21)

  • AleSmith Brewing Company Tour/Tasting
  • San Diego Asian Film Festival | Film Screening: Bad Rap
  • Old Town Trolley Tour
  • Walking Tour of Historic Balboa Park

2–4 p.m. | Committee/Network Business Meetings

2–4:30 p.m. | Real Property Case Study Advance registration required.

3–5 p.m. | Basketball Tournament Advance registration required.

4:30–6 p.m. | Thomas Tang Moot Court Reception & Presentation

5–6 p.m. | Committee/Network Receptions

6 p.m. | Doors open for Gala

6:30–10 p.m. | 28th Anniversary Gala Ticket is included with each full registration. Guest tickets may be added on for an additional $275.

10 p.m.–midnight | President’s Party

Sunday

Community Service Project and Farewell Breakfast

During each Convention, NAPABA gives back to the city that hosts our attendees. This year, NAPABA has partnered with the San Diego Rescue Mission, an organization that is committed to ending homelessness and hunger.

Join Convention-goers as we prepare toiletry kits for San Diego Rescue Mission’s community dinner to be held on Nov. 19, 2016. More than 2,000 people from the street will attend for a free turkey dinner. For every kit that we assemble, NAPABA will donate $5 to the San Diego Rescue Mission. Help us reach our goal of 1,000 kits assembled! Breakfast will be provided.

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NYC Bar 2015 Diversity Benchmarking Report

NYC Bar 2015 Diversity Benchmarking Report

The New York City Bar Office for Diversity and Inclusion is pleased to release the 2015 Diversity Benchmarking Report. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the successes and challenges of the law firms that have signed onto the City Bar’s Statement of Diversity Principles face in their respective diversity and inclusion efforts, as well as recommendations for enhancing the career opportunities of women and minority attorneys. 

The results of this survey are an integral part of how the City Bar establishes goals and priorities to best support our signatory firms through our Office and our diversity committees, and we are grateful to the firms that participate in the survey each year and help us to provide this resource. 

Please feel free to reach out to Gabrielle Lyse Brown directly with any questions or feedback regarding the findings. 

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Pitch Session Program – National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

Pitch Session Program – National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

Today is the last day for law firms to apply for the 2016 Pitch Sessions!

The 8th Annual Pitch Sessions bring together in-house counsel and attorneys from NAPABA’s Premier, Diamond, Jade, Platinum, and Gold-level sponsor firms, and solo and small firms practitioners, including those owned by women and minorities. Each session brings a unique opportunity for in-house counsel to meet one-on-one with well qualified attorneys from an array of practice areas, all of whom have demonstrated a commitment to their profession and NAPABA. Numerous business development pitches have successfully taken place over the years. Last year, in-house counsel from various Fortune 500 companies, including Target, NBC Universal, and Microsoft, participated in the Pitch Sessions. The Pitch Sessions will take place at the 2016 NAPABA Convention from Nov. 3-6 in San Diego.

Law Firm Participant Eligibility

  • Participants must be from a Premier, Diamond, Jade, Platinum or Gold-level sponsor firm OR from firms with 25 or fewer attorneys. Please email Priya Purandare at [email protected] if you are interested in sponsoring or upgrading your current level of sponsorship.
  • Solo and small firm practitioners (attorneys who work at law firms with 25 or fewer attorneys) must be individual Platinum level members of NAPABA (annual membership contribution of $500). Log in to your member profile to check your membership status or become a Platinum member by joining today!
  • Participants must be registered for the 2016 NAPABA Convention.

Although we encourage every in-house counsel participant in the Pitch Sessions program to meet with at least one eligible law firm participant based on their outside counsel needs, meetings with in-house counsel are not guaranteed. Participation in the program is based on in-house counsel selection of interested attorneys.

When will the pitch sessions take place and in what format?
In-house counsel and firm attorneys can determine the date, time, and length of the pitch sessions as long as it takes place on-site during the 2016 NAPABA Convention. Law firms may conduct the pitch with one person or a team from the firm dependent on your preference.

Is this a practice pitch?
No, in-house counsel will not view the pitch sessions as practice.

Will each in-house counsel have work to give out?
No. Because it is difficult for in-house counsel to predict their work needs, they are not required to have work to give out during the Pitch Sessions. But they will have full discretion to engage (or strongly recommend) outside law firms as needed.

To participate in this year’s Pitch Sessions, submit an application here.

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Organizational Statement | NAPABA Offended by Fox News Segment in Chinatown – National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

Organizational Statement | NAPABA Offended by Fox News Segment in Chinatown – National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

NAPABA Offended by Fox News Segment in Chinatown

For Immediate Release
Oct. 12, 2016

For More Information, Contact:
Brett Schuster, Communications Manager
[email protected], 202-775-9555

The leaders of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) were offended by the recent segment aired by the O’Reilly Factor where Jesse Watters visited New York City’s Chinatown and perpetuated offensive stereotypes about the Asian Pacific American community and treated Chinatown residents with rudeness and contempt.

“The use of racist stereotypes is irresponsible and perpetuates prejudice and bias,” said NAPABA President Jin Hwang. “As lawyers, we recognize the harmful impacts that racist stereotypes and bias can have on immigrants and limited English proficient communities. As Asian Pacific Americans, we have experienced firsthand the negative impacts of stereotyping, and we have witnessed the harms that occur when immigrants who speak only limited English are treated as less worthy than others of societal respect and kindness.

“We are truly appalled that Fox News, Bill O’Reilly, and Jesse Watters continue to defend their ill-advised attempt at humor. We hope that they will recognize that a skit perpetuating offensive stereotypes and mistreating immigrants is neither funny nor newsworthy. Fox News and all of the individuals involved must publicly apologize for their actions.

“The segment underscores the need for Asian Pacific American voices to be included in all industries.”

NAPABA encourages its members to join the over 21,000 people who have signed a national petition calling for an apology.

NAPABA will continue to engage with the coalition of Asian Pacific American groups working to demand appropriate responses from Fox News, Bill O’Reilly, and Jesse Watters.

Background:

For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, at 202-775-9555 or [email protected].

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of approximately 50,000 attorneys and approximately 75 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American 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 continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of the federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional development of people of color in the legal profession.

To learn more about NAPABA, visit www.napaba.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter (@NAPABA).