Month: December 2016

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Fellowship | CREEC

Fellowship | CREEC

CREEC is civil rights non-profit that specializes in high impact litigation and advocacy fighting all forms of exclusion and discrimination in order to obtain effective and enduring systemic reforms that redeem the promise of fairness embodied in our nation’s civil rights laws.  The CREEC Fellowship is an opportunity for a recent law school graduate, law clerk, or returning lawyer to contribute creatively to the work of a small civil rights non-profit staffed by lawyers with decades of experience in civil rights advocacy and litigation in a broad range of areas.  The Fellow will also work with grassroots groups and co-counsel at partner public interest and private pro bono law firms, and gain experience in all phases of CREEC’s work, including advocacy, litigation, public education and outreach, investigations, brainstorming, and playing with the office dogs.

The Fellowship will pay $55,000 plus health insurance, retirement plan, and free parking.  You should be a member in good standing of a state bar or planning to take the bar or reinstate your license before you start.  The Fellow will work out of CREEC’s Denver office. 

Your application should include:

  • Resume;
  • Law school transcript;
  • Writing sample (anything as long as you wrote it, largely unedited by others);
  • References;
  • Cover letter telling us specifically why you think you’re ideal for this fellowship and how you can contribute enthusiastically to CREEC’s mission; and
  • Anything else you would like us to consider: blog posts; apps; computer games; Peep dioramas; webinars; inventions; photos from the protest you organized; etc.

Please submit those materials to [email protected] before December 31, 2016.

For more information and to apply, click HERE. 

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NAPABA Applauds Dismantling of NSEERS Special Registration Program

For Immediate Release
Dec. 22, 2016

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

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) applauds the announcement by the Obama Administration that the Department of Homeland Security issued a final rule in the Federal Register to rescind the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS), which targeted individuals from 25 largely Arab, African, Muslim, and South Asian countries and which could have served as the basis for the creation of a broader “Muslim registry.”

NAPABA is opposed to programs and proposals that seek to profile communities and create national security registries based on an individual’s actual or perceived race, religion, or ethnicity. The Asian Pacific American community directly experienced the harms of such policies during the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and stands strongly against similar discriminatory policies that profile and target Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian communities.

Originally enacted by the Bush Administration in 2002, NSEERS was deactivated by the Obama Administration in 2011, but the regulatory structure remained in place. Advocates, including NAPABA, encouraged the Administration to rescind the program and documented the negative impacts that such policies would have on Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian immigrant communities.

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).

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Press Release: Asian American Bar Association of New York Applauds New York’s Highest Court for Decision Prohibiting Skin-Color Discrimination in Jury Selection

Press Release: Asian American Bar Association of New York Applauds New York’s Highest Court for Decision Prohibiting Skin-Color Discrimination in Jury Selection

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 28, 2016

Contact: Yang Chen, Executive Director
(212) 332-2478

Asian American Bar Association of New York Applauds New York’s Highest Court for Decision Prohibiting Skin-Color Discrimination in Jury Selection

NEW YORK – On December 22, 2016, the New York Court of Appeals held in People v. Bridgeforth that skin color-based discrimination in jury selection is prohibited under Batson v. Kentucky, the New York State Equal Protection Clause, and the New York State Civil Rights Law. While Batson has long been understood to prohibit racial discrimination, the Court concluded that its holding “extend[s] the application of Batson to challenges based on color to ensure that the jury is not used as a tool to accomplish such discrimination.” As one of many community organizations that co-signed the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality (“Korematsu Center”) and Akin Gump’s amicus brief in support of this decision, the Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) applauds this decision.

Key to the Court of Appeals’ decision was its recognition that “[d]iscrimination on the basis of one’s skin color – or colorism – has been well researched and analyzed, demonstrating that ‘not all colors (or tones) are equal.’”  In so holding, the Court expressly relied on several sources set forth in the amicus brief filed by the Korematsu Center and over 50 bar associations, non-profit organizations, and law school professors in this case.  Professor Robert S. Chang, executive director of the Korematsu Center, commented, “We are pleased the Court found the scholarship on the history and effects of color discrimination that were cited in our amicus brief helpful and informative in finding that Batson does apply to color-based challenges under New York law.”

Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (“LDF”) observed, “The Court of Appeals has taken a significant step towards reducing the impact of color-based discrimination in our justice system. We hope New York’s leadership in this area will encourage other jurisdictions across the country to protect the role of the jury as an instrument of public justice that is truly representative of the community.”

Professor Vinay Harpalani from Savannah Law School, who served as of counsel for amici, applauded the Court of Appeals for “recognizing that Indian Americans, like African-Americans, can face discrimination based on their skin color.”  The Bridgeforth case involved a dark-skinned Indian American woman who was excluded from the jury along with several other dark-skinned women.

Attorneys from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP served as pro bono counsel on the brief. “Akin Gump is proud to represent this national coalition and be part of this resounding victory for justice,” said Alice Hsu, a partner in Akin Gump’s New York office representing the amici.

The Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) is proud to be among the organizations to sign on to the amicus brief. “As the leading bar association for Asian Americans in New York, we supported theamicus brief and we are pleased with the court’s decision,” stated Susan L. Shin, President of AABANY. “Discrimination on the basis of skin color, just as discrimination on the basis of race, should have no place in jury selection and the proper administration of justice.”

In total, 32 law professors and 20 organizations joined the amicus brief, including: the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Asian Law Caucus, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Atlanta, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Los Angeles, the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY), the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), LatinoJustice PRLDEF, Inc., the Metropolitan Black Bar Association (MBBA), the National Asian Pacific Bar Association  (NAPABA), the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), the National Bar Association, the National Native American Bar Association (NNABA), the Society of American Law Teachers, Inc. (SALT), the South Asian Bar Association of New York (SABANY), and the South Asian Bar Association of North America (SABA North America).

The Court’s decision can be found here.  The amicus brief is available here.

For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (212) 332-2478, 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).

Additional information about AABANY is available at www.aabany.org

Follow our blog at www.blog.aabany.org

Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aabany

Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aabany

Find us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/aabany

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NYSBA | DRS Diversity Scholarships

NYSBA | DRS Diversity Scholarships

What are DRS Diversity Scholarships?
Beginning in 2017, the Dispute Resolution Section of the NY State Bar Association (“DRS”) will award a maximum of 5 mediation training scholarships and 5 arbitration training scholarships each year, to encourage greater opportunities for minorities and women in the field of dispute resolution.

What do DRS Diversity Scholarship Recipients Receive?
The scholarships give recipients the following benefits:  

  • Enrollment at no charge in either (1) three-day Mediation Training offered annually by DRS and the Supreme Court, NY County/Nassau County, or, subject to DRS approval, other mediation training offered outside the NY Metropolitan Area) or (2) the three-day Arbitration Training offered annually by DRS and the American Arbitration Association
  • Free one-year membership in the DRS (and the NY State Bar Association if recipient is not a member), entitling recipients to a host of benefits including
    1. Opportunity to join and become active in one or more Section committees
    2. Discounted registration fees for DRS programs and events
    3. Receiving the DRS publication “The Dispute Resolution Lawyer;”
  • Guidance and advice from an experienced neutral to be assigned to the recipient

Who is Eligible for the Scholarships?
Anyone admitted to the bar in New York may apply for the scholarships, although preference will be given to minority and female applicants.

For more information and to apply, click HERE.

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NAPABA Affiliate Best Practices Webinar Series: Board of Governance and Best Practices

Be a part of history! Join NAPABA for its inaugural Affiliate Best Practices Webinar | Board of Governance and Best Practices. Former NAPABA President Wendy Shiba will lead this interactive webinar, which has been presented to and well-received by various classes of the Collaborative Bar Leadership Academy.

Topics will include:

  • Board duties and expectations
  • Strategic planning
  • Building consensus

Who (target audience) | Any NAPABA or NAPALSA affiliate board member, officer, or staff
What | Board Governance and Best Practices
When | Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017, at 2 p.m. EST

Register HERE. 

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Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Law Department 2017 Diversity & Inclusion Summer Legal Internship Program

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Diversity & Inclusion Summer Legal Internship Program is intended to provide exceptional law students with a unique and in-depth opportunity to work in the corporate law department of a premier global BioPharma company. We seek qualified law students of diverse backgrounds (first year preferred, but students at different stages of their legal education will be considered, including LLM students), who have exhibited an interest in learning about healthcare, pharmaceutical, or corporate practice. Although summer internships are not expected to lead to an offer of full-time employment with Bristol-Myers Squibb, our internships provide a professional experience that should prove valuable to participants and future employers. The positions will primarily be located in our Central New Jersey offices with occasional travel to our New York City office.

In assessing potential candidates, this program is targeted towards law students from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in the legal profession and

  • Are in good academic standing and rank in the top 30% of their class and/or carry a 3.0 GPA or better; and
  • Have shown a commitment to high ethical standards.

Candidates who are selected for an interview by Bristol-Myers Squibb should be prepared to respond to any of the following questions:

  • How has your law school experience influenced the direction and focus of your future law career?
  • What personal characteristics or circumstances make you an excellent candidate for this internship?
  • What is your interest in healthcare, pharmaceutical or corporate practice?
  • Do you have prior or current experience in the healthcare field (professional or otherwise) and if so, how has that experience influenced your perception of the healthcare field?
  • What are your professional aspirations? Where do you see yourself five years after graduating law school?

Candidates should submit their completed applications to [email protected] by January 6, 2017. Applications submitted after this date, or formatted incorrectly, will not be considered. To be formatted correctly, each application must be submitted in a single PDF document with the applicant’s name as the title of the file (i.e., John Doe.pdf), and include in the following order:

  • Application cover sheet
  • A cover letter from the student indicating:
    1. Why the student is an excellent candidate for the program and specifically how the student would contribute to the program.
    2. A statement of why diversity and inclusion is important to the student.
  • A current resume
  • A legal writing sample (no more than 3 pages)

Students selected for interviews may be asked to submit their law school transcript.

Download Brochure HERE.

Download Application Cover Sheet HERE. 

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NAPABA Takes Action Following The Presidential Election

In the aftermath of this particularly divisive presidential election there has been profound concern, anxiety, and even fear about the future of our country based on a range of issues regarding hate crimes, xenophobic rhetoric, immigration, and other civil rights issues. In accordance with NAPABA’s non-partisan mission to assist the diverse Asian Pacific American legal community, NAPABA continues to work with members interested in political appointments, while speaking out on behalf of vulnerable populations, working with our partners on our policy priorities, and developing tools for our members and affiliates to take action. Steps taken include:

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East Village Grand Sichuan decision

East Village Grand Sichuan decision

Joane Wong, Co-Chair of the AABANY Labor & Employment Law Committee, recently received a positive decision in a case that she tried on behalf of the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in January 2016. The NLRB affirmed the rulings of the Administrative Law Judge against East Village Grand Sichuan Inc. d/b/a Grand Sichuan Restaurant. The case involved allegations by one of the employees of the restaurant being discharged for engaging in protected activity, i.e., filing a suit against her employer for violating the Fair Labor Standards Act and New York Labor Law.

Congratulations to Joane for success in her trial and having the results affirmed by the NLRB.

To read the full decision, follow the link in the title. To learn more about the Labor & Employment Law Committee, click here.

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Federation Of Defense And Corporate Counsel | Barb Currie Diversity Scholarship

We are committed to the full participation and inclusion of diverse professionals in our organization and the legal profession as part of our core values of diversity and inclusion. To that end, we seek diverse members, whether persons of color, women, LGBTQ, or persons with physical limitations and whether they represent economic, geographic, social, ethnic, racial or religious diversity. With these core values in mind, we created the FDCC Foundation Barb Currie Diversity Scholarship to honor the spouse of one of our long time members, Edward J. Currie, Jr., a champion of diversity in the profession.

CRITERIA

The FDCC Foundation Barb Currie Diversity Scholarship will be open to application by all diverse law school students and prospective students. The selected recipients will receive a $5,000 academic scholarship to the law school of their choice and have an opportunity to intern for an FDCC law firm or company in the geographic areas where they wish to practice between their
second and third year of law school. The internship is a paid position. The applications will go through a two‐step review process. The first review will be conducted by a subcommittee composed of FDCC members appointed by the President of the FDCC Foundation. The second and final review process will be composed by five members: the President of the FDCC Foundation, a Member of the Foundation Board, a Member of the Diversity Committee, a Member of the Admissions Committee, and a Member of the Membership Development &
Retention Committee.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

To apply, please submit the following materials no later than Dec. 30, 2016:

  • Personal statement describing how you will contribute to FDCC’s core values of diversity and inclusion, describing your needs and any unique qualifications and providing information on any other matters you believe would assist the Review Committee in evaluating your application (1000‐word limit)
  • Writing sample (7 page limit)
  • Three references including names and contact information of individuals who can attest to your professional and academic abilities

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications may be submitted beginning Oct. 15, 2016. All parts of the application must be submitted at the same time to dpolscer@gordon‐polscer.com. Applications must be received by Dec. 30, 2016. The selection committee will notify applicants selected for an interview by Feb. 15, 2017. Please address any questions about the Barb Currie Diversity Scholarship program to Diane Polscer (dpolscer@gordon‐polscer.com).

For more information, please visit 

http://www.thefederation.org/process.cfm?PageID=2362.