Month: March 2017

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Ronald H. Brown Law School Prep Program for College Students | St. John’s University

Ronald H. Brown Law School Prep Program for College Students | St. John’s University

The deadline for Prep Program Foundations has been extended to March 31, 2017. Foundations applications are considered on a rolling basis so submit your application as soon as possible.

Ronald H. Brown Law School Prep Program for College Students furthers the Ron Brown Center’s mission of engaging in legal studies, research, and outreach on issues affecting the lives of disadvantaged and underrepresented people; increasing racial and socioeconomic diversity in the legal profession; and educating law students to be leaders on issues of racial, economic, and social justice. To help raise the number of diverse, disadvantaged students in law schools, the Ron Brown Prep Program identifies these students in their college years and offers them early exposure to the study and practice of law.

The Ron Brown Prep Program prepares students for the challenges of law school and for the law school application process. Participants gain an edge in courses taught by Law School faculty; through internships with judges and lawyers; in a customized LSAT prep course; and with advising on all aspects of the admission process.

Click on the link in the title for more information.

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EFiling – N.Y. State Courts

EFiling – N.Y. State Courts

In accordance with Section 212 of the Judiciary Law, the Chief Administrative Judge of the State of New York will submit to the Legislature, the Governor, and the Chief Judge in April 2017 a report evaluating the state’s experience with electronic filing for the commencement of actions and proceedings and the service and filing of papers therein and containing such recommendations for further legislation as are deemed appropriate.  The report will also contain an evaluation of the impact of e-filing on litigants (including the unrepresented), practitioners, and the courts.  The Unified Court System welcomes the submission of comments about the implementation and impact of the electronic filing program from persons who are interested in or who have been or may be affected by the program, including unrepresented litigants, sole practitioners, 18 B attorneys, other attorneys, representatives of victims’ rights organizations and child protective agencies, criminal and Family Court practitioners, and others in the civil and criminal justice and Family Court communities.  Comments received will be posted on the website of the Court System and included in the report.  The report will also address such comments. 

Comments should be submitted to Jeffrey Carucci, Statewide Coordinator for Electronic Filing, on or before March 23, 2017.  Comments should be sent by e-mail or regular mail to one of the following addresses:

Jeffrey Carucci
Statewide Coordinator for Electronic Filing
NYS Unified Court System
New York County Courthouse
60 Centre Street, Room 119 M
New York, New York 10007
[email protected]

For further details, click on the link in the title

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ASIAN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK APPLAUDS APPOINTMENTS OF THREE ASIAN AMERICAN JUDGES TO NEW YORK JUDICIARY

NEW YORK – March 8, 2017 – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) applauds the appointment of three Asian American judges to the New York bench: Charles Y.J. Liu to the New York City Housing Court, Phyllis Chu to the New York City Criminal Court, and Frances Wang to the New York City Civil Court.

Judge Charles Y.J. Liu was appointed in February by Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks and is currently sitting in Housing Court in Bronx County. Mayor de Blasio appointed Judge Chu and Judge Wang, and his office announced their appointments in January.

Judge Charles Y. J. Liu previously served as a court attorney in the New York City Housing Court starting in 1997. From 1997 to 2001, he served as a pro se Court Attorney in the New York City Civil Court’s Resource Center, where he assisted self-represented litigants with all aspects of their cases. From 2001 until his appointment to the bench, Liu served as an Associate Court Attorney, assisting Housing Court judges with all aspects of case resolution, including negotiating settlements, drafting decisions, providing procedural information to litigants, and advising judges on facts and issues on matters before the Court. Before that, from 1994 until 1996, Liu advocated on behalf of clients on housing issues within the Asian American community and on behalf of low income tenants.  Judge Liu received his undergraduate degree from the State University of New York at Albany and his law degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Judge Liu is an active member of AABANY.

Judge Phyllis Chu previously worked at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office starting in 1993. After completing the rotational system that included Criminal Court, the Complaint Room, Grand Jury and Investigations, Chu began trying felony trials in the Blue Zone in 1995. Chu investigated and tried all types of felonies ranging from assaults, burglaries, rapes, robberies and drug sales. In 1998, Chu moved on to the Crimes Against Children’s Bureau where she investigated and tried physical and sexual abuse cases concerning children under the age of 11. After being promoted to Supervising Senior Assistant District Attorney in 1999, Chu began trying felony cases in the Red Zone, which included assaults, robberies, burglaries and homicides. In addition, Chu supervised younger assistants on investigation and trial strategies. In 2003, Chu was promoted to the Homicide Bureau, where she prosecuted homicide cases throughout the borough of Brooklyn. Judge Chu received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University and her law degree from Northeastern University School of Law. Judge Chu is an active member of AABANY.

Judge Frances Wang spent eight years as a prosecutor in the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office in the Criminal Court and Appeals Bureau. She subsequently served as a Principal Court Attorney in Supreme Court, Criminal Term in Bronx County. Wang received her undergraduate degree from St. John’s University and her law degree from Hofstra University School of Law. As a law student, she interned for the Hon. Marilyn D. Go, United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of New York, who received the Impact Leadership Award at the AABANY Annual Dinner on February 22. Judge Wang was appointed to Civil Court and has been assigned to Criminal Court.

“Following on the heels of the historic election of Judge Judy Kim and the re-election of Justice Doris Ling-Cohan at the end of 2016, AABANY commends the appointments of our newest Asian American jurists in New York State court,” says Susan Shin, President of AABANY. “We are hopeful that these additions to the bench will continue to increase diversity on the bench. AABANY maintains that diversity and inclusion are vital to strengthened confidence in the justice system, and we applaud these appointments as steps in the right direction. We congratulate Judge Liu, Judge Chu and Judge Wang on their achievement and thank them for their enduring commitment and dedication to public service. We wish them all the best for a long and productive tenure on the bench.”

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).

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華人博物館播「對聯」 籲華裔入籍發聲 | 世界新聞網

華人博物館播「對聯」 籲華裔入籍發聲 | 世界新聞網

On Tuesday, February 21, AABANY co-sponsored a film screening and forum at the Museum of Chinese in America entitled, “Immigration, Exclusion and Acts of Civic Engagement.” The program included a screening of the documentary “Chinese Couplets” by Felicia Lowe, followed by an open forum discussing current immigration issues in the historical context of Chinese Exclusion and ways that the community can become engaged in response to the latest developments. Among the speakers was former Immigration and Nationality Law Committee Co-Chair Tsui Yee. 

For an article about the program published in The World Journal, follow the link in the title. Below is a translation provided by Yuqing Tian, AABANY Legal Intern (Fall 2016-Winter 2017), and Government Service and Public Interest Committee Co-Chair Thalia Huang:

A
seminar on the topic of immigration was held in the Museum of Chinese
American (MOCA) on February 21, 2017. Xiaoan [Elizabeth] Ouyang, former president of
New York Chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA-NY),
said that President Trump would bring great threat and panic to the immigrant
community. Ms. Ouyang recommended Chinese communities to apply for citizenship
as early as possible and that Chinese communities, by voting and protesting, can show
the US government that they will not be bullied.

The
film Dui Lian (Chinese Couplets), created by a Chinese-born independent
television producer Yonge Liu (Felicia Lowe) was shown
in MOCA on the 21st. The movie showed Chinese immigrants’ hardships
during the Chinese Exclusion Act period, by telling the true story of her
mother and herself. Liu’s grandfather used to go to Cuba for a living,
but his business failed. During the World War II, Liu’s grandmother
spent all their savings to get a counterfeit ID for Liu’s mother Jintao Lei,
who then traveled to the US via Zhongshan, Guangdong province. Lei changed
her name six times. Living under the stress of being deported, Lei finally made
her American dream come true by working hard. She finally told her niece and
daughter about her story.

Ms. Ouyang, Muzna Ansari, Immigration
Policy Manager of the New
York Immigration Coalition, MOCA co-founder Guowei
Chen, and immigration lawyer Cuixing Yu [Tsui Yee] also participated in the
discussion following the film, exploring how to unite the Chinese community and
to show our demands, under the panic caused by President Trump’s
new order. 


Ms. Ouyang said that the attitude towards Chinese
community has changed since the 9/11 terrorist attack. The story of the 19-year-old
Chinese American soldier Yuhui Liu (Danny Chen), who was bullied
to death in the army, also promoted the Chinese immigrants’
civil right awareness.
“Now we are in a very critical moment, nearly half a million people who
are eligible apply for a green card should stand up to become citizens and
vote.” Ms. Ouyang indicated that people who voted for
Trump, thinking that he would not actually implement his campaign slogans but
instead mainly facilitate economic development, will be disappointed to see
that the number of international students will gradually decline, creating a
ripple effect that will undermine the US economy.

Cuixing Yu
said she had many undocumented immigrant clients, who were very much in a
state of panic. Some were even afraid to participate in church activities
because of fear. “My grandfather came to the United States with a fake
identity. He was afraid that ICE would knock at the door and
deport him his entire life. I really want to tell
him not to be afraid.” Yu also reminded the public to be
cautious with immigration fraud.

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STATEMENT FROM THE MINKWON CENTER REGARDING THE NEWLY SIGNED TRAVEL BAN EXECUTIVE ORDER

Flushing, New York – On March 6, 2017, the President signed an executive order that bans immigration from six Muslim-majority countries and suspends the United States’ refugee program. This order revises and replaces an order signed on January 27 that suffered numerous defeats at the courts, culminating in a total injunction against the order from the 9th Circuit.

The President is turning his inflammatory rhetoric and hate into federal policy, and this intensely divisive climate has already had devastating consequences. This weekend, a Sikh man was shot in Washington. The week before, Srinivas Kuchibhotla was shot and killed in Kansas. Both shootings are believed to be racially motivated.

The new executive order runs counter to the MinKwon Center’s mission and values, and James Hong, Interim Executive Director, released the following statement:

“These executive orders can be revised a thousand more times, but the intent has always been clear. The travel ban has never been about public safety. Rather, the Trump administration is using xenophobia and Islamophobia to divide the nation, discriminate against immigrants based on religion, and ignore a growing humanitarian refugee crisis. Since its founding in 1984, the Minkwon Center for Community Action has worked to improve the lives of our immigrant communities, and as such, we continue to strongly oppose the Trump administration’s draconian policies designed to shut the doors on immigrants. We are proud to stand with our South Asian and Muslim allies against these hateful measures.”

For more information, contact:
James Hong

718.460.5600
[email protected]

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NAPABA and SABA Condemn the President’s Second Attempt to Exclude Refugees and Implement a Muslim Ban

WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and the South Asian Bar Association of North America (SABA) condemn President Trump’s new executive order that includes many of the discriminatory provisions of his earlier order, which also sought to stop refugees from entering the United States and halt immigration from several Muslim-majority countries. These orders, which are based on the misguided idea that certain religious and ethnic populations are more prone to violence, are incompatible with American values, and will not make our communities safer or our nation stronger. Notably, the order, continues to 1) suspend refugee admission for 120 days, 2) reduce and limit the number of refugee admissions, and 3) targets individuals from six Muslim-majority countries, suspending entry of individuals for 90 days, with some exceptions.

“The executive order is a continuation of the same policy that discriminates against and devalues refugees and members of the Muslim community,” said NAPABA President Cyndie Chang. “We must refuse to act out of fear and intolerance. We must not return to the dark chapters of our history where we judged people by the color of their skin, how they prayed, or where their family came from. We must stand up for our values of equity, justice, and opportunity.”

“The President’s Executive Action does nothing more than advance an anti-Muslim agenda espoused during the campaign under the guise of National Security,” said SABA President Vichal Kumar. “A refugee, by definition, is a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster. The supposed justification for this Executive Action punishes this person for the very same war and persecution that is causing them to leave in the first place.”

The new executive order clarifies it is not applicable to certain individuals, such as valid visa holders whose documents were issued on or before Jan. 27, 2017, lawful permanent residents, and dual-national passport holders. The order will take effect on March 16, 2017.

The executive order continues to require regular reports be published on suspected criminal activity committed by foreign nationals and refugees. When combined with reporting requirements under other immigration related executive orders, these reports will generate greater mistrust and fear of immigrant communities.

Both NAPABA and SABA joined litigation against the executive order enacted on Jan. 27, 2017. Our members have been at the airports assisting families, in the field educating communities about their rights, and in the courts supporting local and national pro bono efforts. Read our original statement here.

NAPABA and SABA join our fellow attorneys, the Asian Pacific American community, and Americans of all backgrounds in reiterating our commitment to diversity and justice. We remain committed to ensuring that all are free from discrimination and racial and religious profiling.

For more information, contact:

NAPABA is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 50,000 attorneys and over 75 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.

SABA North America (formerly NASABA/North American South Asian Bar Association) is a voluntary bar organization and serves as an umbrella organization to 26 chapters in the United States and Canada. SABA North America is a recognized forum for professional growth and advancement for South Asian attorneys in North America and seeks to protect the rights and liberties of the South Asian community across the continent. Learn more at www.sabanorthamerica.com.