Month: August 2017

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A Message to NAPABA Members After Charlottesville

Dear Colleagues,

Racism, hate, and bigotry have no place in our country. Leaders do not equate individuals who support ideologies of hate with those who stand defiantly in support of diversity and inclusion, in support of our nation’s ideals. There is no moral equivalence between bigotry and tolerance.

As we said on Monday following the horrible hate on display by neo-Nazis and white nationalists and the tragic loss of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, Virginia, “Our core values—acceptance, diversity, and inclusiveness—will overcome the forces of hate and racism.”

We cannot look away from this hate. We must challenge it. We must stand for our core values. This is not a time for ambivalence or equivocation.

We come together as Asian Pacific American attorneys. We have different personal stories, but we all come together as a community with a shared history. We come together because we recognize the power of our community and our profession. We have seen what happens when our communities or other marginalized groups do not have a voice in the law or in the public sphere.

We are leaders with the privilege and ability to ensure that these voices are lifted up and that these stories are told. Just as past civil rights leaders have done for us, we must speak up to advance our principles of justice and equality and to help heal our nation’s deep scars. We continue to draw on the strength and resilience of our history. We must protect civil rights and our vision of democracy.

I am proud to see law firms, law professors, corporations, organizations, and others affirm the commitment of the profession to diversity. I am proud to see individual lawyers stand in common humanity to drive away darkness.

Be a light that guides people to peace, understanding, tolerance, and inclusion. Provide pro bono legal services to the people and organizations opposing racism and violence. Call on your leaders to unequivocally and publicly denounce racism and all those who support it. Have the tough conversations with your families and friends to help them understand and process the events of these trying days.  

As lawyers committed to our values, we must be in the courts, the legislatures, and the community to protect the progress we have made since the civil rights era and move forward towards “a more perfect union.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “The arc of moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”  

As lawyers, law students, and legal professionals, we must help bend it.

Sincerely,

Cyndie Chang
NAPABA President, 2016-17

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association | 1612 K St. NW, Suite 510 | Washington, D.C. 20006 | www.napaba.org

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Third Annual Diversity Career Fair and Expo

Get excited!  The Career Placement Committee will host the Third Annual Diversity Career Fair and Expo on September 23, 2017 as part of AABANY’s Fall Conference.  The Diversity Career Fair is an exciting opportunity to meet with a variety of public sector and private sector employers that are looking to hire diverse candidates with all levels of experience.  Employers will set up informational tables, collect resumes, and/or conduct on-site interviews.  More than 20 employers have already committed to participating this year.  More information will follow in upcoming newsletters and on the Fall Conference website, but in the meantime, feel free to send any questions to the Career Placement Committee Co-Chairs at [email protected]

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Join AABANY to See ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL at the Asia Society

Join AABANY to See ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL at the Asia Society

It’s a story of resilience, courage, and justice in the face of power. ABACUS: Small Enough to Jail documents the legal battle of the Sung family, Chinese immigrants and owners of Abacus Federal Savings in Chinatown. In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, Abacus was the only bank in the United States to be charged with a crime, accused of mortgage fraud by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. Over the course of five years, the Sungs embark on an existential legal battle in defense of themselves and their Chinatown community, and over the fact that, in an industry of powerful interests and influential corporations, no bank should be small enough to jail. Don’t miss this true, David vs. Goliath story from acclaimed director Steve James (Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters, Life Itself).

ABACUS: Small Enough to Jail will be shown at the Lila Acheson Wallace Auditorium in the Asia Society on Wednesday, September 6th. Reception begins at 5:30 PM, screening begins at 6:30 PM, followed by Q&A that will include director Steve James.

Click on the link in the title to see the film’s trailer.

AABANY is proud to be outreach partner for this screening. All AABANY members can see ABACUS: Small Enough to Jail at a discounted price with the code “AABA090617.” Select “Non-Member Adult” ticket, proceed to check-out, add the code, and then click activate. Using this code, attendees will pay $10 instead of $15 for the ticket. Click here to buy tickets. We hope to see you there!

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Pro Bono Monthly Clinic on Wednesday, August 9

Our Pro Bono Monthly Clinic was held on Wednesday, August 9 (second Wednesday of the month).

Please join us in thanking all attorneys and interpreters that evening who assisted 30 clients:

Attorneys:

  • Michelle Yeung
  • Judy Lee
  • Jonathan Hernandez
  • May Chiang
  • Yun Gao
  • Kelly Diep
  • Kwok Ng
  • Asako Aiba
  • Chris Kwok
  • Tim Wong

Interpreters:

  • Wei Li
  • Mani Chander
  • Yiwen Feng
  • Wei Ling Huang
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Watch an exclusive clip from Justin Chon’s ‘Gook’

Watch an exclusive clip from Justin Chon’s ‘Gook’

From Angry Asian Man:

  • Heads up. Writer/director Justin Chon’s acclaimed indie drama Gook opens in theaters on August 18.
  • Set against the backdrop of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, the film follows two Korean American brothers, Eli and Daniel, who run their late father’s shoe store in a predominantly Black community. The pair strikes up a unique and unlikely friendship with a streetwise 11-year-old girl, Kamila. While Daniel has dreams of his own, Eli struggles to keep the family business afloat. But racial tensions in the neighborhood build to a breaking point, erupting into conflict that threatens their livelihood and tests the meaning of family.
  • Gook is a stunning, gut-punch of film, full of humor, heart and low-budget scrappiness. It also announces the arrival of one hell of a voice and vision – didn’t I see Justin Chin butt naked in 21 & Over? – and revelatory performances from its supporting cast, including comedian David So as Daniel, newcomer Simone Baker as Kamila, and even a dramatic turn from Chon’s own father.

    • For more information and to see the trailer, click the link in the title. Gook opens in New York City on August 25.

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    Funeral Arrangements for Retired Court of Appeals Judge George Bundy Smith

    Thanks to MBBA for sharing this information.

    Funeral Arrangements for Retired Court of Appeals Judge George Bundy Smith are as follows:

    Funeral services will be held on Saturday, August 12, 2017, at Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Dr, and 120th Street, Entrances at 490 Riverside Drive & Claremont Avenue, NYC

    The viewing is from 9AM to 10AM and services will begin immediately thereafter at 10AM.

    In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Justice Bundy Smith’s honor to:

    Phillips Academy
    ATTN: Kathleen O’Sullivan
    180 Main Street
    Andover, MA 01810

    Donations to the MBBA’s Honorable George Bundy Smith Scholarship fund:

    Friends of the MBBA, Inc.
    275 Madison Avenue, 14th Floor
    New York, NY 10016

    Links:

    George Bundy Smith Bio on New York Historical Society of the New York Courts

    Retired NY appeals court judge George Bundy Smith dies at 80

    MBBA Members and Supporters:

    It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of the Honorable George Bundy Smith who was an excellent jurist and giant in our profession.  He will be profoundly missed by his MBBA family, and the legal profession generally. 

    The Honorable George Bundy Smith, served on the MBBA Board and founded its original scholarship fund. Appointed by Governor Mario Cuomo, Judge Smith served on the New York State Court of Appeals from 1992 to 2006. He also served as a judge on the Civil Court of New York City from 1975-1986 and as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of New York from 1987-1992. A former law professor at Fordham Law School, Judge Smith was also a former Freedom Rider and a graduate of Yale University (B.A. 1959), where he was just one of three African Americans in his class, and Yale Law School (LL.B 1962). He also received a Ph.D from New York University and an LL.M from University of Virginia School of Law.

    In 2014, The Metropolitan Black Bar Association established The Honorable George Bundy Smith Scholarship Fund to offer three scholarships to students who demonstrate qualities of leadership, a passion for the arts and sciences, or a commitment to diversity and academic excellence. The fund is in honor of Judge Smith, who for many years provided board leadership and guidance to the Metropolitan Black Bar Association, including starting the organization’s first scholarship fund. Above all, Judge Smith valued education and consistently leveraged his successes to the benefit of the African-American community.

    Statement from Chief Judge Janet DiFiore on behalf of the New York Court of Appeals: The Court of Appeals is saddened by the death of George Bundy Smith, who served with great distinction as an Associate Judge of the Court from 1992 to 2006. A freedom rider during the civil rights struggle of the 1960s, Judge Smith remained soft-spoken, self-effacing, and completely dedicated to fairness and justice for all people throughout his career. As then-Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye said of him in 2005, “George is a man of few words, but they are absolutely the right words.” He leaves our nation a better place than he found it. We will miss him deeply.

    We will provide you with information about services and memorials as we receive them.

    In Service,

    President Paula T. Edgar and the Board and Officers of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association

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    A Statement from Chief Judge Janet DiFiore on Behalf of the New York Court of Appeals (August 5, 2017)

    The Court of Appeals is saddened by the death of George Bundy Smith, who served with great distinction as an Associate Judge of the Court from 1992 to 2006. A freedom rider during the civil rights struggle of the 1960s, Judge Smith remained soft-spoken, self-effacing, and completely dedicated to fairness and justice for all people throughout his career. As then-Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye said of him in 2005, “George is a man of few words, but they are absolutely the right words.” He leaves our nation a better place than he found it. We will miss him deeply.

    AABANY joins the entire legal community in mourning Hon. George Bundy Smith, a trailblazing attorney and jurist, for his contributions to making positive change in the legal profession and society as a whole.

    Please consider supporting the Metropolitan Black Bar Association (MBBA) Hon. George Bundy Smith Scholarship Fund. More from MBBA:

    The Honorable George Bundy Smith, served on the MBBA Board and founded its original scholarship fund. Appointed by Governor Mario Cuomo, Judge Smith served on the New York State Court of Appeals from 1992 to 2006. He also served as a judge on the Civil Court of New York City from 1975-1986 and as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of New York from 1987-1992. A former law professor at Fordham Law School, Judge Smith was also a former Freedom Rider and a graduate of Yale University (B.A. 1959), where he was just one of three African Americans in his class, and Yale Law School (LL.B 1962). He also received a Ph.D from New York University and an LL.M from University of Virginia School of Law.

    In 2014, The Metropolitan Black Bar Association established The Honorable George Bundy Smith Scholarship Fund to offer three scholarships to students who demonstrate qualities of leadership, a passion for the arts and sciences, or a commitment to diversity and academic excellence. The fund is in honor of Judge Smith, who for many years provided board leadership and guidance to the Metropolitan Black Bar Association, including starting the organization’s first scholarship fund. Above all, Judge Smith valued education and consistently leveraged his successes to the benefit of the African-American community.