On Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018, AABANY held its 9th annual Fall Conference. For the second year in a row, the conference took place at Fordham Law School. We had 20 programs running concurrently throughout the morning and afternoon, most of which offered CLE credits, including two programs that offered credits in the new Diversity and Inclusion and Elimination of Bias requirement. 

At the same time, throughout the day, there were Pitch Sessions that introduced law firm attorneys to in-house counsel that were interested in learning more about their legal services and capabilities. We also had an all-day Trial Advocacy Program (TAP) that featured a top-flight faculty of experienced trial lawyers and sitting judges teaching the attendees about effective opening statements and how to examine and cross-examine witnesses to achieve optimal results. There were also Professional Development Coaching sessions that matched attendees with a faculty of senior attorneys who offered professional development coaching and advice, focusing this year on personal branding. In addition to all that, we had a Diversity Career Fair and Expo in which numerous employers from all over New York City and State set up informational tables to speak with prospective candidates. Some of the employers set up onsite interviews to speak with Fall Conference attendees who submitted resumes in advance.

Between the morning and afternoon sessions, we had a Plenary Lunch Session on “Lessons and Legacy of the My Lai Massacre: 50th Year Commemoration.” It was a compelling presentation and discussion on the horrors of war and the challenges of enforcing legal norms and principles in the face of unspeakable atrocities.

After the programs were done, all attendees were invited to stay for the cocktail reception. During the reception, President James Cho presented the Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award to Kin Ng, the first Asian Pacific American prosecutor to lead a major trial bureau in one of the New York District Attorney’s offices. He has a long string of pioneering firsts to his credit over a long career in public service.

For those who were up for more food after the cocktail reception ended, they walked a few blocks south to Szechuan Gourmet for the Post-Conference Joint Committees Dinner and Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration. Our group filled up the entire second floor and we got to enjoy a wide array of spicy and not-so-spicy Szechuan dishes.

For the intrepid few for whom the day just wasn’t long enough already, there was karaoke to be sung at Duet 53. Thanks to GSPI Committee Co-Chair (and die-hard Karaoke Queen) Beatrice Leong for organizing the unofficial after-party.

Thanks to everyone who came, especially our speakers, moderators, and program chairs for putting together some excellent panels. Thanks to our sponsors for their support which made the entire day possible. Thanks to Fordham Law School for hosting us at their beautiful and modern facility.

More photos are coming. For now, enjoy a few of the pictures from AABANY’s Instagram.