June 14, 2021 - WE Blog @ AABANY

June 14, 2021June 14, 2021

Office of the Bronx District Attorney Holds Rally Against Hate on May 21

In light of recent hate crimes against AAPI and Jewish communities, the Bronx District Attorney’s Office held an Anti-Hate rally and a resource fair on May 21st, 2021 at Lou Gehrig Plaza from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm, near the Bronx DA’s Office, a few blocks away from Yankee Stadium. The Bronx District Attorney, Darcell Clark, led the cry against all forms of hate, saying, “It’s not who we are as New Yorkers and we will not stand for it… hate against one of us is hate against all of us.”

Many religious and elected leaders joined DA Clark in denouncing hate. Bronx Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz said, “It’s not just Jewish residents, it’s not just Asian residents. The hate, the discrimination against other communities as well has been going on for far too long.” Other speakers, such as Mayoral Candidate Andrew Yang, NYPD Inspector Tommy M. Ng (and head of the NYPD Asian Hate Crimes Task Force), New York City Council Member Vanessa Gibson, and the Regional Director of the ADL Scott Richman all denounced hate while touching on the importance of solidarity, camaraderie, and acceptance of everyone regardless of their background.

The Asian American Bar Association of New York’s Executive Director, Yang Chen, spoke on the recent hate crimes against the AAPI community. Chen invited attendees to visit the AABANY table to pick up copies of our anti-Asian violence report or a Know Your Rights brochure for AAPIs who encounter an anti-Asian hate or violence incident. Chen added that AABANY was also giving out buttons with the words “One Humanity Against the Virus.” He explained that “we’re not talking just about COVID-19, we’re talking about the virus of racism that infects our world today.” The buttons proved to be a popular item.

In addition to AABANY, the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, the New York City Commissions on Human Rights and other groups handed out various resources to educate the general public on ways to combat hate at tables set out in the plaza.

AABANY thanks DA Clark and her staff, especially Deputy Chief of Staff, Beverly Ma, and Miriam Bell-Blair, Director, Immigrant Affairs Unit, for organizing this rally during AAPI Heritage Month. We look forward to continuing to work with the Bronx DA’s Office to combat hate against all communities in New York City. To see more photos from the event, view them here.

June 14, 2021June 14, 2021

The Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission celebrates its 30th Anniversary with Oral History Series

On the occasion of its 30th Anniversary, the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission shares excerpts from oral history interviews with several of the pioneers who helped create and establish the Commission.

The interviews will be posted by noon each day on the Amici podcast site. In addition, daily reminders, with links to the audio and a transcript, will be posted on the court system’s Facebook page and “Tweeted” from the Commission’s Twitter feed.

First two weeks featured the following judges:

Hon. Lewis L. Douglass

Chair Emeritus of the FHW Commission (1992-September 2009)

Hon. Sol Wachtler

Former Chief Judge of the State of New York

Hon. Samuel L. Green

Original member of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission

Hon. Jonathan Lippman

Former Chief Judge of the State of New York

Hon. Juanita Bing Newton

Dean of the Judicial Institute (retired)

Original member of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission

Anthony Suárez, Esq.

Original member of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission

WEEK THREE

Tuesday, June 15

Edna Wells Handy, Esq.

Former Executive Director of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission

Wednesday, June 16

Hon. Rose H. Sconiers

Chair Emeritus of the FHW Commission (May 2009-August 2015)

Thursday, June 17

Hon. Richard B. Lowe, III

Chair Emeritus of the FHW Commission (September 2015-December 2017)

WEEK FOUR

Tuesday, June 22

James C. Goodale, Esq.

Original member of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission

Wednesday, June 23

Hon. Peggy Cooper Davis

Original member of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission

Thursday, June 24

Hon. Dorothy Chin Brandt

Original member of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission

First Asian American female judge and the first elected Asian American public official in New York.

NAPABA Congratulates Regina M. Rodriguez and Zahid N. Quraishi on their Historic Confirmations by the U.S. Senate as United States District Court Judges

WASHINGTON – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) congratulates Regina M. Rodriguez and Zahid N. Quraishi on their historic confirmations by the U.S. Senate as United States District Court Judges.

Rodriguez will become the first Asian Pacific American (APA) judge to sit on the District Court for the District of Colorado, and the first to serve as an Article III judge within the 10^th Circuit. Quraishi, already a federal magistrate judge, will become the first APA to serve as a district court judge in New Jersey and the first Muslim American Article III judge in the country.

“Regina Rodriguez and Zahid Quraishi represent the promise of justice, equity, and opportunity that is so critical for the success of our federal judiciary,” said A.B. Cruz III, President of NAPABA. “NAPABA applauds the Senate for the strong bipartisan confirmation of these two highly qualified and experienced nominees.”

Regina M. Rodriguez has a distinguished reputation as one of Colorado’s most accomplished attorneys with deep experience in both the public and private sectors and a demonstrated commitment to serving the public interest. Rodriguez served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado, rising to become Deputy Chief and later Chief of the Civil Division, where she oversaw all civil litigation for the District. She was the youngest person and the first of Japanese and Mexican descent to hold that role. She received her J.D. from the University of Colorado School of Law and her B.S. with honors from the University of Iowa. Rodriguez is endorsed by NAPABA’s affiliate, the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Colorado.

Judge Quraishi has a distinguished legal career with extensive experience as a prosecutor, in the private sector, and serving his country in uniform. In 2019, Judge Quraishi was appointed as a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of New Jersey. His previous government service includes over five years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey and as a decorated military prosecutor with the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Judge Quraishi is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. He received a J.D. from Rutgers Law School in Newark. Quraishi is endorsed by NAPABA’s affiliate, the Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey.

NAPABA thanks President Biden for nominating Rodriguez, Quraishi, and other highly qualified judicial candidates to the federal bench.

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) in the largest Asian Pacific American membership organization representing the interests of approximately 60,000 legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network, 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.