Month: August 2021

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Two Asian American Judges Talk Leadership: Hon. Lillian Wan & Hon. Randall Eng

In April, Hon. Randall T. Eng and Hon. Lillian Wan came together to discuss the dearth of Asian American representation among New York’s judiciary and public offices. In a podcast episode published by the Historical Society of the New York Courts, they open up about their career paths and the obstacles they faced while pursuing their respective careers. When Judge Eng took up his jurist position in 1983, there were no other Asian American jurists within the city or state of New York. Now, there are 39 sitting Asian American jurists. Though the number of Asian American jurists has increased, progress has been exceedingly slow.

This past May was Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, so the conversation between Hon. Lillian Wan and Hon. Randall Eng was featured on the Society’s home page. Hon. Lillian Wan, President of the Asian American Judges Association of New York, an AABANY member and a member of the Society’s Board of Trustees, has been nominated as a candidate for the New York State Supreme Court in Kings County and currently serves as Kings County Supreme Court Civil Term Judge. Throughout their conversation, Judge Wan and Judge Eng discuss how Asian American attorneys today can advocate for Asian American representation in positions of legal leadership, as well as judicial and public offices.

To listen to the podcast go to https://history.nycourts.gov/podcasts/podcast-11/.

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AABANY Congratulates Board Director Suzanne Kim as the First AAPI Professor to Co-Author a Casebook on Family Law

AABANY congratulates Board Director (and Past Co-Chair of the Academic Committee) Suzanne Kim on being the first AAPI professor who has co-authored a casebook on family law. Last fall, with co-authors Douglas NeJaime, Richard Banks, and Joanna Grossman, Professor Kim published Family Law in a Changing America, a casebook that focuses on family law and contemporary race, class, and gender issues that affect the family unit:

Family Law in a Changing America is a new casebook that highlights law and family patterns as they are now, not as they were decades ago. By focusing on key changes in family life, the casebook attends to rising equality and inequality within and among families. The law, formally at least, accords more equality and autonomy than ever before, having repudiated hierarchies based on race, gender, and sexuality. Yet, as our society has grown more economically unequal, so too have family patterns diverged. The book explores disparities based on race, class, and gender.

The materials are of interest to those focused on the study of inequality faced by diverse American families.

Suzanne Kim is a Professor of Law and Judge Denny Chin Scholar at Rutgers Law School. Before teaching, she was a litigation associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges in New York, where she received the firm’s Pro Bono Service Award. She also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Denny Chin, after earning a B.A. from Yale University and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. Read more about Professor Kim here.

Please join AABANY in recognizing Professor Kim for her accomplishment. To learn more about Family Law in a Changing America, visit https://www.wklegaledu.com/NeJaime-FamilyLawinAmerica.

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AABANY Members: Storytelling Arts Seeks Applicants for its Board of Trustees

Based in Hunterdon County, NJ, Storytelling Arts is a nonprofit community of storytellers and teaching artists who share the ancient art of oral storytelling with contemporary audiences. Diverse and inclusive stories open the door to rich discussions about relevant and often difficult issues we all face, especially during these challenging times. Storytelling Arts is currently seeking up to four (4) additional trustees, each of whom would serve a three-year term. 

Currently, they have plans for increasing their roster of dynamic storytellers, teaching artists, and performers; expanding their program offerings; connecting with influencers, academics, and the theater community; and securing sustaining and multi-year funding for both operational and programmatic needs.


If contributing your time and services to help lead a relevant and responsive nonprofit organization that makes significant impacts throughout New Jersey sounds like something that you would find exciting and gratifying, please see the position description linked here and feel free to contact Theo Cheng at [email protected] for more details.

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NAPABA Co-Sponsors Resolution on Hate Crimes Adopted by the American Bar Association in Historic First

WASHINGTON – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) applauds the American Bar Association’s (ABA) adoption of Resolution 514, which calls for Federal, State, local, territorial, and tribal jurisdictions that have not already done so to enact bias-motivated crime legislation to encompass arson, trespass, mischief, harassment, intimidation, and other criminal conduct as predicate acts of hate crimes. This is the first ABA resolution that NAPABA has co-sponsored in its history, and it comes at a critical juncture in the history of our country as the nation confronts the twin scourges of both the pandemic and a precipitous rise in anti-Asian American hate crimes and incidents. “The number of reported hate crimes and incidents represents only the tip of the iceberg,” said NAPABA President A.B. Cruz III and NAPABA Past President Wendy Shiba, who serves as NAPABA’s delegate before the ABA’s House of Delegates, in a joint statement. “Racism, xenophobia, and hate crimes have been on the rise not only against Asian Americans, but against other groups of color and religion as well.  This resolution recognizes that we are not alone in our suffering, and that a consistent, nationwide approach to battling bias-motivated crimes and improving the reporting and collection of data about such acts is required.”
             
The Resolution also urges all jurisdictions to enact civil remedies for victims to recover damages for bias-motivated crimes and urges all jurisdictions to require data collection on bias-motivated crimes and to adequately fund law enforcement best practices, policies, training on data collection, and victim services in response to such crimes. NAPABA extends its gratitude to the ABA’s Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice and to all the co-sponsors who have championed adoption of this resolution.
 
In addition to co-sponsorship of Resolution 514, this session NAPABA also co-sponsored Resolution 102, which urges members of the legal profession to devote at least 20 hours each year to efforts to advance and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession; and Resolution 801, urging support for the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, which was launched after the discovery in the United States and Canada of unmarked mass gravesites at boarding schools designed to forcibly assimilate indigenous children. The Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative is designed to investigate, locate, and record such burial sites as well as to study the historical legacy of such schools. NAPABA is grateful to the other co-sponsors and leaders of these important efforts before the ABA House of Delegates, including by NAPABA Past President Jin Y. Hwang, who as NAPABA’s representative to the ABA’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council and Chair of the Council’s Policy Innovation and Resolution Incubator Subcommittee, co-authored and co-shepherded Resolution 102.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), represents the interests of over 60,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting APA 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 all backgrounds in the legal profession.
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AABANY Teams up with AAIFF to Promote Two Films During AAIFF’s 44th Film Festival

This year, AABANY is teaming up with the Asian American International Film Festival to promote two films, A Rifle and a Bag and Americanish, during AAIFF’s film festival, which will run from August 11 – 22. AABANY members receive a 20% discount for all VOD screenings if they use the code AAIFF44_AABANY. 

This year’s festival is a hybrid festival, mixing online screenings and live-streamed events with  select in-person events. You can watch from home with an internet connection. Most films are  available for viewing throughout the U.S. and Canada unless otherwise noted. You can access AAIFF’s full list of films and in-person events and screenings at this link:  

https://www.aaiff.org/program

A Rifle and a Bag 

Somi and her husband are striving to forge a new identity after fighting alongside the Naxalites,  a communist guerrilla group that has been waging war on the Indian State since the 60’s. After  a decade of armed struggle for the rights of their tribal communities, the couple deserted the  movement and surrendered to the police. Ever since, they have been trying to educate their son  and reconcile their violent past with the desire to integrate into Indian society. 

Americanish 

In Jackson Heights, Queens, career-driven sisters Maryam and Sam and their newly immigrated cousin Ameera must navigate the consistent and sometimes conflicting demands of  romance, culture, work, and family. Serving both as a lighthearted reimagination of and critical  divergence from the classic romantic comedy, AMERICANISH tackles and celebrates the  complex intersectionalities of womanhood by welcoming us into the world—with all its joys and  tribulations—of these three marriage-aged women. 

Region Restrictions: Tri-State (NY, NJ, CT) 

How Screenings Work: 

All films are VOD – on demand. If purchasing tickets in advance, you will receive an access link  via email when the film becomes available to view. For most films, this will be August 11. If  purchasing tickets during the festival (August 11 – August 22, 2021), you will receive the access  link immediately.  

You may watch the film anytime during the festival (Aug 11 to Aug 22). Once you hit play, you  will have 48 hours to finish watching the film. If you do not finish the film within those 48 hours,  you will need to purchase another ticket. Please note that some films may have additional  restrictions. Please read the Film/Event page for any additional restrictions. For more info, please click this link.

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Congratulations to AABANY Member Shengyang Wu, on Receiving the New York Law Journal’s 2021 Rising Stars Award!

On August 4th, the New York Law Journal announced the winners of the coveted 2021 Rising Stars Award. This award recognizes the region’s most promising lawyers who are no older than 40 by the submission date. AABANY congratulates its member, Shengyang Wu, on being honored with this accolade. AABANY congratulates all recipients of this year’s NYLJ Rising Stars Award.

Shengyang is an attorney at Wenjie Sun and Associates, P.C. and a partner at Alpha Law.  Shengyang also has volunteered at AABANY’s Pro Bono Clinic and is a panelist on AABANY’s Legal Referral and Information Service. AABANY commends Shengyang on his impressive professional achievements and the promise that he has demonstrated thus far in his career. 
To read the official announcement in the New York Law Journal, click here.

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AABANY Members: Apply for Ninth Judicial District’s ADR Program and/or In-Person Personal Injury Mediation Training

Westchester County Bar Association in partnership with the NYS UCS Office of Alternative Dispute Resolution, and the Ninth Judicial District are assembling a Court Roster of mediators for the Supreme Court to hear civil matters, with a focus on personal injury matters. Roster Mediators will not be compensated for the first 90 minutes spent in mediation. This initial session does not include time spent in preparing for the mediation session(s). Thereafter, mediators will be paid by the parties at an agreed upon rate of up to the District’s compensation cap.

The September 14, 2021 In-Person Personal Injury Mediation Training is an advanced mediation training program designed specifically for mediators who have completed both basic and advanced Part 146 mediation training.  This all-day program will provide mediators with advanced training and skills applicable to the resolution of personal injury actions.  The program will provide participants with background on internal and external considerations that impact the mediation of personal injury actions and mediation techniques for addressing these considerations. This program will satisfy the requirements for “Continuing Education for Neutrals” set forth in § 146.3 and 146.5 of the Rules of the Chief Administrative Judge that require Court-appointed mediators undertake six (6) hours of continuing education every two (2) years as determined by the District Administrative Judge.

Space is limited for this training.  Therefore, attendance will be prioritized for mediators who have completed 40 hours of training (basic and advanced) and currently serve or wish to serve on a NYS Court mediation roster to handle personal injury cases.  This course will not guarantee designation to a NYS Court’s roster, which is subject to the District Administrative Judge’s discretion.

TRAINING APPLICATION

If you meet the above requirements and would like to be considered for this training please complete this application to determine your eligibility.  Deadline to submit a completed application is August 11, 2021. You will be notified of your enrollment by September 3, 2021 and will be required to submit a registration fee at the rate of $150.00 at that time.  The cost of registration will include costs for CLE credits and food. To apply for the training please click the Start Survey button below.

ROSTER APPLICATION

Mediators who wish to apply to join the Ninth Judicial District’s ADR Program roster must possess the qualifications and training as required by Part 146 of the Rules of the Chief Administrative Judge and recent experience mediating Civil cases.  If you wish to apply to join our mediator roster, and have not already done so, please complete a Statewide Mediator Application.

PART 146 TRAINING INFORMATION

Mediators interested in more information on upcoming Part 146-approved training please visit the NYS UCS Office of ADR website.

Thank you very much for your time and interest. Please start the Training Application now by clicking on the Start Survey  button below.  Extended deadline: 8/11/2021, 7:00pm

Start Survey

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Membership Mixer at Yankee Stadium on August 6, 2021

On August 6, 2021, the Membership and Bankruptcy Committees co-hosted an in-person membership mixer at Yankee Stadium where the New York Yankees played the Seattle Mariners. 25 members had a blast as they eagerly watched all the on-field action from behind the outfield. Catch this: they also received a free bobblehead of one of the Yankee players (Gerrit Cole). It was a no-doubter that old friends and new had a great time attending America’s pastime in a night filled with conversation, cold drinks, and memories. Kudos to the Bankruptcy Committee once again for making this exciting night a win!

Next in our star-studded Membership Committee events lineup include a cruise around the Hudson River, billiards and arcade night, dinner mixers, and an in-person Talent Show, with details to follow. Stay tuned and don’t strike out on them! If you’re not a member yet, sign up to be a part of the team. You will join a league of talented current and future AAPI legal professionals and get the latest on what AABANY has to offer! To learn more about the Membership Committee, go to https://www.aabany.org/page/130.

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AABANY Congratulates Member Rose Cuison-Villazor on Her Appointment as the First Filipina-American Dean of an American Law School

AABANY has learned that Dean Rose Cuison-Villazor will be serving as interim co-dean of Rutgers Law School, becoming the first Asian-American female dean at Rutgers Law and the first Filipina-American dean of an American law school. Since July 2019, she has served as the vice dean of Rutgers Law School (https://patch.com/new-jersey/newarknj/rutgers-law-school-dean-trailblazes-asian-american-women).

AABANY is proud to recognize Dean Cuison-Villazor among its membership and congratulates her on this historic appointment, just one among many of her trailblazing accomplishments. An expert in immigration and citizenship law, she is a founding director of the Center for Immigration Law, Policy and Justice at Rutgers Law School. According to Rutgers Law’s own announcement:

Cuison-Villazor teaches, researches and writes in the areas of immigration and citizenship law, property law, Asian Americans and the law, equal protection law and critical race theory. She teaches Property Law, Immigration Law, Critical Race Theory, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and the Law, Estates in Land, and Introduction to U.S. Law and recently testified before a Congressional committee on land rights. She earned her LLM from Columbia Law School, JD from American University and BA from the University of Texas.

Dean Cuison-Villazor’s scholarship regarding immigration and citizenship law has been notable, highlighting previously neglected legal history concerning property and race. Dean Cuison-Villazor’s 2010 law review article “Rediscovering Oyama v. California: At the Intersection of Property, Race, and Citizenship” inspired AABANY’s own Oyama v. California trial reenactment. Oyama v. California overturned the California Alien Land Laws which prohibited “aliens ineligible for citizenship,” i.e., Asian Americans, from owning property. The case established legal precedent for future civil rights cases, including Brown v. Board of Education. Read more about the trial reenactment here.

AABANY’s Academic Committee Co-Chairs Catherine Kim, Donna Lee, Elaine Chiu, and Thomas Lee extend a special congratulations to Dean Cuison-Villazor, stating:

AABANY congratulates and is extremely proud of Dean Cuison-Villazor’s appointment as interim co-dean of Rutgers Law School. She is an immigration, citizenship, and race & the law scholar with a national reputation, a gifted teacher, and a superb leader. Rutgers Law is fortunate to have Rose lead its Newark campus at this critical time, as is AABANY to claim her as a cherished colleague.

Please join AABANY in recognizing Dean Cuison-Villazor for her accomplishment. To learn more about the Academic Committee, visit https://www.aabany.org/page/352.

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AABANY Members: Applications for the U.S. Department of Justice Attorney General’s Honors Program and Summer Law Intern Program are now open!

The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management is excited to announce that the Attorney General’s Honors Program (HP) and Summer Law Intern Program (SLIP) application is now open. The deadline for receipt of applications is Wednesday, September 8, 2021, at 11:59 PM ET. Applications must be submitted via the online application. There are many exciting opportunities throughout DOJ, including entry-level attorney positions (permanent and term-limited) as well as paid summer legal internships.

Detailed information about the HP and SLIP, including offices participating and the number of available positions, can be found at:

Information about all of DOJ’s legal hiring programs, including experienced attorney hiring and volunteer internships, is online at https://www.justice.gov/legal-careers. The Department places a high value on diversity of experiences and perspectives and encourages applications from qualified candidates from all ethnic and racial backgrounds, veterans, LGBT individuals, and persons with disabilities.