On June 3, 2022, The Flushing Times published an article on the various leaders who expressed their support and endorsement of AABANY member Karen Lin for Queens Civil Court Judge. Karen Lin would make history as the first East Asian female judge elected in Queens.
Karen was endorsed by State Senator Jessica Ramos, Assembly Member Catalina Cruz, Assembly Member Alicia Hyndman, Assembly Member Stacey Pheffer Amato, State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, and Assembly Members Vivian Cook, Nily Rozic and Jenifer Rajkumar. In response, Karen said, “I am amazed by these extraordinary women who, by their presence and purpose in the New York State Legislature, impact our daily lives…Their collective talent, intellect and determination to get things done underscore why their representation matters.”
To read the full article, click here and go to page 18.
For more information about Karen Lin’s campaign, including how you can volunteer or support her candidacy, please visit https://www.karenlin2022.com/.
AABANY is excited to announce that on May 2, 2022, President William Ng and President-Elect Karen Kim were recognized by City and State’s 2022 The Power of Diversity: Asian 100. The Power of Diversity: Asian 100 identifies New York’s Asian American leaders from a wide range of backgrounds who are gaining political power and advocating for their community. President William Ng and President-Elect Karen Kim are recognized as 50th on the list, an increase from AABANY’s placement last year at 53rd.
City & State wrote:
William Ng took over as president and Karen Kim as president-elect of the Asian American Bar Association of New York in April. Ng is a shareholder at Littler, a major employment and labor law firm. A Brooklyn Law School alumnus, Kim has practiced law for over a decade and serves as counsel to QBE North America. In March, AABANY, together with like-minded organizations, filed a court brief addressing suspected racial bias in a ruling involving a Korean American individual.
AABANY has had the pleasure of working closely with Grace Meng (1), number one on the list and New York’s first Asian American member of Congress. In 2021, Grace Meng spoke at AABANY’s press conference following the release of our anti-Asian violence report, A Rising Tide of Hate and Violence against Asian Americans in New York During COVID-19: Impact, Causes, Solutions.
AABANY also congratulates Assemblymember Ron Kim (3) and State Senator John Liu (4), who both spoke at AABANY’s May 31, 2022 press conference following the release of our second report on anti-Asian hate and violence in New York City, entitled Endless Tide: The Continuing Struggle to Overcome Anti-Asian Hate in New York.
Please join AABANY in congratulating these others AAPI trailblazers who made the list:
Sandra Ung (12), City Council member and former treasurer of AABANY;
Kevin Kim (17), Commissioner of the New York City Department of Small Business Services and former AABANY Board Officer;
Frank Wu (23), Queens College’s first President of Asian descent. AABANY honored Frank Wu with the AABANY Impact Award at our 2021 Virtual Gala: Uniting for Justice and Equity;
Joon Kim (29), Partner at longtime AABANY sponsor, Cleary Gottlieb, former acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District, and AABANY member;
Faiza Saeed (35), Presiding Partner at Cravath, a longtime sponsor of AABANY;
Wellington Chen (47), Executive Director of Chinatown Partnership Local Development Corp and AABANY community partner through CPLDC’s and AABANY’s collaboration on the creation of a dedicated team to address lawsuits under the Americans With Disabilities Act;
L. Austin D’Souza & Vidya Pappachan (64), President and President-Elect of the South Asian Bar Association of New York and AABANY members;
Justin Yu (78), Chair of The Chinese Chamber of Commerce of New York and AABANY community partner through his past support for our Chinatown Pro Bono Clinic;
Anna Mercado Clark (88), Partner at Phillips Lytle, NAPABA’s Northeast regional governor, and AABANY’s current Development Director, an Officer position on the Board; and
Elizabeth OuYang (98), Civil Rights attorney and leader of the APA Voice Redistricting Task Force of which AABANY is a member.
AABANY congratulates everyone who made the City & State Asian 100 list and thanks them all for the important work they do on behalf of New York’s AAPI community. To read the full article, please click here.
On June 9, 2022, the Membership & Solo and Small Firm Practice Committees hosted a #RestaurantSeries dinner at Lil Chef Mama. AABANY is trying to support small, Asian-owned businesses and restaurants through our Restaurant Series. “The Membership Committee’s #RestaurantSeries gives AABANY members an opportunity to meet fellow members and to get introduced to co-sponsoring AABANY committees while also supporting local businesses,” explains Membership Director Christopher Bae. “Whether the restaurants are Asian-owned mom and pop shops, established staples of the restaurant scene, or allies of the Asian-American community, join us in supporting and celebrating the resiliency of local businesses during this post-pandemic time.”
Located in FiDi next to Pier 17, Lil Chef Mama is a hidden gem. Click here to learn more about Lil Chef Mama!
AABANY members enjoyed unique dishes, from a whole fried fish to frog legs. Members also enjoyed staples like Thai iced teas. New connections were formed among the diverse group of attendees. We learned that Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee Chair, Carolynn Beck is a serial hobbyist. Her hobbies include Muay Thai, skydiving, and scuba diving, just to name a few.
Thank you to all those who came out. Membership Director Christopher Bae encourages everyone to join us at the next #RestaurantSeries. Keep an eye out for future dinners on our calendar at aabany.org/events.
Deadline June 30 The Nominations and Elections Subcommittee is accepting nominations for Officer and Director candidates and applications for At-Large Board Member candidates for the 2022-23 NAPABA Board of Governors.
As the nation’s largest Asian Pacific American membership organization, NAPABA continues to grow exponentially—maturity, stature, and staff. The NAPABA Board of Governors is an oversight and governing body committed to the mission and purpose of NAPABA. The governing Board of 23 and national staff of nine complement and support each other—together focused on NAPABA’s mission through different perspectives and actions.
NAPABA is committed to having a governing board that reflects the diverse Asian Pacific American legal community and has the right blend of skill, expertise, community connections, and diverse perspectives as a whole. We seek outstanding individuals of high character and integrity with proven leadership and board governance skills and who have demonstrated a strong commitment to NAPABA. The deadline for Officer and Director nominations and At-Large Board Member applications is June 30, 2022 at 8:00 pm ET.
To be considered for a NAPABA Officer, Director, or At-Large position, candidates must be a current individual member in good standing as of the date that the nominations or applications are submitted.
In order to vote in the 2022-23 NAPABA Elections, you must be licensed to practice law in the United States or Canada (or have previously been licensed and now retired) and you must have activated your membership with NAPABA on or before July 1, 2022 at 11:59 PM ET. To check your status, please email [email protected].
On June 8, 2022, the IP Committee convened at Sabai Thai in Midtown under a beautiful canopy of flowers and fairy lights. Congee artisan, lifelong Toronto Blue Jays fan and Co-Chair of the IP Committee Jeffrey Mok graciously ordered family-style dishes for everyone to share, featuring delicacies such as Thai-Style Sea Bass, Crying Tiger Beef, and many more. New connections were formed among the diverse group of attendees, which included law firm attorneys, in-house counsel, and students. Over dishes of Pad Thai Gai Yang and Yum Mamaung, the lively conversations ranged from Broadway show recommendations (Co-Chair Benjamin Hsing – a Broadway and opera aficionado – recommends “Hamilton” and “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”) and new Return to Office (RTO) policies to stories about career paths and side hustles. For example, did you know that Co-Chair Greg Pan designs and sells toys?
Thanks to everyone who attended the first IP Committee dinner of the fiscal year. There will surely be many more to come. Please sign up for the IP Committee mailing list and look out for the committee’s next event! To learn more about the IP Committee, please visit https://www.aabany.org/page/145.
