Month: August 2022

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Commission on Judicial Nomination is Seeking Applications for Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals and State of New York

July 29, 2022

Contact: Henry M. Greenberg, Counsel

Phone: (518) 689-1492

e-mail: [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Yesterday, the Commission on Judicial Nomination was formally notified by the Clerk of the Court of Appeals of the State of New York of the coming vacancy on the Court created by the resignation of Chief Judge Janet DiFiore, effective August 31, 2022.  Accordingly, the Commission is taking up the task of seeking recommendations and applications of persons who may be qualified to serve as Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals, as well as Chief Judge of the State of New York. 

Candidates for Chief Judge DiFiore’s vacancy may download an application from the Commission’s website (www.nysegov.com/cjn) or contact the Commission’s Counsel, Henry M. Greenberg, c/o Greenberg Traurig, LLP, 54 State Street, 6th Floor, Albany, New York 12208 [Tel.: (518) 689-1492; e-mail: [email protected]; Fax: (518) 689-1499].  Applications may be filed electronically by e-mailing them to [email protected] or submitted by mail to the Commission’s Counsel.  Applications must be submitted to the Commission no later than August 29, 2022.

The Commission was created by Article 6, § 2 of the New York State Constitution.  Consistent with its mandate, the Commission is entrusted with responsibility for evaluating, and then recommending to the Governor, candidates to fill vacancies on the Court of Appeals.  The Commission vigorously seeks out, carefully evaluates and then shall nominate to the Governor seven well-qualified candidates for the office of Chief Judge from the extraordinary, diverse community of lawyers admitted to practice in New York State for at least ten years.  The Governor’s appointment is subject to confirmation by the New York State Senate.

To fill past judicial vacancies on the Court, the Commission has nominated to the Governor a wide variety of lawyers, including private practitioners, public interest attorneys, law professors, government officials and sitting Federal and State judges. While prospective candidates must file an application with the Commission, recommendations may be made by anyone who believes that a prospective candidate could be an excellent Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals and the State of New York.  Recommendations of qualified candidates for a vacancy are encouraged and may be made to the Commission’s Counsel.  

If any person or organization wishes to receive copies of future Commission press releases, please provide an e-mail or mailing address to the Commission’s Counsel.  The Commission will register the address and make every effort to distribute future press releases in the designated manner.  Persons interested in learning more about the Commission are encouraged to visit its website: www.nysegov.com/cjn.

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NAPABA Applauds the Nominations of Justice Myong J. Joun and Judge Rita F. Lin to the U.S. District Court

For Immediate Release: 
Date: July 29, 2022

Contact: Priya Purandare, Executive Director

WASHINGTON—Today, President Joe Biden nominated Justice Myong J. Joun to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and Judge Rita F. Lin to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. If confirmed, Justice Joun would be the first Asian American male to serve on the federal bench in Massachusetts and Judge Lin would be the first Chinese American female to serve on a district that includes San Francisco and San Jose.

“NAPABA congratulates its members, Justice Myong Joun and Judge Rita Lin,” said A.B. Cruz III, acting president of NAPABA. “Justice Joun is the second former Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts president to be nominated to an Article III judgeship and Judge Lin is a past NAPABA Best Under 40 awardee. Both are exceptionally well qualified. We applaud President Biden for nominating them and we urge the Senate to swiftly confirm them.”

Justice Myong J. Joun
In 2014, Justice Joun was appointed by Governor Deval Patrick to the Boston Municipal Court. Previously, he was in private practice where he specialized in criminal defense and plaintiff’s civil rights litigation in state and federal courts. A former president of NAPABA’s affiliate, the Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts, Justice Joun is active in the greater legal community. He currently serves as treasurer of the Harry J. Elam Judicial Conference and has served on the Executive Management Board of the Massachusetts Bar, the board of directors for the National Lawyers Guild and Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law of the Boston Bar Association. Justice Joun is a veteran of the United States Army and the Massachusetts National Guard. He received his J.D. from Suffolk Law School and his B.A. from the University of Massachusetts.

Judge Rita F. Lin
In 2018, Judge Rita Lin was appointed by Governor Edmund Brown, Jr. to the Superior Court of San Francisco. Previously, she was an assistant U.S. attorney of the Northern District of California and a partner at Morrison and Foerster, where she focused on complex civil cases and financial services. At the firm, she had an active pro bono practice, including successfully challenging the federal Defense of Marriage Act. Judge Lin clerked for the Honorable Sandra Lynch of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. In 2017, NAPABA honored her with its Best Under 40 award. She received her J.D. from Harvard Law School and her B.A. from Harvard College.

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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 Congratulates Margaret Ling on her New York State Bar Association Member Profile

AABANY congratulates Margaret Ling on her New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) member profile published on July 25, 2022. Focusing on her career path and the importance of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, the member profile speaks to the necessity of making progress against discrimination in the legal profession. 

Margaret noted that “women and people of color are [still] not making partner and leaving prestigious firms after 20 years of service.” Discussing her personal experiences with racism and sexism in the field, Margaret stated, “now I mentor young lawyers because there was no one there to help me. I tell them that you have to speak up for your work and fight to be recognized for it.” Read more here.

NYSBA was founded in 1876 and currently has a membership base of over 70,000 individuals, with its headquarters in Albany, NY.

Outside of her work for the NYSBA, Margaret Ling is also a former AABANY Board member, most recently serving as Director of Development. She is the founding Co-Chair of the AABANY Real Estate Committee and continues to co-chair it today. Upcoming events featuring AABANY’s Real Estate Committee include AABANY Real Estate Committee Presents: “Emoticons, Emojis, Smileys and Stickers” CLE on August 3, 2022, and AABANY Real Estate Committee Presents: “Representing Foreign Purchasers & Foreign Sellers” CLE on August 10, 2022.

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The Asian American Law Journal at Berkeley Law is Accepting Submissions for its 2022-2023 Volume!

What is the Asian American Law Journal (AALJ)? AALJ is one of only two law journals in the United States focused on Asian American communities. Since 1993, they have provided a scholarly forum for exploring unique legal concerns of Asian Americans, including but not limited to East Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. Each annual volume typically contains articles, book reviews, essays, and other contributions from scholars, practitioners, and students.

What topics and issues does AALJ feature? AALJ welcomes commentary, analysis, and research on the diverse experiences of Asian Americans, particularly at the intersections of gender, class, sexual orientation, religion, and race. For example, their recent publications have explored Asian American women in the #MeToo movement, the impact of Supreme Court decisions on citizenship, and Asian Americans and affirmative action. They especially welcome scholarship on timely issues such as critical race theory, recent judicial opinions impacting Asian American communities, and Asian Americans’ roles in advocating for racial justice and BIPOC solidarity. 

Is there a specific format or word limit? AALJ recognizes that the format of traditional law review articles may limit the ability to capture the ways in which the law intersects with lived experience. Therefore, in addition to academic articles, AALJ also welcomes essays and other written formats that reflect Asian American community issues. Consider their archives for references. (Recently, AALJ has enjoyed Professor Carlos Hiraldo’s Arroz Frito with Salsa: Asian Latinos and the Future of the United States, Professor Mari Matsuda’s Planet Asian America, and Professor Robert Chang’s article, AALJ’s inaugural piece, Toward an Asian American Legal Scholarship.)

Is there a deadline? Yes, all submissions are due by Monday, August 15th, 2022, though they make publication offers on a rolling basis. Please send your submissions via email to [email protected] or through Scholastica.

What does the publication process look like? Over the course of the 2022-2023 academic year, the AALJ team will work with you to provide substantive feedback on your piece, in addition to cite-checking and formatting your article for publication.

What if I have more questions? Please send AALJ an email! They would love to connect.

I don’t have anything to submit, but I know someone who might. What can I do? For those in the position to do so, AALJ would appreciate you forwarding this note to your departments, teams, and friends or colleagues who may be interested in publishing with AALJ.