Day: August 12, 2024

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Young Lawyers Committee Hosts 2024 Annual Picnic in Central Park

On August 10, 2024, AABANY’s Young Lawyers Committee (YLC) hosted the AABANY Annual Picnic in the Heckscher Playground picnic area in Central Park. The event, which began at 11:00 am and ended at 4:00 pm, enjoyed bright, warm, and sunny weather. It connected various members of different positions and backgrounds, from various committees. Members chatted and relaxed in the sunshine, some with pets, others with their young children, all sharing food provided by the Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich Deli. (Additionally, Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich Deli has been touted on the internet as a contender for New York’s best Bahn Mi spot, and has largely remained in business during and after the struggles of the pandemic due to community patronage, so AABANY encourages everyone to go support them.) Among the many attendees were Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, Alice Biagini, AABANY Deputy Executive Director, Terrence Shen, AABANY President in 2021, and various other Committee Chairs and members. YLC’s Co-Chairs Justin Lee and Jameson Xu organized the event and were in attendance as well. 

The Young Lawyers Committee has taken up responsibility for this annual picnic, to the delight and appreciation of the many AABANY members who attend.. The significance of this event is broad and cannot be overstated: it allows a brief but much-appreciated respite from the trials of daily life and connects the diverse aspects of AABANY’s large and far-reaching community.

Thank you to everyone who spent their Saturday with AABANY and contributing to our vibrant association. AABANY thrives on participation and passion, and AABANY would not be as robust without you all. Thank you to the Young Lawyers Committee, and to Co-Chairs Justin and Jameson, for their dedication and hard work in planning, organizing, and executing this perennial favorite.

To see photos from the picnic, view the album here.
To learn more about the Young Lawyers Committee please click here.

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AABANY Supports the 2024 Asian American International Film Festival as a Community Partner

AABANY is one of the proud community partners supporting the 47th Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) in New York, which ran from August 1 through 11, 2024. One of the short films, “How to Live as an Asian Woman in NYC,” screened on August 8, 2024, featured New York City! This short documentary by Jacqueline Jaemin Yeon portrayed what navigating life in New York City as an Asian woman is like. Another short film, “Meeting You, Meeting Me,” is about an unlikely friendship between a Korean American divorce attorney and a college dropout from California. These screenings were followed by a filmmaker Q&A session. 

Another feature of the AAIFF is The 72-Hour Shootout filmmaking competition, run by the Asian American Film Lab (www.film-lab.org), with a theme of “The 2024 72 Hour Shootout: Practical Dreamer.” The Asian American Film Lab is a nonprofit organization devoted to the promotion and support of gender and racial parity in film and television programming with a particular focus on Asian Americans. The 72 Hour Shootout competition is held annually and accepts submissions from across the globe. The concept of the competition is that participating teams have 72 hours to write, shoot, and edit a 5-minute short film, while incorporating the year’s competition theme into the film. This year’s theme was “Practical Dreamer,” and also had to incorporate the logo of Idealist which was this year’s Gold Sponsor. 

On August 3, 2024, Francis Chin, AABANY member and former co-chair of the Professional Development Committee, hosted the awards ceremony for this year’s 72 Hour Shootout Competition. As this year’s Competition Coordinator, he edited the short films for the video streaming. Francis also participated in the 72 Hour Shootout Competition for several years, and won best screenplay award in 2021. 

“The Film Lab’s 72 Hour Shootout over the last twenty years has done its part in providing an entryway for aspiring Asian Americans of all skill levels to practice filmmaking. I’ve enjoyed the challenge over the years of making 5-minute films in three days with friends from AABANY and our community,” Francis stated. “As this year’s Competition Coordinator, I was awed by the talent and creativity of the competitors, the Film Lab team and its supporters.”

AABANY was proud to support AAIFF yet again as a Community Sponsor and thanks all our members who supported the AAIFF through their attendance and participation. Congratulations to Francis on being the Competition Coordinator for this year’s 72 Hour Shootout.

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2024 ADR Institute Applications Are Now Open: Apply by Aug. 14

November 6-7, 2024 | Seattle, WA
Application is Now Open
Apply by August 14, 2024 at 8 pm ET

The NAPABA ADR Institute is a multi-day career and skills development program created to provide a broad overview as well as substantive, hands-on training to members who are interested in pursuing a career in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). This program aims to diversify the pool of mediators and arbitrators in the United States and to increase the use of mediation and arbitration by those who attend the training. The NAPABA Dispute Resolution Committee will provide substantive leadership in the program development and execution as they seek to provide guidance and opportunities to those who may be members of the next generation of leading mediators and arbitrators in the country and to ensure that these mediators and arbitrators also include members of the AANHPI legal community. The training is designed for:

  • those interested in incorporating work as a mediator or arbitrator while still advocating;
  • those who are interested in pursuing a judicial career and will benefit from serving as a neutral to gain valuable experience before applying for or running for a judicial position; and
  • those who wish to pursue a career as a full-time mediator and/or arbitrator, either ad hoc or by joining an ADR provider.

Instructors are ADR thought leaders and the program is supported and guided by leading ADR organizations like JAMS, the American Arbitration Association, and CPR (International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution). This program will provide MCLE-accredited training that will provide foundational training and a deeper understanding for the attendees who may pursue different avenues in ADR, including starting a mediation or arbitration practice at their firm, joining an ADR provider so to gain more experience as an arbitrator in their eventual bid to become a judge, or transition their practice to a full time neutral. Over the course of two days, participants will be exposed to topic areas such as:

  • Basic introduction to Mediation from a Mediator’s point of view
  • Basic introduction to Arbitration and its Phases
  • Selecting an Arbitrator: The Process
  • Conducting the Preliminary Hearing
  • Discovery & Motion Practice in ADR
  • The Arbitration Hearing
  • Scope and Authority of an Arbitrator
  • Writing an Award
  • Vacatur & Appeals
  • Ad hoc arbitration vs. Administrated Arbitration: Criteria for starting an ADR practice as a solo practitioner vs. joining an ADR provider
  • Training / Fellowship Opportunities 

Questions? Contact the NAPABA Programs Team.

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Thank You to Our Volunteers at the August Pro Bono Clinic in Queens

Thank you AABANY, PBCS, AAFE, and our volunteers who assisted with the August 7th pro bono legal clinic in Queens! Our volunteers spent the rainy night meeting 13 clients and answered questions involving housing, divorce, and immigration law.

The clinic saw some returning clients at the pro bono clinic, and attorneys were able to connect them to more resources to help them resolve their cases. New clients were satisfied with the legal advice given, with a clear understanding of what actions to take next. Volunteer attorneys and interpreters collaborated with one another to address concerns with clients that spoke Spanish and Chinese. AABANY Interns had the opportunity to shadow attorneys and watch them work to address client problems and provide referrals. Interns helped to collect the intake forms and surveys, delivering them to organizers for data collection.

Thank you again to everyone, including volunteer attorneys:

  • Anthony Wong
  • Beatrice Leong
  • Gary Yeung
  • Kevin Hsi
  • Lina Lee
  • May Wong
  • Richard In
  • Shirley Luong
  • Willow Liu

Thanks also to the non-attorney volunteers:

  • Rita Zheng
  • Emily Kam
  • Ruo Yang

Overall, the event was a success as clients took the attorneys’ advice to take the next step in their cases. If you would like to participate in future Pro Bono clinics to help serve the community, please join us at these upcoming events:

Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic on August 21, 2024 at AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk St, New York, NY 10002. Sign up here – https://forms.gle/SD2VMY8X6yE4vsxW9

Queens Pro Bono Clinic on October 2, 2024 at AAFE One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355. Sign up here – https://forms.gle/5PjG8A73EE1XENyV9

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NAPABA and NLF Announce a Milestone Agreement

For Immediate Release: Date: August 9, 2024Contact:
Priya Purandare, Executive Director

WASHINGTON – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and the NAPABA Law Foundation (NLF) are proud to announce a milestone agreement that not only bolsters the services that NLF delivers to our community, but also advances the mission of both organizations to strengthen the representation of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) in the legal profession. The agreement draws on the talents of NAPABA to support the pivotal work of NLF and its impact on the next generation of lawyers.

For three decades, NLF has encouraged, inspired, and supported generations of law students as they pursued careers and opportunities in public interest law, including work on behalf of vulnerable AANHPI communities. NLF has awarded $1.8 million in scholarships, fellowships, and internships, and it has built lasting educational and community partnerships throughout the country.

The programs run by the NLF support the next generation of AANHPI lawyers and foster education and awareness about issues impacting AANHPI lawyers.

The shared-services agreement between NAPABA and NLF will reinforce NLF’s administrative, financial, fundraising, and programmatic activities.

“This is a game changer for NLF and our ability to grow and inspire law students and young lawyers,” said Nimesh Patel, President of NLF. “With NAPABA’s support, we can broaden our outreach and ensure the continued success of landmark programs such as the Judge Thomas Tang and Dr. Pearl Tang Moot Court Competition, and we can reach more students for the various scholarships, internships, and fellowships offered by the NLF.”

“My introduction to NAPABA ran through NLF early in my career,” said NAPABA Executive Director Priya Purandare. “I have witnessed first-hand the strong shared history between NAPABA and NLF, and their commitment to fostering the next generations of young AANHPI lawyers. Optimizing the relationship with NLF has long been envisioned as a part of NAPABA’s Strategic Plan, and as our AANHPI legal community continues to expand, I am thrilled that through our partnership, we can meet the growing needs of students and young attorneys to better serve all.

Learn more about NLF

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) represents the interest of over 80,000 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 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander 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.

The NAPABA Law Foundation (NLF) promotes the development, advancement, leadership, and public service of Asian Pacific Americans in the legal profession through fellowships, scholarships, education, and community partnerships. NLF serves as an incubator of thoughtful leaders in the Asian Pacific Americans legal community.