Month: October 2026

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AABANY’s Asia Practice Committee Presents: 2026 Legal Careers Panel at NYU School of Law

On Sunday, September 27, 2026, AABANY’s Asia Practice Committee (APC), together with the NYU Chinese Law Students Association (CLSA) and the Chinese American Lawyers Forum (CALF), hosted “Career Panel Insights from the Bar: 2026 Legal Careers Panel & Networking” at Lipton Hall, New York University School of Law. The afternoon brought together more than 100 law students, LL.M. candidates, recent graduates, and practicing attorneys for a candid conversation about launching and building a legal career in New York.

The panel featured:

The panelists reflected on the paths that led them to their current roles, from in-house practice at a global financial institution (Lian Duan) and partnership at an international law firm (Jonathan Zhou), to co-founding a law firm (Angus Ni) and practicing litigation (Simona Xu) and tax at a national law firm (Hardy Zhou). Their stories showed that legal careers are rarely linear and that the skills, relationships, and reputation built early on carry forward across very different settings.

The conversation also addressed questions of particular interest to the audience, including choosing a practice area, making the transition from law school to practice, cross-border and China-related work, and considerations facing internationally trained lawyers and LL.M. graduates entering the U.S. legal market. Panelists also shared practical advice on mentorship, networking, and professional development.

After the panel, attendees put their own questions to the speakers in an open Q&A before the event moved into a networking reception. Over refreshments and mooncakes – a nod to the Mid-Autumn Festival just days earlier – students and attorneys continued the conversation, exchanged contacts, and connected with the panelists one-on-one.

AABANY and the Asia Practice Committee thank Lian Duan, Jonathan Zhou, Angus Ni, Simona Xu, and Hardy Zhou for generously sharing their time and insights; our co-hosts, NYU CLSA and CALF; and NYU School of Law for hosting us. To learn more about the Asia Practice Committee and its upcoming programs, visit this page and keep an eye on the AABANY calendar. 

– Written by Ruixi Fu, Vice Chair, AABANY’s Asia Practice Committee

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AABANY Presents CLE Program on Major Changes to Public Charge Rules

On September 17, 2026, the Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) presented “Public Charge – What We Need to Know About Upcoming Changes,” a hybrid CLE program, at the Chinese-American Planning Council (“CPC”) Manhattan Community Center. The program addressed significant changes to the public charge ground of inadmissibility scheduled to take effect on September 18, 2026.

Rachel S. Lee, AABANY Board Director and Issues Committee Co-Chair and President & General Counsel of Stand with Asian Americans, moderated the program. Vishal Chander, AABANY Board Director and Issues Committee Co-Chair and Managing Attorney of The Chander Law Firm, P.C., served as the presenter. The program provided one hour of New York CLE credit in the Areas of Professional Practice category, with 24 people attending both online and in person. (Only those who attended in person received the CLE credit.)

A central focus of the presentation was the 2026 Final Rule and revised USCIS guidance, which removed much of the 2022 regulatory framework and shifted operational standards to the USCIS Policy Manual. Vishal explained that public charge determinations remain individualized, totality-of-the-circumstances inquiries, with officers considering factors such as finances, employment, education, health, household composition, and benefit use. He also discussed the broader treatment of means-tested public benefits, the continuing but non-dispositive role of Form I-864, the renewed use of public charge bonds, and the differing roles of USCIS, the Department of State, and CBP. The presentation concluded with an overview of pending litigation challenging the new framework and the legal questions surrounding DHS’s authority and use of subregulatory guidance.

Jack Hsia, Senior Attorney at CPC and a Vice Chair of the AABANY Issues Committee, joined  after Vishal’s presentation to share information about CPC’s programs and resources for the community. Jack thanked the speakers and attendees for being part of an informative discussion. AABANY thanks CPC for co-hosting the program and everyone who attended in person and online. To learn more about the Issues Committee and how you can get involved, go here.

Written by Rachel Lee, AABANY Board Director and Issues Committee Co-Chair

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AALFNY and AABANY Connect with Brooklyn Community Members at RaisingHealth’s 11th Annual Health Empowerment Celebration

On September 19, 2026, the Asian American Law Fund (AALFNY) and AABANY’s Pro Bono & Community Service (PBCS) Committee co-hosted a community outreach table at RaisingHealth’s 11th Annual Health Empowerment Celebration Event in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. The event brought together community organizations and offered free health exams, hot meals, groceries, and other resources for local residents. RaisingHealth, formerly known as the Academy of Medical & Public Health Services, is a nonprofit health service organization founded in 2010 that supports underserved communities through culturally competent health, education, and community-building programs.

Community Outreach and Legal Resources

At the health fair, AABANY volunteers, including Kwok Ng, Co-Chair of the AABANY’s PBCS Committee, and May Wong, past Co-Chair of the PBCS Committee, along with Nandar Win Kerr, AALFNY’s Pro Bono and Grant Consultant, set up a table to pass out important resources, including:  

Public Charge Guidance

Throughout the fair, volunteers shared legal resources, flyers and Pro Bono Clinic promotional materials with more than 200 attendees. Volunteers also distributed Public Charge Guidance Info Sheets about the current changes to the public charge rule that took effect on September 18, 2026. A shout-out to the Asian American Federation (AAF), Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) and Issues Committee (Co-Chairs Vishal Chander and Rachel Lee) for providing training, toolkits and resources that helped volunteers share accurate information with the community members in their native languages. 

The Public Charge materials were provided by the New York Immigration Coalition and Asian American Federation. The materials are available in 13 Asian languages: Arabic, Bangla, Burmese, Khmer, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), Hindi, Japanese, Karen, Korean, Nepali, Urdu, and Vietnamese. 

Community members seeking assistance can contact the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs’ hotline at (800) 354-0365 or by calling 311 or the New York State Office of New Americans Hotline at (800) 566-7636. For more information, please visit Public Charge Guidance Info Sheets.

Upcoming Pro Bono Clinics 

October 7th – Queens: Interested volunteers should register here. 6:30 – 8:30pm, AAFE One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355

October 21st – Manhattan: Interested volunteers should register here. 6:30-8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002 

November 14th – Brooklyn: Interested volunteers should register here. 12:30 – 3:30pm, CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Avenue, 3rd Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11232

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AABANY’s Capital District Chapter Hosts Kickoff Event at Volcano BBQ and Hotpot in Niskayuna

Lillian Moy, the newly-appointed Chair of the Capital District Chapter of AABANY, submits this report:

The inaugural event for AABANY’s Capital District Chapter kicked off on September 15 at a Volcano BBQ and Hotpot in Niskayuna. Our turnout exceeded expectations with more than 15 attendees gathering together to enjoy great drinks, food, and conversations.

In attendance were AAPI lawyers spanning multiple industries and experience-levels, including administrative judges and law graduates. We were honored to be joined by Tina Sodhi, candidate for Albany County Clerk Judge, who, if elected, will be the first AAPI person to serve in that role. 

Between snacks, we pitched ideas for future events, both social and educational, as the warm season comes to a close. We also discussed how certain AABANY Committees – through their focused network and programming – could strengthen our relationship with APALSA members from Albany Law School.

We hope to increase AABANY membership and participation in the full range of activities that AABANY offers. We are particularly excited that Committees can offer virtual attendance via Zoom, to open the door for upstate involvement. Our group is deeply talented and believe we have much to offer to the local community and AABANY at-large.

Thanks to Lillian for stepping into this important new role, as AABANY deepens its ties to the legal and AAPI community upstate. Lillian will be joined by Kaitlyn Chopra, Associate at Barclay Damon LLP, and Steve Nguyen, Assistant Attorney General at the Office of New York State Attorney General, as Vice Chairs. Please join us in congratulating the Capital District on its kick-off event!

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