From Nov. 7 through 9, NAPABA held its National Convention in Seattle at the Hyatt Regency, for three days of programming, meetings, plenary sessions and the 36th Anniversary Gala capping things off on Saturday night.
AABANY members and friends once again came out in large numbers, with nearly 150 people signed up for AABANY’s WhatsApp group. The group’s members updated each other on programs they planned to attend, made lunch and dinner plans, and connected with each other about various receptions, parties and events around Seattle.
The AABANY Trial Reenactment Team presented its latest production, “AAPIs and Education: Tape v. Hurley and Gong Lum v. Rice” on Friday afternoon, Nov. 8, to a capacity audience. The program told the stories of Mamie Tape and Martha Lum and their efforts to fight discrimination in public education, through narration, reenactment of court proceedings and historic photographs. This was the sixteenth in a series of historic reenactments presented by the Asian American Bar Association of New York. For more information about AABANY’s trial reenactments, visit reenactments.aabany.org.
We congratulate all the awardees and honorees recognized at the Convention, with special shout-outs to the following AABANY member honorees:
We also congratulate Sapna Palla, past AABANY President, and Anushree Bagrodia, current Co-Chair of AABANY’s In-House Counsel Committee, for joining the NAPABA Board as At-Large Members!
Thanks to all the outgoing NAPABA Board members for their service, and congratulations to AABANY member and past Board officer, Anna Mercado Clark, on her highly successful year as President.
We congratulate Muhammad Faridi, AABANY Member and President of the New York City Bar Association, on receiving the Pro Bono Service Award.
Thanks and congratulations to the many AABANY members who organized a panel or spoke at one. We know that it is not easy to get a program selected for the NAPABA Convention and that much hard work goes into putting on a quality program for the many attendees who come from across the continent to learn from you all. Please send us your photos and, if possible, a short recap about your program. You can send it to [email protected].
Many bonds were made and strengthened among AABANY attendees over the course of the Convention, and many new connections were made with the approximately 3400 registered attendees from across North America. Judging by many social media posts from those who attended, a great time was had by all. We hope everyone got back to New York City safe and sound, and we are looking forward to another inspiring NAPABA Convention when it moves to Denver, Colorado, Nov. 6-9, 2025.
On Wednesday, October 23, 2024, AABANY members attended the Chinese-American Planning Council’s (CPC) Harvest Moon Benefit in Brooklyn to celebrate longtime active AABANY member and co-founding member of AABANY’s Prosecutors Committee, Kin Ng, who was one of the Honorees this year.
Kin has been a prosecutor at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office for over thirty years. In 2021, he was appointed to serve as the Bureau Chief of Trial Bureau II, Blue Zone. From 2017 to 2020, he was promoted to Bureau Chief of Trial Bureau I – Red Zone, and became the first AAPI bureau chief of a major trial bureau in the history of the office. Prior to that, Kin served in various management capacities in different trial bureaus and the Immigration Fraud Unit. He also served as the Chief of Legal Training, conducting office-wide trainings for all Brooklyn ADAs and staff. Kin continues to mentor prosecutors of all offices and experiences through AABANY as well as National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). In addition, he is a founding member and co-chair of the National Asian Pacific Islander Prosecutors Association (NAPIPA) and a member of its National Executive Board and the President of its New York Chapter. Notably, Kin received the Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award at the 2018 AABANY Fall Conference, in recognition of his leadership in the Asian American legal community.
In his acceptance speech, Kin mentioned and thanked Homecrest and CPC for providing many programs to the community, such as senior services, multi-social services and a wide range of youth and workforce activities. These programs, especially summer and after-school educational activities, provide working families with child care services and a safe environment for their children to learn and grow.
On behalf of the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, we also want to thank CPC for hosting our Pro Bono Clinics at their Brooklyn location and our community partners for supporting our efforts in providing free legal consultations to low- to middle- income individuals and families.
The next Pro Bono Clinic in Brooklyn is on November 9, 2024, from 12:30pm to 3:00pm, at CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232. Pre-registration can be made by phone (tel: (718) 492-0409). Walk-ins are welcome!
Last but not least, thank you AABANY, AALFNY, the Prosecutors Committee, and Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, and our pro bono clinic volunteers for supporting AAPI not-for-profit organizations and their great causes!!!
For more information about the Prosecutors Committee, go here. For more information about the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee go here. Join the Prosecutors Committee for their 16th Anniversary Reception on Nov. 13. More details here.
On September 17th, the Professional Development Committee (PDC) Vice Chairs Maggie Poon and Ona Lu hosted the official launch of their “Hello, It’s Me!” Wellness Podcast.
Attendees gathered at the Sterling Cafe located on the 3rd floor of the offices of A&O Shearman, some dressed in traditional Mid-Autumn Festival attire, and everyone enjoyed light bites and drinks while networking with one another.
PDC Co-Chair Nandar Win Kerr started the program with opening remarks, thanking event host Ashley Shan, Co-Vice President of Programs and Operations and Associate at A&O Shearman, for providing the lovely venue. Nandar then gave the floor to Beatrice Leong and Celina Lee, who introduced themselves.
Beatrice, a former legal intern at the Attorney General’s Office for the State of Connecticut, began her legal career with aspirations to become a prosecutor. However, her path took a turn when she shifted to practicing divorce and family law. Celina, on the other hand, started as an investment banker and corporate lawyer but now dedicates her life to career coaching, helping others find purpose and fulfillment in their professional lives. Their diverse career trajectories set the stage for a thoughtful discussion about life’s unexpected twists and the importance of mental health.
After these brief introductions, Ona Lu, Products Counsel at Uber, and Maggie Poon, Contracts Counsel at Equinox, hosts of the wellness podcast, introduced themselves and treated the attendees to a short 20-minute video excerpt of the second episode in the podcast series, featuring Beatrice Leong.
The conversation started with rapid-fire questions to help the audience get to know Beatrice better, followed by a deeper dive into her experiences. Beatrice opened up about her personal heartbreak. After discovering that her husband had been unfaithful, following a relationship that spanned thirteen years, she described the experience as her “villain origin story.” Up until then, Beatrice had wanted to pursue a career in prosecution, even landing a role at the District Attorney’s Office. However, the pain of betrayal and heartbreak eventually led her to shift her career focus from prosecution to divorce law. Rather than being consumed by her heartbreak, she channeled it into her professional passion for helping others navigate the difficult and emotional process of divorce.
“Why divorce law?” she is often asked. Her answer is simple yet profound: “I like to help people going through what I have gone through; I want to feel like I am doing something important.” For Beatrice, the most rewarding part of her work is helping her clients see light at the end of the tunnel, much like she did during her own personal journey. To hear the full podcast, go here.
Celina had a different journey of mental health counseling and recovery. She recounted how she had dedicated her whole life to “getting good grades” even if it meant skipping parties and “securing a good job” – even if it meant a job that she wasn’t passionate about. In retrospect, she had been motivated by fear: fear of failure and of not making her parents and peers proud.
She expressed regret that although she had achieved prestige and a well-paying job, she did not quite feel fulfilled. “I had won the race, but I felt like I was in the wrong race.”
She entered a dark period in her life where she felt lost in her career and didn’t know what to do. Luckily, after receiving mental health coaching, she developed a support network.
She started to focus on herself and not on what other people wanted her to do. She started her “Live Your Dream” podcast where she regularly reflects on her former life and how she found fulfillment. To hear the full podcast of Celina’s interview on “Hello, It’s Me,” go here.
Both Beatrice and Celina agreed that everyone needs a support network; too many Asians don’t seek support and don’t prioritize their mental health. Those brought up in Asian cultures were never taught the importance of mental health. Lack of support can really weigh one’s mental health down and ultimately makes it harder to focus on work and overcome challenges.
The event wrapped up with closing remarks by Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director. He spoke about the benefits ofjoining AABANY as a member and encouraged attendees to register for upcoming events such as the October bi-monthly pro bono clinic in Queens on October 2, and the AABANY Fall Conference on October 12.
Special thanks to Professional Development Committee Co-chairs Nandar Win Kerr and May Wong for organizing this insightful event.
On Saturday, August 24th, the Asian American Bar Association of New York’s Membership and Litigation Committees hosted a yoga class at One World Observatory located 102 floors up in the One World Trade Center.
Attendees donned athletic wear and took a 42-second elevator ride up to the 102 floor ready to stretch, twist and relax during a one-hour yoga class with the New Jersey and Brooklyn skyline visible from the room.
After the class ended attendees shared stories and networked over coffee and pastries while taking pictures of the different iconic buildings or neighborhoods they recognized.
Thanks to the Membership Committee and Litigation Committee for organizing this unique event. We thank everyone who attended and hope they found it to be a rejuvenating experience.
To find out more about the Membership Committee, please click here. To find out more about the Litigation Committee, please click here.
On August 24, 2024, AABANY participated in a health and community fair called “Health Empowerment Celebration” organized by RaisingHealth in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. It was their third fair, and it included more than 40 community partners. They provided programs and services, such as free health screenings and resources, food, arts activities, and cultural performances. Kwok Ng (Co-Chair of the Pro Bono and Community Service Committee), May Wong (Co-Chair of Professional Development Committee), and Nandar Winn Kerr (Co-chair of Professional Development Committee) volunteered to provide immigration rights brochures, flyers about the new changes to medical coverage for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, Brooklyn Pro Bono Legal Clinic flyers, and legal referral sheets.
Starting August 1, 2024, DACA recipients are now eligible for subsidized coverage through the Essential Plan. After November 1, 2024, they will be eligible for Qualified Health Plans. For more information, please visit – https://nystateofhealth.ny.gov/
On the same day, AABANY also participated in the Immigrant Rights Fair co-organized by Committee of 100 in downtown Flushing. Read that blog post here.
We are honored to have participated at these events, to raise awareness about immigrant rights and health benefits, and to offer resources to those who need valuable and free legal advice and assistance. Thank you to volunteers and our community partners!
Please join us at these upcoming Pro Bono Clinics:
September 18, 2024 [Manhattan], from 6:00 – 8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002
October 2, 2024 [Queens], from 6:00 – 8:30pm, One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355
On Saturday, August 24th, the Committee of 100, Documented, and Glow Cultural Center hosted an Immigrant Rights Fair at the Glow Cultural Center in Flushing, Queens. AABANY joined the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, the NYC Commission on Human Rights, Community Legal Aid Center Inc., the Asian American Attorneys Association, and the Chinese-American Planning Council in providing valuable resources to attendees. Representing AABANY were Lina Lee, Pro Bono & Community Service Committee Co-Chair, Jessie Liu, Co-Chair of the Immigration Law Committee, Daphne Mei, Program Manager, Anti-Asian Violence Task Force, and Yang Chen, Executive Director.
AABANY offered free legal resources, including information about pro bono legal services, the “Getting Help for Anti-Asian Attacks and Incidents through HEART” brochure, information about our Pro Bono Clinics, including the one held bimonthly in Queens at Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) offices in Flushing, and details about our Legal Referral and Information Services (LRIS).
The event featured a “Report for Support” session, introducing the AAPI Hate Tracker to help attendees report incidents and connect with support organizations. It concluded with an “Immigrant Rights Tea & Talk” discussion on the “public charge” policy and its impact on immigration status when applying for government benefits.
We thank Cindy Tsai, Interim President of the Committee of 100, and Faye Qiu, Community Outreach Coordinator, for organizing this impactful event, which provided vital resources to the primarily elderly Chinese community in Queens. We also extend our gratitude to Councilwoman Sandra Ung for her participation and insightful speech, further advocating for immigrant rights.
Thank you to all who joined the Professional Development Committee for the soft-launch of AABANY’s Wellness Podcast, “Hello… It’s Me!,” on August 22, 2024. The podcast promotes personal and collective well-being within the legal community and will feature an AABANY member during each episode. Through storytelling, the aim is to emphasize the ABA’s multi-dimensional approach to lawyer well-being, focusing on mental health, emotional well-being, and self-care. By doing so, the Committee is working to remove the stigma around mental health and help our members embrace their true and authentic selves.
At the soft-launch, Willow Liu, Esq., a steadfast member of the Professional Development Committee and podcast team, moderated the event. The hosts and interviewers, Maggie Poon and Ona Lu, Vice-Chairs of the Professional Development Committee, shared their insights on conducting engaging and open conversations. The event’s special guest, Celina Lee, a former big law attorney turned career coach, author, and host of the “Live Your Dream” podcast, provided deep insights during her interview. A 13-minute podcast clip was presented featuring Celina Lee, who discussed how she focused her goals so that they would align with her values, and enable her to live her dreams. Celina’s advice was that “there’s no one path to create a fulfilling life,” which resonated with the audience and served as a powerful reminder to stay curious.
The thought-provoking questions from our attendees were much appreciated, and the Professional Development Committee eagerly anticipates hearing more feedback from future participants! If you’re interested in contributing to this podcast, please get in touch with [email protected].
You can listen to the podcast on the following platforms:
AABANY Blog Page: https://blog.aabany.org/podcast/, which contains both “Hello…It’s Me” and our prior podcast series, “The Whole Lawyer Project.”
Apple iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hello-its-me/id1764135581
On Wednesday, May 22, 2024, AABANY hosted its 2024 Annual Dinner with the theme “Building a Strong Foundation for a Brighter Future” at Cipriani Wall Street. Celebrating the 35th Anniversary of AABANY, the event was hosted again during Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Month with over 700 attorneys, judges, prosecutors, in-house counsel, government officials, and dignitaries who came out to celebrate with us at the Annual Dinner.
The event began with an invite-only General Counsel Reception which was attended by 40 General Counsels and numerous sponsor guests. We thank our General Counsel Reception sponsor, Groombridge, Wu, Baughman & Stone for helping us start off the night strong! To see the full list of General Counsels who accepted AABANY’s invitation, please click here.
The General Counsel Reception occurred simultaneously with a Cocktail Reception in the West Ballroom where numerous guests mingled, caught up with each other, made new connections, and took photos at the step-and-repeat.
After the Cocktail Reception, the dinner and program began with CeFaan Kim as the night’s excellent host and charismatic Master of Ceremonies. First course was already plated as CeFaan kicked off the program. He invited to the stage Karen Kim, Immediate Past President, to deliver her remarks as the outgoing President. She was followed by our first honoree, Iris Lan, Esq., recipient of AABANY’s Public Service Award.
Iris began her speech by praising AABANY for its work in preventing AAPI Hate, as well as its support for the AAPI legal community. To close out, Iris told a story attributed to United States Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson. The story was centered around three stone basins: “Each stone basin represents a judge or a lawyer,” Iris stated. “Some see their work as merely a way to earn a living. Others perhaps view their work as applying legal precedent molding their decision.” Iris then described the third stone basin as one that builds a “cathedral,” representing the building of a path for others to walk through. She thanked AABANY, as an embodiment of this third basin, for “building the cathedral of the future.”
After Iris received her reward, a short video was shown, celebrating 35 years of AABANY. It discussed the birth of AABANY as an organization established to support the community of AAPI legal professionals and the wider AAPI community. It then chronicled AABANY’s growth from a small group that would host social events to an organization with a wide-reaching mission and membership. It also delved into how AABANY contended with the COVID-19 pandemic and the uptick in anti-Asian hate, and the birth of the anti-Asian Violence Task Force.
Following the 35th anniversary video, White & Case LLP was presented with the Law Firm Diversity Award for its dedication to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal field. Sylvia Chin accepted the award on behalf of the firm. Congratulations to White & Case on this well-deserved honor. To read more about the award, read the press release here.
After a brief time for guests to continue networking, AABANY was proud to honor the Honorable Denny Chin, United States Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, with AABANY’s Impact Leadership Award
Judge Chin delivered a powerful speech on the importance of resilience and highlighted some of his most memorable career moments, such as sentencing Bernie Madoff in 2009.
In addition, we presented the 2024 class of Don H. Liu Scholars: Felicia Hou, Grace Koh and Yangji Sherpa. Read more about the program here. Before this year’s class of DHL Scholars was presented, a short film celebrated the tenth anniversary of this program and its many accomplished and worthy recipients.
The dinner ended with a short trailer for the documentary, Voices Against Anti-Asian Hate, produced by the AABANY Anti-Asian Violence Task Force. The film featured numerous victims and survivors of anti-Asian hate, including Justin Go, father of Michelle Go, who spoke eloquently about her murder in January 2022. After the trailer played, CeFaan Kim stated, “Do not be afraid, and make sure you are heard.”
Next, AABANY President Joseph Eng made closing remarks, celebrating community leaders, former presidents of AABANY, and founders in attendance, as well as discussing the “next 35 years” of AABANY, expressing the hope that the paths those leaders and founders had forged would become familiar ones for success. He envisioned a future where “exceptional is the norm,” where AAPI voices are strong and heard throughout the legal community and beyond, and where young AAPIs are encouraged and inspired to enter the profession. He finished by again congratulating the night’s award winners, thanking the sponsors, and finally thanking his wife, Alejandra.
After the dinner, attendees who wished to extend the celebration went up to the Mezzanine for the afterparty, which continued until midnight.
We thank the AABANY 2024 Annual Dinner Planning Committee and volunteers for their hours of hard work to organize this annual dinner and making it a celebration to remember. Thank you to AABANY 2024 President Joseph Eng for his leadership of the 2024 Annual Dinner Planning Committee.
We gratefully acknowledge all our sponsors whose generous contributions allow us to continue our work of supporting the AANHPI legal community and the AANHPI community as a whole. Thank you to our top sponsors:
Lastly, we thank everyone who attended the 2024 Annual Dinner for making our 35th anniversary so special and memorable. You can view the photo albums and videos from the 2024 Annual Dinner here.
Please save the date for the 2025 Annual Dinner taking place on May 29, 2025.
On August 14, 2024, the AABANY Litigation Committee came together for their second quarterly dinner, this time held at Hwa Yuan Szechuan in Chinatown. AABANY’s Litigation Committee is “dedicated to attorneys and law students who are interested in litigation [and] provides a forum and resources for networking and learning, and sponsors events that are of interest to its members.”
At the dinner, lively chatter filled the air, as attendees enjoyed banquet-style dining where dishes were served one at a time, with vegetarian and vegan options available. Vegetable dumplings, Peking duck, sweet eggplant, tofu, and fish were among the dishes served.
Attendees talked about their litigation experiences, strengthened relationships in their network, and met new litigators to add to their roster of contacts. Discussions ranged from providing legal career advice to law students and aspiring litigators to banter over how spicy the food was.
Thank you to the Litigation Committee for organizing this event and to all of those who attended.
The Litigation Committee is open to hearing suggestions for future events. To learn more about the Committee, how to get more involved, and how to contact the Committee Co-Chairs to share your ideas, please click here.
On July 16, 2024, through a collaboration between AABANY, the LGBT Bar NY (LeGal), the Metropolitan Black Bar Association, and the Puerto Rican Bar Association of New York, we had over 40 collective members and friends who signed up to watch the NY Liberty vs. CT Sun game at the Barclays Center. The crowd was ecstatic and vibrant! We congratulate our home team for winning the game (82-74) and wish them great success at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics. We were fortunate to see them in action, since they won’t be playing another organized WNBA matchup until Aug. 15.
We hope to convene at another joint collaborative bar association event to support minority bar associations and their causes, such as hosting pro bono legal clinics, awarding scholarships, and providing mentorship and training programs to attorneys and judges.
If you would like to learn more about the participating bar associations, please visit them at:
