Author: Carrey Wong

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Thank You for Volunteering at the AABANY Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic and RaisingHealth’s Community Outreach on Sept. 20

We extend our sincere gratitude to AABANY, AALFNY, PBCS, CPC, RaisingHealth and all the dedicated volunteers who contributed to the success of our pro bono legal clinic and our community outreach activity at RaisingHealth’s Health Empowerment Celebration 
in Brooklyn on September 20th, 2025.

Kwok Kei Ng (Co-Chair), May Wong (former Co-Chair) and Nandar Win Kerr (Treasurer and Impact Consultant) of the Pro Bono and Community Service (PBCS) Committee hosted a community outreach table at the RaisingHealth’s Health Empowerment Celebration event. We effectively referred guests with legal questions to the pro bono legal clinic in real-time and distributed “Know-Your-Rights” brochures on immigration law in Chinese and Spanish, upcoming pro bono clinic flyers, and information about AABANY’s legal referral and information service. Our participation highlights our commitment to community lawyering and addressing current immigration rights issues, including constitutional rights and fraudulent schemes targeting vulnerable immigrants. By utilizing our legal knowledge, language skills, and resources, we aim to build relationships with local communities and advocate for policy and social changes.

During the clinic, our small but mighty team of volunteers provided invaluable assistance to 28 clients, addressing a range of legal matters including housing, immigration, civil litigation, personal injury and employment. Our volunteer attorneys and interpreters thoughtfully addressed client concerns, offered clarity through their answers, and facilitated connections to appropriate legal resources via AABANY’s Legal Referral and Information Service (LRIS).

We are committed to offering services in both Mandarin and Cantonese to ensure continued support for individuals facing linguistic or cultural barriers when seeking guidance on substantive and procedural legal matters.

We especially want to thank all the volunteers at the September 20th Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic for their time, professionalism, and invaluable contributions. Your dedication, including staying later than necessary to ensure no guest was turned away, is truly admirable.

Volunteer attorneys:

Ben Choi

Arthur Lin

Kwok Kei Ng

May Wong

Jameson Xu

Karen Yau


Interpreters/shadowers:
Elaine Ou Yang

Qi (Ellie) Wang

Francisco Yau-Smith

Wendy Zeng

We invite you to continue supporting our community by joining us at our upcoming Pro Bono Clinics:

October 1st [Queens link here], from 6:30 – 8:30pm, One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355 (We have guest speakers from NYC MOIA regarding immigration resources. Please join us!)

October 15th [Manhattan link here] from 6:30-8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002

November 8th [Brooklyn link here], from 12:30 – 3:30pm, CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232

Thanks once again to all our volunteers for attending the Pro Bono Clinic. We look forward to your participation in our future clinics!

To learn more about the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, visit probono.aabany.org.

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Announcing the 2025 Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award Honorees

2025 NAPABA Awards

Announcing the Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award Honorees

The Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award is NAPABA’s highest honor, celebrating the outstanding achievements of lawyers whose leadership and dedication have left a profound mark on both the legal profession and the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community. This lifetime achievement award recognizes those whose vision, courage, and commitment have opened doors and paved the way for future generations of attorneys.

Trailblazers are leaders who have not only excelled in their practice but have also made enduring contributions to advancing equity, opportunity, and justice within the legal community and beyond.

We are honored to celebrate the 2025 Trailblazer Award recipients and their extraordinary impact at this year’s NAPABA Convention in Denver.

Rose Cuison-Villazor
Professor of Law and Chancellor’s Social Justice Scholar at Rutgers Law School
Rose Cuison-Villazor is Professor of Law and Chancellor’s Social Justice Scholar at Rutgers Law School where she previously served as Interim Co-Dean (2021-2023) and Vice Dean (2019-2021). She is also Director of the Center for Immigrant Justice, which conducts publicly engaged research and policy work on progressive immigration and citizenship laws. She is an elected member of the American Law Institute.
Marvin S. C. Dang
Managing Member, Law Offices of Marvin S.C. Dang, LLLC & Partner, Nelson & Kennard, LLP
An attorney in Honolulu since 1978, Marvin Dang is the Managing Member of the Law Offices of Marvin S. C. Dang, LLLC. Separately, Marvin is also a partner in Nelson & Kennard, which is a California law firm doing business in 8 states; he co-manages the Hawaii office, which focuses on civil litigation. In 2023, he was elected ABA Secretary, the first Asian American attorney and the first Hawaii attorney to serve as an ABA officer in the organization’s history.
Daniel D. Hu
Chief, Civil Division, United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas  
Daniel David Hu is a career prosecutor who currently serves as Chief, Civil Division, United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas. He joined the office in 1992 and was promoted to Civil Chief in 2016. In 1995, he founded the Asian Interest Section of the State Bar of Texas and later served as the first APA minority director on the State Bar of Texas Board.
Lily Yan Hughes
Assistant Dean at Syracuse University College of Law; Former SVP, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary of Fortune 500 Arrow Electronics and S&P 500 Public Storage
Lily is Assistant Dean at Syracuse University College of Law, overseeing strategy and operations for the Admissions & Financial Aid Office, the Marketing & Communications Office, the Office of Career Services, and SU Abroad. She has also been appointed by the Chancellor as a member of the University Leadership Team. Lily is currently Chair and has served on the board of directors of DirectWomen since October 2021.
Sandra Leung
Independent Board Member/Former F500 EVP, General Counsel
Sandy Leung retired in 2025 as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Bristol Myers Squibb Company. Sandy joined Bristol Myers Squibb in 1992 as a staff attorney in the litigation department. She began her legal career as Assistant District Attorney at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in New York City, where she was an original member of the Child Abuse Bureau. She served as NAPABA President from 2020-2022. Currently, she is on the Board of Directors of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund as well as the board of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association.
Alan Tse
Global Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary of Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc
Alan Tse is Global Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary at JLL. Before joining JLL, Alan was Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Petco. Alan is deeply involved in the legal community and serves on the Board of Directors of the Association of Corporate Counsel, where he previously chaired its Advocacy Committee. He is also a co-founder and board member of the Asian American Legal Foundation, advocating for greater representation and equity in the legal profession.
Honorable Sue Pai Yang
Retired Judge of Compensation, New Jersey
The Honorable Sue Pai Yang was the first Chinese American appointed as a judge in New Jersey. She served on the Workers’ Compensation Court in Newark, where she heard cases involving workplace injuries. Her most memorable trials and decisions concerned individuals who alleged psychological disabilities due to harassment/workplace bullying. Upon retirement, Judge Yang became a founding member of the National Workplace Bullying Coalition (NWBC). She was a founding member of NAPABA and the first Asian American elected to the Board of Trustees of the New Jersey State Bar Association.
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Judiciary Committee Kicks Off Inaugural Breakfast with the Bench with Judge Rena Malik

On September 11, 2025, AABANY’s Judiciary Committee hosted the inaugural Breakfast with the Bench Event with the Honorable Rena Malik (New York City Civil Court, Kings County) at Junior’s Cheesecake in Brooklyn. AABANY members and non-members alike, including current law students and working professionals, came together to discuss with Judge Malik her path to the bench and the challenges she overcame to become a judge. Judge Malik, a former Co-Chair of the Judiciary Committee, shared how AABANY can assist those who are interested in becoming a judge a reality.

The Judiciary Committee aims to host regular events to allow members to engage and connect with the judiciary. The Committee encourages those interested in the courts, becoming a judge, or vetting potential judicial candidates to attend future events and to visit the Committee’s subpage on the AABANY website for more information.

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2025-26 NAPABA Elections | Officer Elections Results

2025-26 NAPABA Elections

Officer Elections Results

NAPABA is committed to having a governing board that reflects the breadth of the AANHPI legal community and brings together the right blend of skills, expertise, and community connections. We value a culture that welcomes a wide range of perspectives and empowers leaders to engage with each other and the community in meaningful ways—building trust, increasing transparency, and maximizing impact.

The NAPABA membership elected the following individuals to serve on the 2025-26 NAPABA Board of Governors. Join us in welcoming these leaders.

Jason DeJonker
President-Elect		Annette Kwok
Secretary		Arlene Yang
Treasurer

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NAPABA Congratulates John Truong on Nomination to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia

For Immediate Release:

September 9, 2025

Contact:

Rahat N. Babar, Deputy Executive Director

NAPABA Congratulates John Truong on Nomination to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia

WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) applauds the nomination of John Truong to serve as Associate Judge on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

“John Truong is an experienced litigator and long-time NAPABA member, including being honored with the NAPABA Best Under 40 Award in 2009,” said Thy Bui, President of NAPABA. “His distinguished career, commitment to public service, and deep ties to the D.C. legal community, including his leadership with the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of the Greater Washington, D.C. Area (APABA-DC), make him exceptionally qualified to serve on the Superior Court. His confirmation would not only add a fair and experienced jurist to the bench, but also further the representation of AANHPI judges in our courts.”

Truong is Deputy Chief in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, where he prosecutes fraud and misconduct cases. He has previously represented federal officials and agencies in civil litigation, prosecuted criminal offenses, and practiced at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. Truong also teaches as an Adjunct Professor at George Washington University Law School. He clerked for Judge Ricardo M. Urbina of the U.S. District Court for D.C. and holds a B.A. from the University of Southern California, an M.A. from American University, and a J.D. from American University’s Washington College of Law.

“John embodies the best of our legal community. His professional achievements and commitment to justice reflect the values that NAPABA works to advance every day,” said Priya Purandare, Executive Director of NAPABA. “We are proud to support his nomination and confident he will serve with distinction on the Superior Court.”

NAPABA thanks President Trump for the nomination and urges the U.S. Senate to consider the nomination swiftly.

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Apply to the MinKwon DREAM Scholarship!

Deadline: September 26, 2025 at 10:00am
What: $2,000 Scholarship (4 winners)

We invite all immigrant students between the ages of 16-28 to apply for the MinKwon DREAM Scholarship! MinKwon Center for Community Action was founded on the commitment and people power of young immigrants who wanted to build a more democratic world for themselves and their communities. As an organization, we believe that immigrants are a critical part of our society—whether or not they are citizens. The MinKwon DREAM Scholarship honors the legacy of youth and immigrant power by providing support for young people who hold aspirations for building a better world with the hopes of supporting our collective futures.

There will be two categories of scholarship, each with two winners.

  1. Lee Kyoung Hui Scholarship: The Lee Kyoung Hui Scholarship is open to all immigrants who demonstrate commitment to building and serving their communities through volunteering and community service.
  2. MinKwon Youth Scholarship: The MinKwon Youth Scholarship is open to all immigrants who have participated as a youth member of the MinKwon Center. 

Winners will be contacted about their awards within two weeks of the application deadline. For any questions, concerns, or accommodations please contact Ju-Bum Cha at jubum.cha@minkwon.org.

Apply by September 26, 2025: bit.ly/mkDREAM25. 

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Thank You to our Volunteers at the August Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic

We extend our sincere gratitude to AABANY, AALFNY, PBCS, AAFE, and all the dedicated volunteers who contributed to the success of our pro bono legal clinic in Manhattan on August 20, 2025.

During the clinic, our volunteers provided invaluable assistance to 13 clients, addressing a range of legal matters including housing, immigration, civil litigation, personal injury and employment. Our volunteer attorneys and interpreters thoughtfully addressed client concerns, offered clarity through their answers, and facilitated connections to appropriate legal resources via AABANY’s Legal Referral and Information Service (LRIS).

We are committed to offering services in both Mandarin and Cantonese to ensure continued support for individuals facing linguistic or cultural barriers when seeking guidance on substantive and procedural legal matters.

Thanks again to all the volunteers at the August 20th Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic for their time, professionalism, and contribution:

Volunteer attorneys:

Vishal Chander

Marcus Cheung

Francis Chin

Justin Lee

Beatrice Leong

Lily Li

Andrew Sun

Peter Wei

Cecilia Yang

Gary Yeung

Interpreters/shadowers:

Sam Hou

Emily Kam

Xiaofei (Lucy) Liu

Dazhen Lu

Albert Tong

Shang Zhai

We invite you to continue supporting our community by joining us at our upcoming Pro Bono Clinics:

September 17th [Manhattan link here] from 6:30-8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002

September 20th [Brooklyn link here], from 12:30 – 3:30pm, CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232

October 1st [Queens link here], from 6:30 – 8:30pm, One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355

Thanks once again to all our volunteers for attending the Pro Bono Clinic. We look forward to your participation in our future clinics!

To learn more about the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, visit probono.aabany.org.

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2025 NAPABA Awards | Recognizing the Best Under 40

2025 NAPABA Awards
Recognizing the Best Under 40

Join us in honoring the 2025 Best Under 40 honorees—remarkable leaders who are making their mark in law, business, academia, public service, and beyond. These rising stars have distinguished themselves in their fields and demonstrated a strong commitment to uplifting the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community.

Celebrate their achievements at the NAPABA Convention, November 6-8.

Visit our website to learn more about each of this year’s award recipients.

2025 Best Under 40

Charles Chen
IP & Product Counsel at Hims & Hers		Christina Lin Chen
Associate Attorney at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Reiko Koyama
Counsel at Hunton Andrews Kurth		Gisela Perez Kusakawa
Executive Director at the Asian American Scholar Forum
Steven Ngo
Sr. Counsel at Rivian		Gigio Koshy Ninan
Co-Founder, Shankar Ninan Law Firm
Michelle Pham
Partner at Buchalter APC		Anjali Srinivasan
Partner at Keker, Van Nest & Peters
Tansy Woan
Litigation Partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP		Qiaojing Ella Zheng
Managing Partner of San Francisco and Palo Alto Offices of Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, LLP; Chair of Asian American Litigation and Finance Practice
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AABANY Hosts “Dumplings & Discussion” Chat with Christopher Y. Chan

On Tuesday, August 26, 2025, AABANY’s Dumpling & Discussion series hosted Christopher Y. Chan, General Counsel at JLL Technologies, for a night of candid conversation and dumplings. The discussion was held at Fish & Richardson’s office in Times Square and moderated by AABANY Board Director Jeffrey Mok.

Over the course of the evening, Chris shared with us his fascinating legal career that has spanned the U.S. and Southeast Asia. Risk-taking, stereotype-breaking, and finding happiness were some of the key topics of discussion as Chris recounted how his journey to his current position as Global General Counsel for JLL Technologies.  Chris also shared his thoughts on the future of the legal industry.  During the Q&A session, Chris addressed questions from an avid audience about the importance of building strong communities and relationships and aspiring for success on your own terms.

In a lively networking reception afterwards, attendees enjoyed drinks along with plates of dumplings, siu mai and Singaporean mei fun.

We are deeply grateful to Chris for his generosity in sharing his experiences and insights.

To learn more about about the Dumplings & Discussion series, see here: https://blog.aabany.org/tag/dumplings-discussion/

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