Author: Kirin Moy

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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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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.

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Magistrate Judge Vacancy – Eastern District of New York

On July 13, 2022, Chief Judge Brodie announced that the Eastern District of New York has appointed a merit selection panel to consider and recommend candidates for a magistrate judge vacancy that will be created by the retirement of Magistrate Judge Mann. For more information, please click here.

The application form can be found on the court’s website here.

Applications must be submitted to [email protected] by August 15, 2022.

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In the News: AABANY Member Karen Lin Receives Endorsement for Queens Civil Court Judge from Elected Officials

On June 3, 2022, The Flushing Times published an article on the various leaders who expressed their support and endorsement of AABANY member Karen Lin for Queens Civil Court Judge. Karen Lin would make history as the first East Asian female judge elected in Queens.

Karen was endorsed by State Senator Jessica Ramos, Assembly Member Catalina Cruz, Assembly Member Alicia Hyndman, Assembly Member Stacey Pheffer Amato, State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, and Assembly Members Vivian Cook, Nily Rozic and Jenifer Rajkumar. In response, Karen said, “I am amazed by these extraordinary women who, by their presence and purpose in the New York State Legislature, impact our daily lives…Their collective talent, intellect and determination to get things done underscore why their representation matters.”

To read the full article, click here and go to page 18.

For more information about Karen Lin’s campaign, including how you can volunteer or support her candidacy, please visit https://www.karenlin2022.com/.

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AABANY Recognized in City and State’s 2022 The Power of Diversity: Asian 100

AABANY is excited to announce that on May 2, 2022, President William Ng and President-Elect Karen Kim were recognized by City and State’s 2022 The Power of Diversity: Asian 100. The Power of Diversity: Asian 100 identifies New York’s Asian American leaders from a wide range of backgrounds who are gaining political power and advocating for their community. President William Ng and President-Elect Karen Kim are recognized as 50th on the list, an increase from AABANY’s placement last year at 53rd.

City & State wrote:

William Ng took over as president and Karen Kim as president-elect of the Asian American Bar Association of New York in April. Ng is a shareholder at Littler, a major employment and labor law firm. A Brooklyn Law School alumnus, Kim has practiced law for over a decade and serves as counsel to QBE North America. In March, AABANY, together with like-minded organizations, filed a court brief addressing suspected racial bias in a ruling involving a Korean American individual.

AABANY has had the pleasure of working closely with Grace Meng (1), number one on the list and New York’s first Asian American member of Congress. In 2021, Grace Meng spoke at AABANY’s press conference following the release of our anti-Asian violence report, A Rising Tide of Hate and Violence against Asian Americans in New York During COVID-19: Impact, Causes, Solutions.

AABANY also congratulates Assemblymember Ron Kim (3) and State Senator John Liu (4), who both spoke at AABANY’s May 31, 2022 press conference following the release of our second report on anti-Asian hate and violence in New York City, entitled Endless Tide: The Continuing Struggle to Overcome Anti-Asian Hate in New York.

Please join AABANY in congratulating these others AAPI trailblazers who made the list:

  • Sandra Ung (12), City Council member and former treasurer of AABANY;
  • Kevin Kim (17), Commissioner of the New York City Department of Small Business Services and former AABANY Board Officer;
  • Frank Wu (23), Queens College’s first President of Asian descent. AABANY honored Frank Wu with the AABANY Impact Award at our 2021 Virtual Gala: Uniting for Justice and Equity;
  • Joon Kim (29), Partner at longtime AABANY sponsor, Cleary Gottlieb, former acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District, and AABANY member;
  • Faiza Saeed (35), Presiding Partner at Cravath, a longtime sponsor of AABANY;
  • Wellington Chen (47), Executive Director of Chinatown Partnership Local Development Corp and AABANY community partner through CPLDC’s and AABANY’s collaboration on the creation of a dedicated team to address lawsuits under the Americans With Disabilities Act;
  • L. Austin D’Souza & Vidya Pappachan (64), President and President-Elect of the South Asian Bar Association of New York and AABANY members;
  • Justin Yu (78), Chair of The Chinese Chamber of Commerce of New York and AABANY community partner through his past support for our Chinatown Pro Bono Clinic;
  • Anna Mercado Clark (88), Partner at Phillips Lytle, NAPABA’s Northeast regional governor, and AABANY’s current Development Director, an Officer position on the Board; and
  • Elizabeth OuYang (98), Civil Rights attorney and leader of the APA Voice Redistricting Task Force of which AABANY is a member.

AABANY congratulates everyone who made the City & State Asian 100 list and thanks them all for the important work they do on behalf of New York’s AAPI community. To read the full article, please click here.

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AABANY Membership & Solo and Small Firm Practice Committees Host #RestaurantSeries dinner at Lil Chef Mama

On June 9, 2022, the Membership & Solo and Small Firm Practice Committees hosted a #RestaurantSeries dinner at Lil Chef Mama. AABANY is trying to support small, Asian-owned businesses and restaurants through our Restaurant Series. “The Membership Committee’s #RestaurantSeries gives AABANY members an opportunity to meet fellow members and to get introduced to co-sponsoring AABANY committees while also supporting local businesses,” explains Membership Director Christopher Bae. “Whether the restaurants are Asian-owned mom and pop shops, established staples of the restaurant scene, or allies of the Asian-American community, join us in supporting and celebrating the resiliency of local businesses during this post-pandemic time.”

Located in FiDi next to Pier 17, Lil Chef Mama is a hidden gem. Click here to learn more about Lil Chef Mama!

AABANY members enjoyed unique dishes, from a whole fried fish to frog legs. Members also enjoyed staples like Thai iced teas. New connections were formed among the diverse group of attendees. We learned that Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee Chair, Carolynn Beck is a serial hobbyist. Her hobbies include Muay Thai, skydiving, and scuba diving, just to name a few.

Thank you to all those who came out. Membership Director Christopher Bae encourages everyone to join us at the next #RestaurantSeries. Keep an eye out for future dinners on our calendar at aabany.org/events.

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AABANY #RestaurantSeries Celebrates at Louie’s Pizza in Queens to Honor a Hero and Wish Happy Birthday to Beatrice

On May 28, 2022, the Membership Committee hosted a #RestaurantSeries lunch at Louie’s Pizza. AABANY is trying to support small Asian owned businesses and restaurants through our Restaurant Series, which will be held twice a month. In this case, we wanted to recognize the father and son duo, Cazim and Louie, for coming to the aid of an AAPI woman being robbed and attacked in front of their pizza store. The father and son stepped in for the woman, chased her assailants, and detained two of the suspects until the police arrived. Cazim and Louie received a combined ten stab wounds and each suffered collapsed lungs. 

AABANY members enjoyed many pizza pies, from plain cheese to a variety of toppings. AABANY President William Ng came by with his son Justin. When co-owner Louie Suljovic came by to our tables to drop off a pie, he asked Will what high school he went to and mentioned that he looked “very familiar.” Will then thought about it for a minute and it dawned on him that he and Louie played basketball together in middle school in Queens. Small world! Karen Lin, AABANY member and candidate for Judge of the Civil Court in Queens also joined us with her husband and three sons. They spent their morning handing out campaign literature to help Karen become the first East Asian woman elected to be a judge in Queens. Read more about Karen in this profile: https://blog.aabany.org/2022/05/17/aabany-member-profile-karen-lin-runs-for-queens-civil-court-judge/.

We concluded the lunch by celebrating AABANY Vice President of Programming and Operations Beatrice Leong’s birthday with a cake from Martha’s Country Bakery in Bayside. We kicked off Beatrice’s birthday weekend with a rousing round of “Happy Birthday!”

Thank you to those who came out! Our next #RestaurantSeries will be at Lil Chef Mama. Enjoy a delicious Thai-fusion dinner with the Membership and Solo and Small Firm Practice Committees while supporting a local Asian-owned business. Dinner includes shared appetizers and an individual entree.

We hope you will join us on June 9 at 7pm at Lil Chef Mama (27 Cliff Street, Manhattan).

For more information and to register, please visit https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1643025

For more information, please email Membership Director Christopher Bae at [email protected] 

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AABANY’s Pro Bono & Community Service Committee form The Pelican Brief team for the Bronx Zoo’s 5k, Run for the Wild

On Saturday, April 30, AABANY’s Pro Bono & Community Service Committee formed The Pelican Brief team for the Bronx Zoo’s Run for the Wild, a 5K Run and 3K Family Fun Run/Walk. This year, Run for the Wild is inspired by the beloved and endangered hornbills. The Pelican Brief ran, walked, or crawled to improve their well-being and mental health. The Pelican Brief team was happy to participate and support this great cause, and to network with each other in the process.

AABANY members Kevin Hsi, Thomas Hou, Nelson Mar, and May Wong showed up at 7am to show their support. In first place was Thomas Hou who finished the 5k at 9:06am. In second place was Nelson Mar who ran with a pulled hamstring, with his newborn Esperanza cheering him on from her stroller. Co-chairs, Kevin Hsi of the Government & Public Service Committee, and May Wong of the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee finished around late 9am.

Congratulations to The Pelican Brief who placed 19th out of the top 100 teams and raised $1,085 to support the hornbills! And congratulations to Thomas Hou, who placed 20th out of the top 100 participants and raised $890!

Please join the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee at our next event, the Queens Pro Bono Legal Clinic on Saturday, June 25. At these pro bono clinics, attorneys and staff provide free 30-minute legal information and referral sessions to limited English proficient (LEP) clients who speak Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, and/or Spanish, in matters relating to housing, family, consumer debt, estates, and immigration matters.

For more information and to register, please visit https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1632287. For more information, please contact PBCS at [email protected].