AABANY Co-Sponsors Fireside Chat with Bethany Li, Executive Director of AALDEF

On Thursday, February 27th, AABANY with FALA New York, NACAL, SABANY, and NYU’s APALSA co-sponsored a Fireside Chat with Bethany Li, the new Executive Director of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF). Moderated by Vishal Chander, Co-Chair of AABANY’s Issues Committee, the event gave insight into AALDEF’s history, Bethany’s journey into public interest law, and the pressing civil rights issues facing Asian American communities today.

Bethany Li first took the audience through the history of AALDEF, highlighting how AALDEF has been instrumental in landmark cases that have shaped Asian American advocacy. She emphasized that AALDEF’s history is deeply intertwined with the history of Asian Americans in the United States, stating, “Much of AALDEF’s history coincides with what we understand and study as Asian American history.” 

Bethany later shared personal stories of her childhood in Massachusetts, attributing much of her fine-tuned awareness of systemic injustices to her exposure to the immigrant struggle at an early age. This went on to influence her path to public interest law where, at Amherst, she became more involved in Asian American activism through internships at different journalistic and legal organizations, including one experience during college in which she interned at AALDEF. She later attended Georgetown Law, where she studied under Mari Matsuda, one of the nation’s leading critical race theorists, who cemented her commitment to social justice.

Reflecting on her return to AALDEF as Executive Director, she described it as a homecoming and stressed her commitment to expanding AALDEF’s litigation work, strengthening pro bono partnerships, and mentoring the next generation of civil rights attorneys.

The conversation turned to the role of law firms and private attorneys in supporting AALDEF’s mission. Bethany encouraged attorneys to take on pro bono cases, financially support AALDEF’s work through sponsorships, donations, and participation in events like AALDEF’s Annual Gala, and to advocate within their institutions for greater engagement in civil rights litigation and standing up against government policies that harm immigrant communities. She noted that law firms play a crucial role in civil rights litigation, so their support is greatly appreciated. However, she also acknowledged that pro bono support has become more challenging in the current political climate as firms have refused to attach their names to even non-controversial cases.

Bethany also shared valuable insights for law students interested in public interest law. She specifically stressed the importance of getting hands-on experience through internships, clinics, and pro bono opportunities and seeking mentorship from experienced public interest lawyers. Additionally, Niji Jain, the Legal Director of AALDEF, noted the importance of a strong cover letter while applying, saying that “as a lawyer, writing is your craft.” Bethany also mentioned one of AALDEF’s goals in the coming years: launching an Asian American Training Institute to train the next generation of civil rights litigators and community lawyers.

Vishal’s final question to Bethany was regarding whether she had a call to action for the audience. Bethany gave a powerful piece of advice, citing her former Professor Mari Matsuda, saying, “Do the work that gives you energy.”

The event concluded with Bethany taking a few questions from the audience, during which they engaged in discussions about AALDEF’s future priorities, the challenges of mobilizing Asian American communities, and ways to get involved.

AABANY extends its deepest gratitude to NYU Law School for hosting, FALA New York, SABANY, and NYU’s APALSA for co-sponsoring and making this possible, and especially Bethany Li for her time and insights. We also thank the AABANY Committees that worked so hard to put on this event, namely the IP Committee, Issues Committee, GSPI Committee, and Professional Development Committee. Thank you as well to everyone who attended this important discussion.

Hon. Dorothy Chin Brandt Looking Back at the Founding and Legacy of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission

Three years ago, the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission (originally known as the New York State Judicial Commission on Minorities) released a series of interviews with the Commission’s founding mothers and fathers on the New York Courts Amici podcast site. The series, assembled and organized by John M. Caher, Senior Advisor for Strategic and Technical Communications, concluded with an interview of the Hon. Dorothy Chin Brandt. Justice Brandt passed away on January 27, 2025, and we take this opportunity to look back at her interview and appreciate her legacy of promoting diversity in the judiciary. 

Hon. Dorothy Chin Brandt was the first female Asian American Judge to be elected in the state of New York when she was elected to the New York City Civil Court in 1987. Shortly after being elected, she became a founding member of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission. Brandt said that “the [New York] courts were perceived as unfriendly or not friendly to minorities,” which paved the way for establishing the Commission, with a mission to “find out what was the perception and how it could be remedied.” Brandt was ecstatic to be part of a commission that would help eradicate racism in the courts. Her personal experiences of discrimination throughout her career would provide valuable context and information for this endeavor.

The Commission collected anecdotes from around New York state to figure out the perception of the courts rather than investigating the courts themselves, because, according to Brandt, “perception is different from reality, but in a lot of ways it’s stronger than reality because that’s what people think and feel is going on, and maybe it’s harder to counteract.”

To combat this perception, the Commission immediately put mandatory diversity and sensitivity training in place for the whole court system. They also looked towards legal education and tried to get more minorities interested in and learning about law because there was such little diversity in the courts at the time. She noted happily that now there are many more minority lawyers, talking specifically about Asian Americans by saying, “We have a lot more Asian-American lawyers. We didn’t have an Asian-American bar at that time in 1988…but now we have a full-fledged bar association, Asian American Bar [of New York], and very full force, very active.”

Lastly, Brandt attributed much of the major progress in the United States regarding equality in the courts to the work the Commission has done in  New York on the perception of racism in the courts. Through the Commission’s work, they “got people’s attention and presented examples of what was not right, and everybody recognized this is not right.” She further noted that many other states followed New York and set up minority commissions of their own. Brandt ultimately emphasized the importance of the work of the Commission, remarking how if it was not for them, people might still be treated just based on their race, religion, ethnicity, etc. when they enter into the court system. 

To listen to the full podcast, please click here.

AABANY Membership and Women’s Committees Co-Host Kiki Yeung “Cantonese Mom” & Friends at Rodney’s Comedy Club

On Sunday, March 9, 2025, the AABANY Membership and Women’s Committee with KALAGNY co-hosted a comedy show, Kiki Yeung’s “The Cantonese Mom and Friends” featuring Asian comedians at Rodney’s Comedy Club in Manhattan.

Attendees were able to Celebrate Women’s History Month with laughter as headliner Kiki Yeung performed, alongside a line-up featuring comics Kaneez Surka, Macy Kwok, Vickie Wang, and Miss Lissa performed.

Members were treated to discounted tickets and were seated together to ensure that our group could enjoy the show all together for a fun-filled night.

As the performances concluded, AABANY and their sister bar KALAGNY were invited to make remarks about the organizations on the stage. Beatrice Leong spoke on AABANY’s behalf, encouraging people to join AABANY for great community service opportunities and fun events.

Thank you to everyone who attended the event and to KALAGNY for celebrating Women’s History Month with us. Thank you especially to the Membership and Women’s Committees for organizing the event. To learn more about the Membership and Women’s Committees, visit their community pages.

AABANY Members Participate In RaisingHealth Pop-Up Event in Sunset Park

On February 15, 2025, members of AABANY volunteered to station a booth at RaisingHealth’s Pop-Up Health Fair Event in Sunset Park! Many community organizations attended to provide free health exams, serve hot meals, and distribute groceries to participants. RaisingHealth, formerly known as the Academy of Medical & Public Health Services, is a not-for-profit health service organization founded in 2010 that supports the well-being of underserved communities through culturally competent health, education, and community-building programs. 

We want to thank AABANY, RaisingHealth, our volunteers for serving the Brooklyn community, and Joseph Eng, President of AABANY, and Counsel at King & Spalding. At the Health Fair, AABANY volunteers (Kwok Ng, Co-Chair of the Pro Bono and Community Service (PBCS) Committee; Gary Yeung, Co-Chair of PBCS Committee; May Wong (Co-chair of the Professional Development Committee); and Francis Chin (member of AABANY) passed out Know-Your-Rights brochures about immigration law in Chinese and Spanish, upcoming pro bono clinic flyers, and AABANY’s legal referral and information service. Our participation serves as a commitment to community lawyering and to address current immigration rights issues, such as constitutional rights, ICE raids, and fraudulent schemes that target innocent and 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 in the law. 

In addition, please consider volunteering at the following pro bono clinics: 

Queens clinic – April 2, 2025 [Queens link here], from 6:00 – 8:30pm, One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355

Manhattan clinic – April 16, 2025, from 6:00 – 8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002

Brooklyn clinic – May 10, 2025, from 12:00 – 3:00pm, location tbd 

Moving forward, registrations for these clinics will be posted on AABANY’s calendar. Please be patient with us during this transition. Thank you! 

NAPABA Condemns Executive Orders Undermining the Legal Profession

For Immediate Release:
Date: March 20, 2025
Contact:
Rahat N. Babar, Deputy Executive Director

WASHINGTON – The legal profession is of constitutional significance. The right to counsel is fundamental, and the judiciary as a coequal branch of government is charged with peacefully resolving disputes that inevitably arise in a vast and complex nation. Undermining the legal profession undermines democracy.

Over the past few weeks, the Administration issued executive actions against three law firms: Covington Burling LLP, Perkins Coie LLP, and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. These actions included the suspension of security clearances and a review and termination of government contracts. For two of the firms, the Administration limited their access to federal government buildings and interactions between the firms and government officials.

One executive order accused global law firms of having a role “in the destruction of bedrock American principles.” Another executive order described one of the law firm’s activities as “dishonest and dangerous.” The executive actions plainly expressed a displeasure with the firms’ representation of certain clients that the Administration disfavors. Some of the executive actions are now subject to litigation.

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) condemns these attacks. From the founding of this Nation, lawyers have represented clients regardless of their stature in society. NAPABA is the national voice of the Asian Pacific American legal profession. We promote justice and equality. Members throughout our community zealously represent their clients each and every day, including those at the three law firms. When attorneys are unable to represent their clients free from intimidation and threats, our profession and justice system are jeopardized.

NAPABA also rejects the calls for the impeachment of judges simply because of their rulings. As Chief Justice John Roberts shared recently, “impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.” We agree.

For the NAPABA community, we ask you to engage and express our collective voice. Become a member. Join us at NAPABA Lobby Day. Attend the NAPABA Convention. Your leadership is pivotal.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) represents the interests 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.

Save the Date for NAPABA In-House Counsel (IHC) and Partners Summits August 28-29

The IHC Summit and Partners Summit return to New York City on August 28-29, 2025. Held concurrently, these premier gatherings bring together top NAPABA members for two days of high-impact networking and career-building opportunities.

In-House Counsel (IHC) SummitPartners Summit
A career development program helping senior in-house attorneys accelerate their competitive advantage. Participants will gain insights from General Counsels, C-Suite Executives, and search firm leaders on navigating leadership transitions and positioning themselves for top legal roles.An interactive program for law firm partners to strengthen leadership skills, collaborate on career strategies, and build connections with the next generation of law firm leaders. The Summit is hosted in parallel with the IHC Summit, providing unique networking opportunities with senior in-house attorneys from Fortune 1000 companies.



Why You Should Be There

  • Engage with Fortune 1000 legal decision-makers
  • Gain actionable strategies from industry leaders to elevate your career
  • Build lasting connections with senior IHC attorneys and law firm partners

Applications open April 2, 2025!

Congressional Reception in Celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month

Tuesday, May 20, 2025 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM ET

Join NAPABA members and community leaders from across the country in celebrating AANHPI Heritage Month with members of Congress at the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, DC. The reception will unite Lobby Day participants, Congressional members and their staff, as well as influential leaders from the AANHPI community.

This is a unique opportunity to engage with our political leaders and hear their insights. In 2024, participants heard from influential figures such as Senator Mazie Hirono and Representative Judy Chu, Chair Emerita of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

This is a widely attended event. An RSVP is required to secure your spot.


Registration for Lobby Day is not required to attend the Congressional Reception, but we invite you to participate in Lobby Day, which consists of training and meetings with Congressional offices. Please note that only NAPABA members or members of NAPABA affiliates are eligible to participate in Lobby Day.


For any questions about Lobby Day, please email the NAPABA Lobby Day Team at [email protected].

Thank You to Our Volunteers at the March 8th Pro Bono Clinic in Brooklyn!

Thank you to AABANY, AALFNY, PBCS, Chinese-American Planning Council, our incredible volunteers, and our community partners for helping out at the March 8th pro bono legal clinic in Brooklyn.  Our volunteers met with 16 clients, addressing questions related to housing, matrimonial and family law, and immigration.

We are grateful to have our special guest speakers, Vishal Chander and Karen Kithan Yau, provide a “Know Your Rights” training on immigration laws to our volunteers and clients. For the next couple of clinics, we will be inviting speakers to provide crucial information about immigrants’ interactions with law enforcement in the public and at the workplace.  

At these clinics, we not only help answer clients’ legal questions, but we also want to teach law students and young attorneys how to explain the law in layman’s terms and provide an opportunity for the clients to be heard. We had volunteers explaining the concept of jurisdiction to a litigant who wasn’t sure why her petition was denied, the process of suing in small claims court, and discussing differences between wills and trusts. So thank you all for listening to the clients’ stories!

Thank you again to our amazing volunteers:

Volunteer Attorneys
Anna Chen
Beatrice Leong
Ben Choi
Chenyi Wang
Francis Chin
Gary Yeung
Karen Kithan Yau
Kwok Kei Ng
May Wong
Peter Wei
Victoria Cheng
Vishal Chander
Interpreters & Shadowers
Albert Tong
Chia-Jung (Colette) Chang
Emily Kam
Kenny Ip
Kirin Moy
Leo Shen
Miao Wen
Nandar Win Kerr
Ruo Yang
Sam Chen
Shuyao (Sherry) Wang
Xiaocen Zhang
Zekai Lian

Please come back and join us at our upcoming clinics:

April 2, 2025 [Queens link here], from 6:00 – 8:30pm, One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355

[Please note that after April 2, 2025, all registrations for the clinics will take place through AABANY’s calendar. Please be patient with the transition.]

If you can’t make it to the clinics, please join our 10th Year Anniversary of Pro Bono Clinics on March 27th, 2025!

AABANY Holds its 2025 Annual Meeting of Members at King & Spalding on February 11th

On Tuesday, February 11th, 2025, AABANY held its Annual Meeting of Members at King & Spalding. President Joseph Eng called the meeting to order and established a quorum. The main order of business was conducting the election for the 2026 Fiscal Year Board of Directors and Officers. 

Once all ballots were collected, President Eng called up President-Elect Ben Hsing and Immediate Past President Karen Kim to receive them as the Tellers. They departed to a separate room to count up the votes cast, both at the Annual Meeting and via electronic voting prior to the Annual Meeting.

While the votes were being tallied, President Eng invited the Membership Director, Alysha Naik, to present the Membership Director’s report. He then invited Treasurer Jasmine Ball to give the Treasurer’s Report, sharing information about AABANY’s financial performance during the past fiscal year.

President Eng then gave the Annual Report of the Board, summarizing AABANY’s major events for the past fiscal year, covering April 1, 2024, to date.  He thanked the Board members for their service during the past year and asked those present in the room to stand and be recognized.

Executive Director Yang Chen then gave the Annual Report of the Committees, giving thanks to the Vice Presidents of Programs and Operations Ashley Shan and Jeffrey Mok, and the Committee Chairs for their hard work. Yang also went over a few highlights from committee events over the past year. Yang then presented the Awards for Committees of the Year, Program of the Year, and Member of the Year. 

Committee of the Year: Professional Development Committee

The Committee of the Year Award was presented to the Professional Development Committee for their many years of volunteer service to the association, accreditation of numerous continuing legal education programs over the years that benefited our members and the profession, and making sure that the association complies with New York State CLE board rules, along with other programming to support professional development.

Program of the Year: Pre-Holiday Multi-Association Gathering

The Program of the Year Award was presented to the Pre-Holiday Multi-Association Gathering for bringing together numerous bar and judicial associations to promote wellness and well-being in the legal profession during a time of the year that may prove challenging for many.

Member of the Year: Gary Yeung 

The Member of the Year Award was presented to Gary Yeung for his many years of active and dedicated involvement, participation, and leadership in service to the association, to its members, and to the wider community.


After the presentation of the awards, Joseph announced the election results. The following officers were elected to serve a one-year term for the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2025, and ending March 31, 2026 (the “2026 Fiscal Year”):

Varuna Bhattacharyya

President-Elect

Pei Pei Cheng de Castro

Vice President, Programs and Operations

Tai Chien

Vice President, Programs and Operations

P. Bartlett Wu

Treasurer

David Mou

Secretary

Alysha Naik

Membership Director

Beatrice Leong

Development Director

The following candidates were elected as Directors to serve two-year terms beginning on the first day of the 2026 Fiscal Year:

Glenn D. Magpantay
Katherine Loanzon
Jeffery Mok

The night concluded with a bittersweet goodbye to Deputy Executive Director, Alice Biagini. February 11 was Alice’s last day at AABANY. She accepted a position as a business development and marketing manager at a law firm. During her eight months with us, she made a great impact on our operations and activities and supported our Board members and Committee Chairs as well as our membership. Alice will be missed by everyone she has touched. Yang presented her with some parting gifts from AABANY, which included a cookbook entitled The Woks of Life as well as a personalized apron with the AABANY logo. We wish her well in her future endeavors and hope to continue seeing her at AABANY events, as a participant.  

We thank everyone who attended the Annual Meeting and everyone who voted, whether by proxy or in person. Congratulations to all the award recipients and the newly elected Officers and Directors.

Special thank you goes out to AABANY President Joseph Eng and the wonderful staff at King & Spalding for hosting AABANY’s 2025 Annual Meeting.

Deadline Extended: Extra Time to Finalize your Proposal

We understand how hectic schedules can be and you may not have had a chance to submit your proposal for the 2025 NAPABA Convention. That’s why we’ve extended the deadline to March 24 at 8:00 pm ET. This is your opportunity to fine tune and perfect your proposal.

Here’s a reminder for what we’re looking for:

GENERAL CLE PROGRAMMING

At NAPABA, we are committed to offering inclusive and innovative CLE programming that reflects the diverse experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds of our membership. Our general CLE programming aims to appeal to the broadest audience by covering a wide range of legal topics. We encourage proposals that bring fresh, relevant discussions to the forefront.

SPECIALTY PROGRAMMING

Our Specialty Programming takes you deeper into topics that will help you excel in your practice and career. With immersive and interactive learning opportunities, you’ll get to lead the conversation and provide members a session that goes beyond what may be possible during a general CLE session. Share your expertise in one of these tracks:

  • International Law Symposium – Explore global legal topics with diplomats, judges, and business leaders.
  • Young Lawyers Workshop – Tackle real-world career challenges and professional growth.
  • Solo & Small Firm Boot Camp – Get practical strategies for business development and firm expansion.
  • Law Student Workshop – Equip law students with essential skills for a successful legal career.

Ready to submit and help shape the future of the legal profession? View a successful proposal, download the guidelines, find FAQs, and more on our website.



For questions regarding the Call for Programs, please contact [email protected].