The AABANY LGBTQ Committee hosted a virtual meeting on October 7, 2026 with attorneys from the New York State Attorney General’s Office, Civil Rights Bureau, for a discussion on New York’s efforts to protect access to gender-affirming care and safeguard diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives amid federal challenges.
The panel provided an overview of the legal tools the Attorney General’s Office uses to protect civil rights, including litigation challenging federal policies affecting transgender youth and healthcare providers, enforcement of state anti-discrimination laws, and legislative protections. Speakers discussed New York’s Shield Law, which helps protect patients and providers from certain out-of-state investigations and legal actions involving legally protected healthcare provided in New York. The discussion highlighted the Office’s efforts to address discriminatory practices in healthcare and defend DEI programs against federal actions that threaten initiatives designed to promote racial equity and inclusion. The AG’s guidance on New York Shield Law can be found here.
Attendees gained a broad understanding of the New York State Human Rights Law and the Attorney General’s amicus practice, through which the Office contributes its perspective and expertise to significant legal proceedings. Together, these topics offered insight into the range of legal strategies available to protect transgender communities, preserve access to healthcare, and advance civil rights amid an evolving legal and policy landscape.
The discussion resonated with attendees, particularly those whose experiences reflect the intersection of multiple identities. As one attendee expressed, “Thank you so much for sharing the great work that you do, and for your efforts in defending our rights, especially those of us at the intersection of racial and gender identity minorities!”
To learn more about AABANY’s LGBTQ Committee and how you can get involved, go here.
Throughout the legal profession, women have challenged barriers, created opportunities, and paved the way for generations of lawyers to follow. Their achievements are measured not only by their professional success, but also by the lasting impact they have made on others.
Who are the women lawyers whose leadership and contributions have made a lasting difference in our profession?
NAPABA invites you to recommend an exceptional woman lawyer for consideration as our nominee for the American Bar Association’s 2027 Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award.
From groundbreaking legal work and distinguished leadership to mentorship and a sustained commitment to advancing women in law, the award celebrates those whose contributions extend beyond their individual accomplishments.
Help NAPABA honor the women whose leadership continues to shape our profession and inspire future generations of lawyers.
NAPABA will review recommendations and select one candidate to nominate to the American Bar Association.
Questions? Contact Abie Siegel at [email protected], Membership Manager.
On Nov. 3, Law360’s New York Law & Community section published AABANY’s submission about its Oct. 3 Fall Wellness Retreat at Blue Cliff Monastery. The full article appears in the screenshot below.
AABANY thanks Wellness Committee Co-Chair Regina Jin for submitting the report. AABANY also thanks its members who travelled far and wide to attend this event as well as Law360 for publishing this report.
On October 6, 2026, ten attendees joined AABANY’s Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee for a virtual meet-up focused on strategies for success in solo and small firm practice, which included productive discussions on how to get certified in the state and city, ways to secure government work, and how to encourage other small business owners. Committee Co-Chairs Tiffany Miao (solo practitioner at Miao Law LLC, who focuses on business litigation, general counseling ) and Yen-Yi Anderson (owner of Anderson and Associates Law P.C., a small firm focused on business immigration and commercial litigation) led the session. Attendees included criminal and civil practitioners, an IP practitioner, a law student and prospective law students interested in small firms.
A central focus of the discussion was on Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) certification, which is available through both the city and the state. Applicants submit tax returns and documentation showing that the owner is a minority or a woman, and holds at least 51% of the business. Certified firms are placed on a list that receives notifications about Requests for Proposals (RFPs), and some RFPs give weight to certification when awarding contracts. One participant noted that New York State has a 30% spending goal for MWBE-certified businesses. City certification does not carry over to the state or the Port Authority however, which each require a separate application.
Participants described several routes to obtaining consistent work. Large RFPs often go to big nonprofits that then subcontract to MWBE firms. One participant has done this, and has also run monthly legal webinars and clinics for the City for about four years. She also encouraged small firms to team up on bids, for example by bringing in another practitioner for an IP or labor component, and said government agencies usually have a need for attorneys in every practice area. City agencies also hold discretionary funds to hire attorneys for smaller matters without a bid. Yen-Yi received two such engagements from city agencies; she also served as escrow agent on a Department of Veterans Affairs property purchase that required federal certification.
The main takeaway was that certification leads to work when it is paired with diligent outreach. Jenny and Megan’s firm was certified for years before it began pursuing contracts actively. They mentioned a solo practitioner who spoke at a recent state certification event who researched more than 90 state agencies, sent each General Counsel a capability statement describing her firm, and eventually landed a fractional general counsel assignment for one agency. Panelists added that government payment is reliable but can lag three to four months around fiscal year-end, and that rates run lower than private work, so a financial cushion helps.
Closing the session, Tiffany Miao, who started her solo practice three years ago, said it helps to have “your ducks lined up,” but “sometimes it’s good to just get going,” because once the work starts “a lot of things are going to change.” “The beauty of a solo practice is that you get to make it your own,” she said.
To learn more about the Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee, click here. To join future events, please check out AABANY’s calendar.
On Oct. 20, Law360’s New York Law & Community section published AABANY’s submission on Vincent Chang receiving the Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award at its annual Fall Conference. The full article appears in the screenshot below.
AABANY thanks Law360 for publishing this report, and would like to congratulate again our past president and longtime Asian American legal community leader Vincent Chang for this well-deserved honor.
The NAPABA President’s Award recognizes individuals and organizations that demonstrate an exceptional commitment to the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community. Selected annually by the NAPABA President, the award celebrates those whose leadership and service have made a meaningful impact on our community.
This year, NAPABA honors Wilson Chu and Sandra Yamate, two longtime leaders in the AANHPI legal community. Over the course of their careers, Wilson and Sandra have contributed their time and leadership to NAPABA and initiatives serving the legal profession and AANHPI community. Their decades of service reflect a longstanding commitment to supporting and uplifting others in the legal community.
NAPABA is honored to celebrate Wilson and Sandra and recognize their achievements at the 2026 NAPABA Convention in Los Angeles on Friday, November 13, at the President’s & Trailblazer Awards Reception.
Wilson Chu Senior Counsel, Dechert
Wilson Chu is a strategic advisor to boardrooms and C-suites, known for a collaborative, creative, business-minded approach to complex transactions and corporate governance. His practice is heavily weighted toward technology, especially superintelligence. Matters include advising Tesla’s Special Committee on Elon Musk’s trillion-dollar pay package, serving as Texas counsel on Amazon’s $13b acquisition of Whole Foods, and advising a 50% co-founder in Mailchimp’s $12b sale to Intuit.
He chaired the ABA M&A Committee (world’s largest), under which he created the game-changing Deal Points Studies and The MAC Cup national law student competition.
With his partner-in-crime, Don Liu, he co-founded many of NAPABA’s cornerstone initiatives, including the Best Under 40 Award, IHC and Partners Networks, and the 50×30 Initiative/Pipeline Program, as well as The Alliance for Asian American Justice (delivering over $10m in pro bono to victims of anti-Asian violence).
Sandra Yamate Chief Executive Officer, Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession
Sandra S. Yamate is the CEO of the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession. She was a founder of both AABA-Chicago and NAPABA, where she was the first Central Region Governor and organized NAPABA’s first regional conference.
Currently, Sandra is the 99th President of the National Association of Women Lawyers (“NAWL”), the first Asian American in its 125+ year history. As President, she wrote/produced a video on the history and achievements of Asian American women lawyers, launched an Activation Summit in Honolulu, and spearheaded the renewed and expanded joint advocacy effort by the national affinity bars.
Sandra serves on the Board of the Chicago Bar Foundation and as DEI columnist for Chicago Lawyer magazine. By special appointment, she is a member of the New York City Bar Association’s DEI Committee. Sandra designed a law school course, “Diversity and Inclusion: A Social and Professional Responsibility” that was awarded the E. Smythe Gambrell Professionalism Award by the ABA Standing Committee on Professionalism.
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!
Bilingual Legal Volunteers Needed Volunteer remotely during early voting and on Election Day to help ensure voters can access election information in their preferred language.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC are recruiting bilingual volunteers with legal backgrounds to support the 888-API-VOTE Asian Language Voter Hotline for the 2026 Election.
Volunteer service hours may be eligible to satisfy pro bono requirements for legal professionals. Eligibility is subject to the rules of your jurisdiction and/or employer. Please consult the applicable requirements for more information.
Languages Needed
Bengali
Cantonese
Hindi
Urdu
Korean
Mandarin
Punjabi
Tagalog
Vietnamese
Volunteer Responsibilities As a hotline volunteer, you will:
Answer live calls from voters during early voting and on Election Day
Help voters locate polling places and access election resources
Document calls in the hotline tracking system
Report emerging issues to hotline captains
Receive support from experienced hotline captains throughout every shift
No previous hotline experience is required. Training is available on demand after you register, and all volunteers—including returning volunteers—must complete the training and sign the Volunteer Code of Conduct before serving.
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.
NAPABA is honored to celebrate the 2026 Trailblazer Award recipients and their extraordinary impact at this year’s NAPABA Convention in Los Angeles.
Alicia Garrido Limtiaco, Esq. Former Attorney General of Guam & U.S. Attorney for Guam and NMI, NAPABA At-Large Board Member, ABA Representative to UN ECOSOC
Alicia Limtiaco’s distinguished career in public service has been marked by historic firsts and an enduring commitment to justice, representation, and the communities she serves. She made history as the first woman elected Attorney General of Guam and later as the first woman appointed United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Throughout her career, Alicia has championed protections for vulnerable communities, including efforts addressing family violence, human trafficking, child exploitation, civil rights, and public safety. Her leadership has also brought the experiences and perspectives of Pacific and Indigenous communities to national and international forums. Within the AANHPI legal community, Alicia broke another barrier as the first Pacific Islander and first attorney from Guam to serve on NAPABA’s Board of Governors, helping ensure that Pacific Islander voices have a place in national legal leadership.
The Honorable Elwood Lui Administrative Presiding Justice, California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District
Justice Elwood Lui’s more than five decades of service have left an enduring mark on California’s judiciary and AANHPI legal community, opening doors and building institutions for generations of attorneys and judges. In 1981, he became the first Chinese American appellate judge in California and later became the first Asian American to serve as Administrative Presiding Justice of any California Court of Appeal. His influence extends well beyond his own historic appointments. Justice Lui co-founded the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association in 1975 and founded the California Asian Pacific American Judges Association in 1981, creating institutions that have supported and connected generations of AANHPI attorneys and judicial officers. Throughout his career on the bench, in private practice, in public service, and as an educator and mentor, Justice Lui has consistently opened doors that were previously closed to Asian American attorneys and judges and helped build the infrastructure for future generations to lead.
Hugh H. Mo Founder & Principal, The Law Firm of Hugh H. Mo, P.C. (“Mo Law”) Hugh H. Mo has spent nearly five decades shaping Asian American representation in law, government, and civic life through a career marked by historic firsts, institution-building, and service to his community. He broke significant barriers as the first Asian American Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and later as the first Asian American Deputy Commissioner in Charge of Trials for the New York City Police Department, becoming, at the time, the highest-ranking Asian American official in New York City government. Just as significant has been his commitment to creating opportunities and institutions for those who followed. Hugh co-founded the Asian American Bar Association of New York, the Chinatown Health Clinic, now the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, and the NYPD Asian American Police Executives Council. Throughout his career, he has paired professional achievement with sustained civic leadership, mentorship, and advocacy, leaving an enduring legacy within New York’s AANHPI legal community and beyond.
Reporter Hu Shengqiao for the World Journal, the largest Chinese-language newspaper in the United States, recently featured AABANY’s Pro Bono and Community Service (PBCS) Committee , highlighting its more than a decade of dedicated service to the community. What began as a single consultation site at the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association in Manhattan has since expanded to Queens and Brooklyn.
Over the past decade, hundreds of pro bono lawyers and law students have served more than 3,000 Asian American residents across the three boroughs, with consultations covering housing, immigration, family law, inheritance, employment, and workers’ compensation. Most clients speak Mandarin or Cantonese, and many of them face systemic hurdles in the U.S. legal system. Each 30-minute session gives a volunteer attorney time to offer legal advice, review documents, and refer clients to more specialized services when needed.
The article showcases the three attorneys who coordinate the Pro Bono Clinics: Beatrice Leong, who manages the Manhattan clinic and specializes in family and divorce law; Kwok Kei Ng, a Court Attorney who manages the Brooklyn Clinic; and Gary Yeung, an attorney at McDermott Will & Schulte, who manages the Queens Clinic. They remarked that when they offered free legal advice, the people sitting across from them often reminded them of their own families—parents and elders who didn’t speak English facing difficulties with nowhere to turn.
Among the cases they recalled memorably was a nine-month-old girl with an inoperable brain tumor, who they helped by connecting with Yen-Yi Anderson, whose firm Anderson and Associates, P.C., provided the family with pro-bono services and established a trust fund for the girl. PBCS has also held more than ten “Know Your Rights” and community legal education sessions over the years. The Committee currently partners with local elected representatives and various nonprofit organizations, including the Chinese-American Planning Council in Brooklyn (CPC) and the Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) in Manhattan and Flushing.
To read the full article, click here (in Chinese).
