On July 23, 2026, five New York-based Asian American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (AANHPI) bar associations released a joint statement calling for Gov. Kathy Hochul to appoint the first AANHPI jurist to the state’s highest court following the expiration of New York Court of Appeals Senior Associate Judge Jenny Rivera’s term on February 10, 2027. The release was covered by TheNew York Law Journal.
The statement was issued by the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY), the Filipino American Lawyers Association of New York (FALA New York), the Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York (KALAGNY), the South Asian Bar Association of New York (SABANY), and the South Asian Indo-Caribbean Bar Association of Queens (SAICBA-Q).
The organizations noted that no AANHPI jurist has served on the Court of Appeals in its nearly 180-year history, despite New York being home to more than 2 million AANHPI residents.
“Appointing an AANHPI judge is both timely and long overdue,” the organizations declared.
Brian Lee, writing for the NYLJ, noted that: “The most recent Asian-American candidate to reach the final stages of the Court of Appeals selection process was former Appellate Division, First Department Justice Jeffrey Oing” on the 2022 shortlist for Chief Judge.
“We urge Gov. Hochul to seize the opportunity and make a historic appointment of the first AANHPI judge to serve on the Court of Appeals,” the groups stated.
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The Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) is excited to share that in June 2026, James Chou, former AABANY President of AABANY (2009) and long-time AABANY member began his tenure as the new Managing Partner of Saul Ewing‘s New York City office.
James came to law by way of a detour: he started at NYU, intent on majoring in biochemistry and chasing his family’s expectations. His grandmother, one of the few women of her generation to earn a medical degree, had instilled in all her children and grandchildren, that it was her wish for them to follow in her and her late husband’s footsteps as medical doctors. James’ distaste for organic chemistry and frustration with the confining nature of the hard sciences convinced him otherwise. The breadth of a liberal arts education with its exposure to a wide array of fields and focus on critical thought, analysis, and communication provided a more attractive alternative. In his words, “the questions felt bigger, more interesting, and practically impactful.” He graduated magna cum laude from NYU and went on to Georgetown Law, where he served on the Journal of Legal Ethics and also tried his first case as a student advocate.
After a brief stint at Schulte Roth & Zabel, James spent seventeen years at Akin Gump, where he cut his teeth as a lawyer, handling all manner of complex commercial disputes. Those years were highly significant to his professional development, and he remains deeply grateful for his training and mentors there.
In 2015, he left Big Law and took a bet on himself to help build the New York office of a Long-Island-based firm, Moritt Hock & Hamroff, spending nine years there enhancing the firm’s Manhattan presence and brand in the New York market before making a returning to a broader platform at Saul Ewing in July 2024.
In May 2026, he was named the New York Office Managing Partner, effective June 1. In his new role, James is responsible for helping to develop and implement the office’s strategic vision to enhance its market position within the New York legal market and key practice areas and industries, build strategic client relationships, attract and develop top talent, and drive revenue growth and profitability. He takes on this role while maintaining a very active litigation practice as well as serving on the Board of the New York City Bar Association and as Chair of its Council on Judicial Administration.
When asked whether his Asian American identity presented a structural obstacle in his career, James replied that rather than encountering structural obstacles, he did think his cultural sensibilities—humility, deference, and polite restraint rather than aggressive self-promotion—prevented him from succeeding earlier in his career than he did. But James sees no value in dwelling on setbacks, and he views each challenge as an opportunity for growth and development. In this regard, he practices “the discipline of gratitude”—an intentional, regular practice of prioritizing thankfulness as a steady habit of mind and spirit, built on stoicism’s premise that we will all cease to exist, as well as a recognition that every experience in our life journey shapes who we are today.
Over the course of his long career, two cases stand out, both of which were pro bono. The first was in the mid-2000s, when James and his colleagues represented the New York County Democratic Committee in defending New York’s judicial convention—the system by which political parties nominate candidates for the New York State Supreme Court—against a constitutional challenge. In New York State Board of Elections v. López Torres, the Democratic Committee argued that the First Amendment protects a political party’s right to determine how it selects its own nominees, and in 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed, with a 9–0 decision. The second was in in 2012, when James represented an Angolan asylum seeker who had been wrongly linked to a violent independence movement and a high-profile 2010 attack he had no part in. The man’s only tie to the group was a membership card he received after attending a single meeting of the group in which they were promoting basic social services. Working alongside the New York Legal Assistance Group, James secured the man’s asylum in February 2012 and eventually reunited him with his wife and young son.
James shared that Saul Ewing prides itself in being a “people-first firm,” which is not just a mantra, but a core value manifest across the Firm’s platform. Consistent with that ethos, his vision as New York managing partner is to invest in people and cultivate a collaborative environment where they can maximize their potential, which, in turn, is essential to excellent client service. His message for AABANY’s members is that your reputation will be built not by the cases you win, but by the trust you earn, the people you develop, and the institutions you leave stronger than when you found it, so make sure to invest in those things.
Please join AABANY in congratulating James on this milestone achievement in his career and wishing him further success as he takes on leadership of Saul Ewing’s New York City office.
We’ve extended the application deadline for the 2026 NAPABA Convention Scholarship!
Applications will now be accepted through Wednesday, August 5, at 8:00 pm ET, giving members additional time to apply.
The Conventionis just around the corner, bringing together attorneys, judges, law students, and legal professionals for three unforgettable days of connection, learning, and career growth.
We know attending can come with financial hurdles, which is why NAPABA offers member-exclusive scholarships to help offset registration and ticketed events. If you’re a current NAPABA member, don’t miss this opportunity to make the most of the Convention experience.
Apply now and join us in Los Angeles this November!
On Thursday, July 16, 2026, the AABANY Solo & Small Firm Practice Committee hosted another popular virtual networking event for solo and small firm practitioners to connect. The meeting, intentionally informal and freeform, gave attendees an opportunity to discuss any topics at hand. After brief introductions and a couple of minutes for colleagues to catch up with one another, the topic of office practicalities was brought up.
Yen-Yi Anderson, Principal at Anderson and Associates Law, PC and Co-Chair of the Solo & Small Firm Practice Committee, asked attendees about what printers, time management systems, and invoice systems they used in the office. Many of the attorneys in the call described their printers to be fault-prone, often requiring costly repairs. Recognizing that most clients prefer an electronic copy of documents, most attendees recommended a leased Brother printer for any hard copy needs.
From there, the conversation moved on to invoicing systems. Programs like Bill4Time, MyCase, Clio, and PracticePanther were described as relatively reliable systems, but attendees described each program having its own issues. However, this judgement could only be made after fully investing into one system, making inefficient invoicing systems a large inconvenience for small firms. Additionally, small or solo firms often lack the staff to delegate invoicing tasks to associates or paralegals, leaving less time to manage these systems effectively.
This topic then transitioned into billing. Methods such as Zelle, Stripe, or direct wiring were most commonly used. Given that various fields of law have different retainers and billing rates, there was no consensus on which billing method was the most efficient. Attendees also described using various bank accounts to receive and access funds. Although there were quite a few differences in the actual billing process, most attendees agreed that tracking billable hours manually was far better than any automatic tracking software. Despite rapid developments in technology, “old-fashioned” methods were often the most reliable.
The virtual networking hour concluded with many more topics being suggested for discussion at the next event. The vibrant community among the members of the Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee was evident, with each member helping to uplift the other through practical tips about how to run a law firm. To learn more about the Committee and get involved, visit the Solo & Small Firm Practice Committee page.
PBCS volunteers, comprising volunteer attorneys and law students, met with 18 clients and provided guidance on a range of legal issues, including housing, immigration, real property, trusts and estates, labor and employment, family law, tax, public benefits, and civil litigation. Clients who needed further assistance were directed to AABANY’s Legal Referral and Information Service (LRIS), a resource that connects clients with qualified attorneys to represent them.
We had a large turnout at this clinic, including many new and old clients and volunteer attorneys. With the help of our attorneys and translators, we efficiently provided assistance for clients with multi-year old disputes, predetermined court dates, and emerging cases. One client expressed that they were “very impressed“ with the professionalism of the services provided.
While providing legal aid, our volunteer attorneys, shadowers, and interpreters gained a deeper understanding of the clients’ personal struggles and life stories, connecting them with deeply moving narratives that will permanently inspire and guide them throughout their future careers.
We thank the following volunteers for attending the Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic:
Attorneys
Francis Chin
Jack Hsia
Beatrice Leong
Arthur Lin
Kwok Kei Ng
Jasmine Tan
Hin Ton Wong
Gary Yeung
Interpreters/shadowers
Helen Ding
Cheri Chaibut
Kaitlyn Cheng
Qiao Kang
Nandar Win Kerr
Momo Sano
Allison Yu
Wendy Zeng
Zhiyi Zhang
Assisting amidst the rainstorm and showing up to serve those in need despite unbearable heat and unhealthy air quality, their dedication to our community was on full display.
We appreciate their dedicated service, serving as an inspiration to the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee.
We invite you to continue supporting our community by joining us at our upcoming Pro Bono Clinics:
– August 5th [Queens linkhere], from 6:30 – 8:30pm, AAFE One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355
– August 19th [Manhattan link here] from 6:30-8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002
– September 12th [Brooklyn link here] from 12:30-2:30pm, CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11232
To learn more about the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, visit probono.aabany.org.
We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming clinic sessions.
On July 20, 2026, the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) Real Estate Committee hosted a timely and informative Continuing Legal Education (CLE) program focusing on one of the most pressing issues facing today’s real estate industry: the growing threat of real estate and mortgage fraud, wire fraud, and deed theft.
The program brought together attorneys, title professionals, lenders, real estate agents, and law students to examine how increasingly sophisticated fraud schemes are impacting residential and commercial transactions across New York. As technology continues to evolve, so do the tactics used by fraudsters, making education, vigilance, and collaboration among industry professionals more important than ever.
The CLE featured presentations by Margaret Ling, New York State Agency Underwriting Counsel and Education Director at AmTrust Title Insurance Company, and Jason Ganfer, Partner at Goldberg Segalla and Co-Chair of AABANY’s Real Estate Committee. Drawing from their extensive experience, the speakers provided practical guidance on recognizing fraud schemes, understanding emerging trends, and implementing best practices to safeguard clients and transactions.
The presentation emphasized that preventing fraud requires more than simply reacting to suspicious activity—it requires proactive communication, strict verification procedures, and a culture of cybersecurity awareness throughout every stage of a transaction.
The AABANY Real Estate Committee extends its sincere appreciation to Citizens Bankand AmTrust Title Insurance Company for generously sponsoring this CLE program. Their continued support makes it possible to provide meaningful educational programming that benefits both legal professionals and the communities they serve.
Special thanks also go to Margaret Ling and Jason Ganfer for sharing their knowledge and practical insights, and to everyone who attended and contributed to an engaging discussion.
To learn more about AABANY’s Real Estate Committee, click here.
– Written by Jameson Xu, Co-Chair of AABANY’s Real Estate Committee
During Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month this May, Kwok Kei Ng, Co-Chair of AABANY’s Pro Bono and Community Service Committee, was honored with two awards for his contributions to the AANHPI community. Kwok received the Hon. Randall T. Eng Award at the Fourth Annual Hon. Randall T. Eng Award Program as well as the Power in Unity: Strengthening Communities Together Award at the Second Judicial District Equal Justice Committee’s celebration of AAPI Heritage Month: “Power in Unity: Strengthening Communities Together.”
Emblematic of these two awards, Kwok has built his career and service around strengthening the AANHPI identity and community. After growing up in Hong Kong, Kwok moved to America for schooling. He first joined AABANY almost 10 years ago in 2017 as a law student. Now, Kwok is an accomplished Associate Court Attorney at the New York County Criminal Courts. He continues to be a leader in the AABANY community, overseeing the Brooklyn branch of AABANY’s Pro Bono Clinic, an award-winning legal clinic that has served predominantly monolingual Asian communities in New York for over a decade.
Access to justice, particularly through language, has always been a pressing concern for Kwok. He initially entered the court system as a Brooklyn Family Court Interpreter for Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese speakers, and so his AANHPI identity has long-shaped his career. The experience of interpreting, Kwok says, “is the foundation of everything for me …. Standing in the courtroom, translating for parents who couldn’t understand what was being said about their children, I felt the full weight of what was at stake—especially now that I’m a parent myself.”
Kwok further noted, “My AAPI identity essentially defined my role because I was the one bridging the gap between the court users who had a language barrier and everyone else in the room.”
Meaningful representation has to occur at multiple levels, according to Kwok. “We talk about the underrepresentation of AAPI judges and the idea that the court should reflect the community it serves,” he stated, “but that should extend to court officers, court clerks, and court attorneys too.” Reflecting on his own identity, he added, “For a time, I was the only AAPI court attorney in Brooklyn. I’m glad it’s not the case now.”
Not straying far from these roots, Kwok has sought to expand access to legal services, as well as representation within legal careers, throughout his professional life. His passion for language access in the courts, stemming from his experiences as a court interpreter, led to his appointment to the Advisory Committee on Language Access for the New York State Unified Court System by Chief Administrative Judge Hon. Lawrence Marks.
Kwok considers AABANY his “home bar association,” but he is also a member of the Brooklyn Bar Association, where he serves as the Vice-Chair of the Diversity Committee. He is also a Board Member of the Asian American Law Fund of New York (AALFNY). Additionally, Kwok serves as Deputy Vice President of the High School Division of the Sonia and Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program (SCSJIP). The program, which he himself participated in as a law student, places students in judicial internships. Kwok found SCSJIP through his involvement in AABANY, while still in law school. At a time when the legal field “felt especially opaque” and a path felt difficult to find “for someone like me,” it’s another experience that has shaped him: “That internship set the path and defined my career.”
My work with the Sotomayor program is simply my way of giving back,” Kwok declared. “When I help place a high school student in a judicial internship, I know it can genuinely change a trajectory, because it changed mine.”
Through AABANY’s Pro Bono Clinics, Kwok has helped strengthen New York City’s communities, making sure that people with limited English proficiency and without financial access to a lawyer can meet with a volunteer attorney or law student. He reminisces on how AABANY—and his involvement with AABANY—has grown over the past decade: “From the beginning, I was most active with the Pro Bono and Community Service Committee, volunteering at the clinic to help with interpretation. At the time [almost 10 years ago], there was only one clinic, at AAFE on 111 Division Street,” Kwok recalled. “Over the years, we’ve moved, grown, and expanded to locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens—Confucius Plaza, CCBA, CCCNY, Homecrest, CPC, UCA Brooklyn, and AAFE Queens—collaborating with community-based organizations, hosting know-your-rights workshops, and serving thousands of New Yorkers.”
His work is never done, however: “Looking ahead, I hope we keep serving AAPI community members who face language barriers and can’t afford legal help—and that we also expand to other communities facing the same challenges.” Kwok added that he’s currently working on expanding outreach in Brooklyn to other groups, such as Latino communities.
Summing up his many contributions to the legal community and AANHPI community, Kwok offered a guiding principle he follows: “I genuinely believe that the most meaningful change happens when people get to know each other, learn from each other, and work together across cultural boundaries. We need to know each other better, but it’s just as important to make ourselves known to each other.”
As parting words, Kwok also offered some advice to law students or young lawyers: “Go out and meet people – but don’t do it just to network. Find the space where people are doing the work, and then stay in it. Don’t just try to be seen, try to be useful.”
Kwok drew from his own experience, where his primary goal was not to build up the connections themselves, but rather improve the community as a whole through working together. “The relationships that have meant the most to me didn’t come from working a room at a cocktail reception,” Kwok recalled. “They came from working alongside people on something that mattered. When you show up consistently, carry your share, and are genuinely trying to serve, people notice. More importantly, you become someone who is actually useful to your community.”
“Don’t let the parts of your identity that feel complicated become things you hide,” Kwok added. “For example, the fact that I came here as an immigrant with no roadmap, or that I started out as a court interpreter—that didn’t make me less qualified than anyone else in the room. In my case, it made me more capable of understanding the people who walk into the courtrooms every day.”
AABANY congratulates Kwok and is privileged to have a compassionate and driven community-builder like him in the AABANY community. For more information on AABANY’s Pro Bono Clinics and how to get involved, click here. The next few upcoming clinics are:
August 5th [Queens link here], from 6:30 – 8:30pm, AAFE One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355
August 19th [Manhattan link here] from 6:30-8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002
September 12th [Brooklyn link here– from 12:30 – 2:30pm, CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Thank you to Vincent Carvalho for the above photos from the Fourth Annual Hon. Randall T. Eng Award Program.
Kick Off Your Convention Experience with NAPABA Specialty Programs!
The Convention Thursday Specialty Programs are intentionally designed to create dedicated spaces for attendees with shared identities, career stages, or professional interests. These programs offer a more intimate, focused environment where you can build meaningful relationships, exchange experiences, and strengthen your network within NAPABA’s community. This year’s Specialty Programs are:
Women’s Leadership Workshop
International Law Symposium
Public Service Network Workshop
Solo & Small Firm Boot Camp
Young Lawyers Workshop
CLE Information: All Thursday Specialty Programs except for the Young Lawyers Workshop are eligible for continuing legal education.
Registration Information:
Thursday Specialty Programs are included in Convention Registration.
One-day registration is available for anyone interested in attending only the Thursday Programming.
The Thursday Specialty Programs is just the beginning of Thursday’s activities. The NAPABA Village, our reimagined exhibit hall opens at 11 am. After an afternoon of learning and exploring the village, join us at the NAPABA Welcome Reception and Best Under 40s Awards Celebration. Our welcome reception is followed by NAPABA Committee and Network receptions.
Your membership pays for itself. Members save up to $675 on Convention registration, receive early access to registration and the hotel block, and unlock exclusive year-round professional development, leadership, and networking opportunities. Join or renew now.
Become a NAPABA member and enjoy savings that go beyond the cost of membership!
Karis Consulting Group is now hiring for their Fall Internship Program. This program will run from September 8, 2026, to November 25, 2026.
Karis Consulting Group empowers community voices and organizational capacity by providing community organizing, strategic advising, and coalition-building support for leaders and organizations within Asian American, Pacific Islander, and other communities of color.
Interns will provide support for client work in a variety of sectors, gaining valuable community organizing skills and building relationships with top leaders in the nonprofit and government sectors. Other benefits include working with a small, collaborative team and flexible hours.
High school graduates, college students, and graduate students of all ethnicities and backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be based in the United States. This is a remote position, with a preference for candidates located in New York or Washington, D.C., where occasional in-person collaboration opportunities are available. This is a paid internship.
AABANY is proud to once again serve as a Community Partner for the 49th Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF49), presented by Asian CineVision (ACV). This year’s festival runs from July 30 through August 9, 2026, in New York City and virtually, and features a captivating array of films that explore themes of love, relationships, and grief, all through an Asian American focused lens. In addition to a stellar lineup of films, the festival will feature exclusive panels, receptions, and VIP events, providing unique opportunities to connect with industry professionals and fellow film enthusiasts.
As a Community Partner, AABANY will be promoting two film screening as part of this year’s festival:
Almost American (Shorts – Documentary)
Directed by Saritha Rothermel and Sam Soliman
Almost American follows Sam Soliman as he anxiously awaits the outcome of his DACA renewal. Just as he begins to reckon with his place in America, his world is shattered by the sudden detainment and deportation of his mother by ICE. The film reveals how today’s immigration policies not only decide who gets to stay, but shape the story America tells about who belongs. This film is shown as a part of a series of seven short films under the shorts program: On the Move: Immigrants in 2026.
Screening: Saturday, August 8, 2026 at 7:30 PM, as part of a shorts block, at Village East by Angelika.
Use AAIFF49_AABANY at checkout to receive a discount.
Seat at the Table (Features – Documentary)
Directed by Sarita Khurana and Yoav Attias
Seat at the Table chronicles the rise of South Asian Americans in U.S. politics, tracing their journey from the margins to the forefront of American power. Shot in immersive vérité style, the film follows several prominent South Asian political candidates during the 2024 election cycle, alongside a community galvanized by the groundbreaking campaign of the first South Asian presidential candidate, capturing a historic year for the South Asian diaspora as more candidates than ever ran for office.
Screening: Sunday, August 9, 2026 at 12:00 PM at Village East.
Use AAIFF49_AABANY at checkout to receive a discount.
Tickets and passes are currently on sale on the AAIFF website. Spread the word, mark your calendars, and join us in celebrating this milestone year for Asian American cinema! Visit https://aaiff.org/ for the full festival schedule.
