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Preventing Immigration Fraud in the Chinese Community

AABANY has partnered with AARP to prevent immigration fraud in the Chinese community.

Older Asian American and Pacific Islanders are particularly vulnerable as targets of certain fraud. According to AARP’s “Facing Fraud or Saving Face? A Survey of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders 50 Years and Older on Fraud and Scams” (aarp.org/AAPIfraudsurvey), many con artists use immigration scams to falsely promise cheap, quick, or easy paths to work permits and green cards.

Susan Akina, Co-Chair of AABANY’s Immigration Committee, provides tips and advice on how to avoid being a victim of immigration fraud. She is working with AARP to help the Chinese community and says “Don’t be afraid to ask questions and if you ever feel uncomfortable, you don’t have to proceed with the attorney or the case. Sometimes the wrong type of help can be more problematic in the long run.”

Daphne Kwok, AARP Vice President of Multicultural Leadership, Asian American and Pacific Islander Audience Strategy says “Con artists often target immigrant communities because they are particularly vulnerable, but knowing how they work can help you spot and avoid scams.”

To learn more about Susan Akina and to watch her video, click here.

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PRESS RELEASE: ASIAN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK RECOGNIZES DAVIS POLK & WARDWELL LLP AS THE 2019 AABANY LAW FIRM DIVERSITY AWARD HONOREE

NEW YORK – Feb. 21, 2019 – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) is proud to announce that Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (“Davis Polk”) has been selected to receive the 2019 AABANY Law Firm Diversity Award.  Davis Polk will receive the award at AABANY’s Annual Dinner on February 27, 2019, at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall Street, in New York City.

Since 2014, AABANY has selected a law firm to recognize for its commitment to improving diversity and inclusion within the legal profession. Applications are reviewed on four main criteria, which include a formal diversity plan committed to retention and promotion of women and minorities, an established diversity pipeline of talent, external participation in diversity programs with organizations such as AABANY, and the furtherance of AABANY’s mission, which includes the active and affirmative recruitment, retention, promotion, and development of Asian lawyers in New York City.

Davis Polk’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is rooted in its traditional emphasis on excellence and respect.

The firm is actively involved in fostering an inclusive environment and culture, from its recruitment efforts that target diverse student organizations and underserved communities, to generous parental leave and reintegration programs in support of new mothers in the workplace.

“AABANY congratulates Davis Polk on receiving the 2019 Law Firm Diversity Award,” states James Cho, AABANY’s President. “We applaud the commitment Davis Polk has shown in advancing diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, and AABANY looks forward to working with Davis Polk to continue promoting these important values in the years ahead.”

For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (212) 332- 2478, or direct any inquiries to main@aabany.org.  The Asian American Bar Association of New York is a professional membership organization of attorneys concerned with issues affecting the Asian Pacific American community.  Incorporated in 1989, AABANY seeks not only to encourage the professional growth of its members but also to advocate for the Asian Pacific American community as a whole.  AABANY is one of the most prominent and active minority bar associations in New York with more than 1,100 members, including practicing attorneys in the private and public sectors, in-house lawyers, judges, professors and law students. AABANY is the New York regional affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).

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The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is accepting applications for service on the Court’s Criminal Justice Act Panel

The Criminal Justice Act Committee of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is accepting applications for service on the Court’s Criminal Justice Act Panel. Criminal Justice Act Panel Members represent indigent criminal defendants and petitioners for habeas corpus.

The deadline for applications is 5:00 p.m. on Monday, April 8, 2019.

To see the full announcement and learn more, click here.

For the application form, click here.

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Thank you to our February Pro Bono Clinic Volunteers!

February’s Monthly Pro Bono Clinic, held on Wednesday, February 13 at 33 Bowery Street in Confucius Plaza, brought out 14 lawyers and 6 interpreters who volunteered their time to help 27 clients.

We are asking every member to actively support AABANY’s Monthly Pro Bono Clinic by making donations that are vital to its continuing operation. In a few short years, with the tireless and generous assistance of our volunteers, we have helped hundreds of low-income clients with free legal advice and referrals to high-quality, culturally sensitive, and linguistically competent legal services. Together we have helped expand access to justice for underserved Asian American New Yorkers.

If you know family members, friends, or businesses, such as your firm, who would like to support the Clinic, please help us connect with them by contacting Karen Yau at karen.yau@aabany.org.

Or please urge them to make a donation directly. They can visit the website of Asian American Law Fund of New York (AALFNY), AABANY’s 501(c)(3) affiliate: https://www.asianamericanlawfund.org/donate/ AALFNY is accepting charitable donations on the Clinic’s behalf and can issue any donor a tax receipt. Any contribution, large or small, would help. Please be sure to indicate in the memo field that the donation is intended for the Pro Bono Clinic.

Thank you to all of the February Pro Bono Clinic Volunteers!

Lawyers:

  • Gaye L. Chun
  • Zhixian Liu
  • Yan Sin
  • Xianxiao Li (Emily)
  • Wei Li
  • Soichiro Ishita
  • Kwok Kei Ng
  • Jonathan Hernandez
  • David Lu
  • Gloria Tsui-Yip
  • Pauline Yeung-Ha
  • Ming Chu Lee
  • Karen Kithan Yau
  • Asako Aiba

Interpreters:

  • JoJo Hwang
  • Frankie Lam
  • Satoshi Kurita
  • Hao Zhang
  • Derek Ting-Che Tai
  • Henry Man

Special thanks to Johnny Thach for coordinating the clinic, and the Pro Bono and Community Service Committee Co-Chairs Karen Kithan Yau, Ming Chu Lee, and Asako Aiba for their leadership.

If you are interested in volunteering at next month’s Pro Bono Clinic on March 13, please contact Asako Aiba at asako.aiba@aabany.org. AABANY’s Monthly Pro Bono Clinic occurs every second Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:30 PM.

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AABANY Women’s Committee Brown Bag Lunch with Joyce Lai from ConsenSys

On February 7, 2019, the Women’s Committee held another successful brown bag lunch, this time featuring Joyce Lai from ConsenSys.  Members learned about blockchain technology and alternative organizational structures, and were also able to share their own experiences working at law firms, transitioning into the tech industry, and balancing family and work.  The Women’s Committee thanks Joyce for taking the time to share her experience with us and BakerHostetler for hosting! 

The Women’s Committee Brown Bag Lunches feature prominent Asian American women in the law.  Through these lunches we aim to create an intimate space that allows for open dialogue on real issues that Asian American women face in the legal community.  Please feel free to reach out to the committee chairs with any ideas for potential hosts. To learn more about the Women’s Committee go to https://www.aabany.org/page/122

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Annual Meeting of Members 2019

On Wednesday, February 13, 2019, AABANY held its Annual Meeting of Members at Wachtell Lipton. President James R. Cho called the meeting to order and established quorum. Elections were held for the 2019 Board of Officers & Directors and President James R. Cho presented the Year in Review. President James R. Cho also announced a new initiative to help AABANY law students find summer internship positions.

Executive Director, Yang Chen, presented the report of the Committees and then presented awards honoring several members and committees for their dedication to AABANY over the past year. Immediate Past President Dwight Yoo and President-Elect Brian Song tallied the votes.

The following officers were elected and will begin their term on April 1, 2019:

Sapna Palla
President-Elect

Tiffany Miao
Vice President, Programs and Operations

David Sohn
Vice President, Programs and Operations

Margaret Ling
Development Director

William Hao
Treasurer

Secretary – Vacant

Beatrice Leong
Membership Director

The following candidates were elected as Directors to serve two-year terms starting on April 1, 2019:

Dai Wai Chin Feman

Suzanne Kim

Chris Kwok

Edward Lee

Marianne Chow Newman

Terrence Shen

Andy Yoo

The following awards were presented:

Committee of the Year: The In-House Counsel Committee

For their excellent programming and activities that have benefited AABANY’s members and the community of legal professionals in New York.

Program of the Year: The AABANY Leadership Development Program

For helping to develop future leaders and contributing to the promotion of diversity and inclusion in the legal profession in New York.

Member of the Year: Edwin Kim

For his exemplary record of service and leadership as Co-Chair of the Student Outreach Committee and Labor and Employment Law Committee and in coordinating volunteers for numerous programs and events.

Congratulations to all the officers and directors who were elected to the Board.

Congratulations to all the honorees for the recognition of their achievements and hard work in 2018.

We would like to thank our members for attending and participating in the annual meeting, and we also thank Edward J. Lee and Wachtell Lipton for hosting the meeting in a beautiful space, treating us to a delectable selection of food and light refreshments.

(Thanks to AABANY Program Associate Dave Singh for the write-up and photos.)

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New York Day of Remembrance 2019

On February 23, 2019, please join the New York Day of Remembrance Committee in remembering the concentration camps and to discuss our community’s role in standing up for human rights in the current political climate.

The program will feature Frank Abe speaking about the first Day of Remembrance in Seattle, Tribute to Aiko Herzig Yoshinaga, video presentation from the New York Japanese American Oral History Project, Candlelighting Ceremony to remember camp survivors, and a Community Potluck.

The program will be held at the Japanese American United Church, 255 7th Avenue, from 1pm to 4pm.

The Day of Remembrance Committee was a co-organizer of New York City’s Second Annual Korematsu Day Celebration, at which AABANY presented its Korematsu trial reenactment. Read more about the event here https://blog.aabany.org/2019/02/04/aabany-celebrates-2nd-annual-fred-korematsu-day-in-new-york-city0/

To learn more and to RSVP, click here.

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Press Release: Asian American Bar Association of New York Applauds Promotion of James S. Lin to Bureau Chief of the Green Zone In Kings County District Attorney’s Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 11, 2019

Contact: Yang Chen, Executive Director
(212) 332-2478

NEW YORK – February 11, 2019 – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) congratulates James S. Lin on his recent promotion from Supreme Court Deputy for the Green Trial Zone to the position of Bureau Chief of the Green Zone in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office. We believe James is the second Asian Pacific American to serve as Bureau Chief at a major trial bureau in a prosecutors’ office in New York City.

In his former role as Supreme Court Deputy for the Green Trial Zone, he was responsible for overseeing felony trials and acted as DNA point person. He demonstrated a commitment to the principles of justice and the office’s intention to reduce incarcerations by focusing on the serious drivers of crime. Prior to that, James served as Deputy Bureau Chief for the Supreme Court in the Grey Zone, where he worked tirelessly on building relationships between his office and the community, by serving as one of several informal office ambassadors to Brooklyn’s growing Asian American community, as well as attending Precinct Council meetings, National Night Out Against Crime, and the West Indian Day Parade. He also fought to secure justice for victims of crimes in several significant cases, by supervising the investigation and grand jury presentations.

Before that, James served as an assistant district attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s Office. While there, he tried numerous cases to verdict, including homicides. He also held a number of supervisory positions, overseeing prosecutors handling misdemeanor and domestic violence cases. In addition, he honed his investigative skills as a member of the Asian Gang Unit and the Investigation Division Central Bureau investigating white collar crimes. With more than 28 years of public service in the prosecutors’ offices of New York City, James is an exemplar of an individual committed to justice and public service.

Outside of prosecution, James has also been an active member of the New York State Advisory Committee on Criminal Law and Procedure, which makes legislative recommendations to the Chief Administrative Judge of New York State. In addition, he also participates as a trainer and lecturer in the office’s New NYPD Officer Training program.

James helped found and is currently a co-chair of AABANY’s Prosecutors’ Committee, which has grown to be one of AABANY’s most active and vibrant committees. He also served as a member of AABANY’s Board of Directors from 2011 to 2015.

“James Lin’s dedication to public service and his record of leadership is well-known and appreciated by all of us at AABANY,” states AABANY President James Cho. “We commend the Kings County District Attorney’s Office for elevating him to the position of Bureau Chief in the Green Zone. We are proud of James’s achievements and expect that he will continue to serve the public and the community in his new role. We wish him every success in his future endeavors.”

For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (212) 332-2478, or direct any inquiries to main@aabany.org.

The Asian American Bar Association of New York is a professional membership organization of attorneys concerned with issues affecting the Asian Pacific American community. Incorporated in 1989, AABANY seeks not only to encourage the professional growth of its members but also to advocate for the Asian Pacific American community as a whole. AABANY is a New York regional affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).

Additional information about AABANY is available at www.aabany.org

Follow our blog at www.blog.aabany.org

Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aabany

Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aabany

Find us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/aabany

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A Primer on U.S. Bankruptcy and Intellectual Property Transactions

On January 29, 2019, the IP Committee, along with the Asia Practice Committee and Commercial Bankruptcy and Restructuring Committee presented the panel: A Primer on U.S. Bankruptcy and Intellectual Property Transactions. The panel discussed the basics of intellectual property transactions involving distressed companies in the United States.

To learn more about each of the sponsoring committees, click on the links below.

IP Committee: https://www.aabany.org/page/145

Commercial Bankruptcy and Restructuring Committee: https://www.aabany.org/page/353

Asia Practice Committee: https://www.aabany.org/page/582

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In the News: AABANY’s Celebration of New York City’s 2nd Annual Fred Korematsu Day

On January 30th, AABANY co-sponsored and celebrated New York City’s 2nd annual Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution, at the New York County Lawyers Association. The event was covered by WNYC News.

Today is Fred Korematsu Day — named after an American-born man of Japanese descent who did everything he could to avoid being placed in an internment camp in the 1940s.

What is everything? He changed his name to Clyde Sarah. And got facial surgery in an attempt to appear less Japanese. But it didn’t work — he was arrested and jailed.

To read the full article and to listen to the podcast, click here.

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