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From our Friends at FALAFNY – Report on Typhoon Yolanda: How You Can Help the Victims in the Philippines

As many of you know, the Philippines was recently devastated by what the many have referred to as “the perfect storm,” a “super typhoon,” and “one of the strongest cyclones ever recorded.”
 
It has been a little over a week since Typhoon Haiyan (or Typhoon Yolanda, as it is known in the Philippines) made landfall in the Philippines, and yet the needs of the victims in its path have not abated.  Many remain without shelter, food, water, or medication. According to CNN, as of November 15:

  • more than 3,000 are dead
  • 9 million are affected, 4 million of whom are children
  • 2.5 million are in need of food despite 40 tons of food packs having been distributed
  • $300 million in immediate relief is needed.

The Filipino American Lawyers Association of New York (FALANY), along with the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) and the Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey (APALA/NJ), encourage you to consider helping relief efforts in any way you feel appropriate.

See upcoming fundraising events here.
See locations for donation drop-offs here.

Please keep in mind that due to the magnitude of the devastation and the limited manpower available on the ground, financial contributions to aid agencies are most welcome, rather than donations of consumer goods.
 
If you wish to make a financial donation, we suggest the following organizations for your consideration, both of which have 501©(3) status:

  • University of the Philippines Medical Alumni Society in America (“UPMASA”). UPMASA is a non-profit organization comprised of medical professionals who graduated from the University of the Philippines.  They are accepting donations until December 11 to support their medical mission to the worst affected areas in the Philippines.  The funds will be used to provide acute and prophylactic care to those most in need.  Donations may be made through their website: www.upmasanational.org.
  • Gawad Kalinga (“GK”) is a non-profit organization founded in the Philippines.  It has been at the forefront of ongoing relief efforts. GK is collecting donations to assemble food packs. One food pack costs $5 and will feed a family of four for 3-4 days.  The organization is also collecting donations for the infrastructure rehabilitation and rebuilding of the affected areas.  Donations can be made through their website: www.gk-usa.org/donate. Checks may also be mailed to Gawad Kalinga USA, 13860 Stowe Drive, Poway, CA 92064, Memo: Typhoon Haiyan.

Also attached to this email is a list of upcoming fundraising events in the area and a list of drop off locations for donations in kind (canned goods, blankets, clothing).
 
We encourage you to inquire with your employers regarding donation-matching programs.  The following companies have established such programs:

  • Allstate (dollar-for-dollar match for donations made through Dec. 6; a 15% match will be available thereafter)
  • McGuireWoods (dollar-for-dollar match of donations made to the Red Cross by its employees up to $50,000)
  • Sprint (dollar-for-dollar match of donations made by its employees and retirees up to $25,000)
  • Verizon (dollar-for dollar match of donations made by its lawyers and staff up to $25,000)

We thank you for the time you have taken to read this message and for any help you might be able to give.  Should you need more information, please do not hesitate to contact FALANY at: FALANY2013@gmail.com.

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Call to Action and Save the Date! Asian Pacific American New Yorkers Count Talking Transition

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CALL TO ACTION and SAVE THE DATE

Asian Pacific American New Yorkers Count

For the first time in twelve years, New Yorkers will have a new mayor in January 2014.  Asian and Pacific New Yorker are the fastest growing population in our City, a community that provides myriad assets to the vitality of this City. 

As you may have heard, Talking Transition is an open conversation about the future of New York City.  A tent has been set up on Canal Street and Sixth Avenue for New Yorkers to send to our new Mayor and his transition a message of how he can improve our city. 

Please join the Asian American Federation, Asian Americans for Equality and the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families for a “Asian Pacific American New Yorkers Count” session on Friday, November 22, from 12:30pm-1:30pm! This is OUR opportunity to come together and share concerns and priorities of our community, as well as give recommendations to Mayor-Elect de Blasio, his administration and key decision makers. 

In addition to our Talking Transition session, we are asking APA-serving groups to collect messages and letters from your community members, in language, on what services are top priorities or their vision for New York City.  We encourage creativity!  Please bring clients to record a direct message to the Mayor-Elect.

If you are interested in speaking at the Talking Transition session on Friday, November 22nd, please contact Jo-Ann Yoo (jyoo@aafederation.org) or Marissa Martin (mmartin@cacf.org)

Time/Location

Friday, November 22, 12:30pm-1:30pm

(Please arrive a 12:00pm to get a seat)

Duarte Square

Canal Street & 6th Avenue

The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF), the nation’s only pan-Asian children’s advocacy organization, aims to improve the health and well-being of Asian Pacific American children and families in New York City.

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St. John’s Law Team Achieves at Thomas Tang National Moot Court Competition

St. John’s Law Team Achieves at Thomas Tang National Moot Court Competition

On November 8, 2013, Jonathan Yi ‘14 and Lawson Huynh ’16 competed for St. John’s Law at the annual Thomas Tang National Moot Court Competition in Kansas City, Missouri. Coached by Alison Bomba ’14, the team advanced to the quarterfinals and earned second best brief. Lawson was also named second best oralist.

Click on the link in the title to read the full article. Congrats to the St. John team!

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AALDEF: Asian American Voters Not Tied to Political Party in Key States

New Poll: Asian American Voters Not Tied to Political Party in Key States

November 14, 2013 – According to the results of an exit poll in Virginia, New Jersey, and New York, Asian American voters are open to candidates of both political parties in key states. The nonpartisan multilingual exit poll of 2,290 Asian American voters was conducted by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) after the mayoral election in New York and the gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia.

“Asian American voters in Virginia, many of whom are not enrolled in any political party, could be a decisive voting bloc in the 2014 midterm elections,” said AALDEF executive director Margaret Fung.

AALDEF released preliminary results of its exit poll conducted at 24 poll sites in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia. Of those surveyed in total, 62% were enrolled in the Democratic Party, 10% were enrolled in the Republican Party, and 26% were not enrolled in any party.

However, in the close race for governor in Virginia, 45% indicated that they were not affiliated with any party, 41% were affiliated with the Democratic Party, and 11% affiliated with the Republican Party.    

In New Jersey, a majority (54%) of Asian American voters favored Republican Chris Christie over Democrat Barbara Buono (42%).51% polled were enrolled as Democrats, 37% said they were not enrolled in any party, and 11% were enrolled as Republicans.

New York had the highest number of registered Democrat Asian American voters, with 70% were enrolled in the Democratic Party, 18% not enrolled in any party, and 9% enrolled in the Republican Party.

“There is tremendous political diversity within the Asian American community,” said Glenn D. Magpantay, Director of AALDEF’s Democracy Program. “Issues and candidates drive the Asian American vote, rather than party affiliation. For candidates concerned with the issues that matter most to our community, the Asian American vote is up for grabs.”

Contact:

Ujala Sehgal

212.966.5932 x.217

usehgal@aaldef.org

Read more at http://bit.ly/aaldef_extpll

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NACDL Strike Force Represents Vinoo Varghese

The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) is now representing Vinoo Varghese pro bono in supporting his opposition to the Manhattan DA’s attempt to subpoena him to testify against his client’s interests.

The NACDL has a “Lawyers Assistance Strike Force [which] has a clear mission of representing and counseling criminal defense lawyers who are members of NACDL when they are imperiled with the risks of contempt, disqualification or subpoena for privileged information.”  http://nacdl.org/lasf/

Here is the link to NYLJ article of 11/12/13 and here is a link to NYLJ article of 11/4/13.

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NAPABA PRESS RELEASE: NAPABA BESTOWS SPECIAL HONORS AT 25TH ANNUAL CONVENTION

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

1612 K Street NW, Suite 1400
Washington, DC 20006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 12, 2013

Contact: Azizah Ahmad
(202) 775-9555

NAPABA BESTOWS SPECIAL HONORS AT 25TH ANNUAL CONVENTION

WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) honored individual and law firm recipients of its annual awards at its 25th Annual Convention in Kansas City, MO, on Nov. 7-10, 2013.  The awards bestowed were the Senator Daniel K. Inouye NAPABA Trailblazer Award, Best Lawyers Under 40 Award, President’s Award, Women’s Leadership Award, Affiliate of the Year, APA-Owned Law Firm of the Year, and Law Firm Diversity Award.

The Trailblazer Award, which is NAPABA’s highest honor, recognizes individuals who have demonstrated vision, courage, and tenacity, and who have made substantial and lasting contributions to the Asian Pacific American (APA) legal profession, as well as to the broader APA community. On Friday, November 8, 2013, NAPABA held a special ceremony to rename the Trailblazer Award in honor of the late Senator Daniel K. Inouye and presented the 2013 Senator Daniel K. Inouye NAPABA Trailblazer Award to the following recipients:

  • Hon. Daniel K. Inouye, U.S. Senator (posthumously awarded)
  • Lowell Chun-Hoon, Partner, King, Nakamura & Chun-Hoon
  • Hon. Lynn R. Nakamoto, Judge, Oregon Court of Appeals
  • Hon. Maryka Omatsu, Justice, Ontario Court of Justice, Canada
  • Brian A. Sun, Partner, Jones Day
  • Hon. John M. Tran, Judge, Circuit Court of Fairfax County, VA

The 2013 Best Lawyers Under 40 Awards were presented at NAPABA’s Anniversary Gala and Celebration Dinner on November 9, 2013. This award recognizes talented APA attorneys under the age of 40 who have achieved prominence in the practice of law while demonstrating an unwavering dedication to the APA community. NAPABA proudly announces the 2013 Best Lawyers Under 40 Award recipients:

  • Jason J. DeJonker, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
  • Sandra S. Fujiyama, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
  • Albert Giang, Caldwell Leslie & Proctor, PC
  • Mike F. Huang, Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP
  • Jin Y. Hwang, Verizon Enterprise Solutions
  • Christopher C. Javillonar, Bryan Cave LLP
  • Christopher D. Kang, Office of the White House Counsel
  • Winifred V. Kao, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Asian Law Caucus
  • Eugene Kim, Gresham Savage Nolan & Tilden
  • Edward C. Lee, Aetna Inc.
  • John Park, Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis LLP
  • Michael H. Park, Dechert LLP
  • Rudhir Patel, Apple Inc.
  • Smeeta Ramarathnam, U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission
  • Steven Y. Reeves, Faegre Baker Daniels, LLP
  • Asim Rehman, MetLife
  • Betty Song, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Los Angeles
  • Sanya Sukduang, Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP
  • David J. Tsai, Perkins Coie LLP
  • Rocky C. Tsai, Ropes & Gray LLP

NAPABA Past President Paul O. Hirose was honored with the 2013 President’s Award for his continued dedication to NAPABA and the broader APA community, and, in particular, for his work in fighting human trafficking.

This year, J. Weili Cheng, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC, was awarded the 2013 Women’s Leadership Award for her significant contributions to the advancement of women in the legal profession.

The 2013 Affiliate of the Year Award was presented to the Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts. This award was established to recognize outstanding local NAPABA affiliates and their best practices and accomplishments in their respective local communities.

The 2013 Law Firm Diversity Award honors law firms that recruit and retain APA lawyers and promote them to equity partnership and firm leadership. The award celebrates law firm successes in recognizing the potential, supporting the promise, and raising the influence of APA lawyers. The recipients of the inaugural Law Firm Diversity Award were:

  • Bird, Marella, Boxer, Wolpert, Nessim, Drooks & Lincenberg, P.C.
  • Lim Ruger
  • Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Last year, NAPABA established the APA-Owned Law Firm of the Year Award to recognize law firms that have achieved prominence and distinction in the legal profession while advancing the goals and ideals of NAPABA and APA legal advocacy groups. The award celebrates law practices that embrace the APA community while maintaining the highest ethical and legal standards in our profession. The 2013 APA-Owned Law Firm of the Year Award was presented to Kobre & Kim LLP.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 40,000 attorneys and 67 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal service and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government. NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, 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 color in the legal profession.

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NAPABA PRESS RELEASE: NAPABA CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

1612 K Street NW, Suite 1400
Washington, DC 20006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 13, 2013

Contact: Azizah Ahmad
(202) 775-9555

NAPABA CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION

WASHINGTON — Over 1,200 Asian Pacific American (APA) judges, attorneys, law professors, and law students attended the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) 25th Annual Convention in Kansas City, MO, from November 7-10, 2013. The Annual Convention’s MOmentum theme highlighted and celebrated the monumental achievements of APA attorneys over the past 25 years at the highest levels of the legal profession while also encouraging attendees to collaborate for future progress and successes.

The four-day convention included an annual International Law Symposium, Pro Bono & Public Interest Summit, and over 50 panels and plenaries with some of the brightest minds in the legal profession. Special events included a lunch plenary with special guests Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Representative Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI), who talked about their experiences as APA women in Congress. The Convention’s sold-out annual basketball tournament tested the talents of attorneys and law students against the Benchwarmers—an all-star line-up of APA judicial luminaries, including Judge Denny Chin of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Justice Goodwin Liu of the California Supreme Court.

The Honorable Sri Srinivasan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit gave the keynote address during the 25th Anniversary Gala and Installation Dinner on Saturday, November 9, 2013. During the Gala, Judge Alok Ahuja of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District swore in the following members of the 2013-2014 NAPABA Board of Governors:

Executive Committee

President: William J. Simonitsch, Partner, K&L Gates LLP

President-Elect: George C. Chen, Partner, Bryan Cave LLP

Vice President for Communications: Cyndie M. Chang, Partner, Duane Morris LLP

Vice President for Finance & Development: Alexander M. Lee, Principal, Law Offices of Alexander M. Lee

Vice President for Membership: Brad Yamauchi, Partner, Minami Tamaki LLP

Vice President for Programs and Operations: Jin Y. Hwang, Assistant General Counsel, Verizon Enterprise Solutions

Secretary: Tacie Yoon, Associate, Crowell & Moring LLP

Treasurer: Pankit J. Doshi, Associate, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

Immediate Past President: Wendy C. Shiba, retired (former Executive VP, General Counsel & Secretary, KB Home)

Regional Governors

Central Region: David S. Kim, Attorney, Armstrong Teasdale LLP

Northeast Region: Judy H. Kim, Associate Counsel, New York Liquidation Bureau

Northeast Region: Sophia Lee, Chief Counsel – Litigation, Sunoco, Inc.

Northwest Region: Trung D. Tu, Partner, McEwen Gisvold LLP

Southeast Region: John Truong, Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia

Southwest Region: Eileen Sullivan, Principal, Sullivan Law Firm, PC

Northern California Region: Quyen Ta, Partner, Keker & Van Nest LLP

Eastern California/Nevada Region: Marlo Nisperos, Deputy District Attorney, Solano County District Attorney Office

Central California Region: Audra Mori, Partner, Perkins Coie

Southern California Region: Lloyd S. Costales, Partner, Page, Lobo, Costales & Preston, A.P.C.

At-Large Members

Curtis Hom, Principal, Innova Legal Group, PLLC

Steven Y. Reeves, Partner, Faegre Baker Daniels LLP

Janet Shih Hajek, Of Counsel, Holland & Hart LLP

Marla Tun Reschly, Of Counsel, Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Please join us next year in Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ, from November 6-9, 2014, for the 26th Annual NAPABA Convention, Convergence.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 40,000 attorneys and 67 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal service and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government. NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, 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 color in the legal profession.

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