On Wednesday, October 23, AABANY Executive Director Yang Chen was a panelist at a CLE Orientation Program presented by the First Department’s Committee on Character and Fitness for a group of about 240 new attorneys who were scheduled to be sworn in to the New York State bar on October 28. The program took place at NYCLA from 9 am to 11 am, and Mr. Chen provided an overview of ethical issues confronting the new practitioner. Mr. Chen spoke from his perspective as a practitioner for nearly 20 years working on complex commercial litigation and antitrust matters. Maria Matos, Executive Secretary of the Committee on Character and Fitness and former President of the Puerto Rican Bar Association, organized the event, which is held every few weeks throughout the year.
From our friends at PALS: Sign up to be a Mentor today!
ATTORNEY MENTORS
Strengthen the Legal Diversity Pipeline
by Sponsoring a PALS Mentee
The PALS Mentoring Program
Matches diverse law students with practicing attorneys,
who serve as professional development resources,
and has done so for more than 25 years.
Attorney Mentors Make an Impact
● Join a community of diversity champion attorneys mentoring the next wave of leaders of color in the legal profession.
● Be rewarded with your gift of sharing your time and talents with unparalleled networking opportunities.
● Positively guide a mentee’s career path, course selection and the road to success!
Become a Mentor Today!
Commit 2-4 hours per month
to a designated PALS Mentee.
Signup today at: www.palsprogram.org/mentor
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
ACTION REQUIRED
Attorneys Who Have Previously Created a Profile on the PALS Website:
1. Email palsprogramcoordinator@gmail.com to indicate that you would like to be considered for participation in the mentoring program as a “mentor”.
2. Utilize Email Subject: “PALS 2013 Mentor”
3. PALS will respond to your email within 7 business days, indicating a completed mentor profile status.
4. Please log-in Here to update your profile today!
Attorneys who have NOT Created an Attorney Profile on the PALS Website:
1. Visit www.palsprogram.org/mentor and fill in all requested information on the online form.
2. PALS will respond to your email within 7 business days, indicating a completed mentor profile status.
Current Mentors:
We thank you for your willingness to volunteer as a mentor in the past. If you would like an additional PALS Mentee, or if you have lost touch with your PALS Mentee and are interested in being assigned a new PALS Mentee, please update your profile and let us know via email at palsprogramcoordinator@gmail.com .
Attorneys matched through the program will be required to review the
PALS Mentoring Manual and sign a Participation Agreement with their mentor.
Please forward this email to colleagues who may be interested in mentoring.
If you have any questions or concerns about the PALS Mentoring Program, please contact the Executive Director of PALS, Paula Donaldson at: executivedirector@palsprogram.org
Thomas Tang Moot Court Judges Needed for NAPABA Convention
We need your help to serve as judges for the Thomas Tang Moot Court Competition on Friday, November 8, 2013, during the NAPABA Convention in Kansas City, MO. The rounds will take place from 9:15 to 10:15 and 10:30 to 11:30 at the Convention Hotel, Kansas City Marriott Downtown.
Please sign up to judge either one or both of the preliminary rounds via Wejoinin. (http://wejoinin.com/sheets/usknvhttp://wejoinin.com/sheets/usknv).
This year’s problem addresses the following issues:
I. Whether § 66.04 of the Apalsa Revised Statutes (“ARS”) precluding a public defender from withdrawing on the basis of excessive workload or lack of resource violates the right to effective assistance of counsel guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
A. Whether ARS § 66.04 is facially unconstitutional.
B. Whether ARS § 66.04 is unconstitutional as applied in this case.
II. Whether the sanctions imposed on Appellant by the Professional Ethics Board of the State Bar of Apalsa violated her rights under the Constitution of the United States.
A. Whether the sanctions imposed for refusing to comply with a court order to represent a criminal defendant violate the Fifth Amendment right to due process.
B. Whether the sanctions imposed for Appellant’s public statement regarding her refusal to comply with a court order to represent a criminal defendant violate the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of expression.
4th Annual NAPABA Pro Bono & Public Interest Summit
Dear NAPABA members,
The Pro Bono Community Service Committee is pleased to invite you to the Pro Bono & Public Interest Summit on Thursday November 7 from 9-2 pm to kick off the 25th Annual NAPABA Convention. CLE credit is available.
This year’s Summit will feature panels on Health Care Reform and Immigration Reform and its impact on Asian Pacific American (APA) communities. We are pleased to have Delegate Mark Keam from the Virginia House of Delegates as our lunch speaker. Delegate Keam is the first APA immigrant to serve the General Assembly in Virginia’s 400 year history. He has a long history of community service, including a variety of local, state, and national organizations.
Pro bono is important to all of us. Each affiliate and each lawyer should be helping our communities in these efforts. Bar leaders are especially encouraged to attend. Even if you are not in bar leadership, this session will give you valuable insight into current issues, the state of the law and provide you with tools and knowledge to handle pro bono cases in your state. Many of you will want to have a clinic or other pro bono project this year—the Summit will help you accomplish that goal.
Attendance is free and lunch is available at a nominal cost. All lunch fee proceeds will be donated to Legal Aid of Western Missouri. Click here for more information on the Summit.