Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem Fellowship

NDS is seeking recent law school graduates for a paid two-year post-graduate fellowship.THE NEIGHBORHOOD DEFENDER SERVICE OF HARLEM (NDS) is a community-based, holistic public defender office located in Harlem. NDS represents residents of Northern Manhattan who are charged with crimes who cannot afford to hire a lawyer. Clients are represented by teams composed of lawyers, investigators, social workers, and team administrators. NDS also provides pre-arrest representation to clients under threat of arrest. NDS adheres to a client-centered approach to representation that emphasizes a heightened responsiveness to clients’ needs prior to arrest, while a case is pending,and after the case concludes.

Interested applicants should email a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to NDS at [email protected] with the subject line, “NDS Fellowship.” For more information about NDS, please visit our website at www.ndsny.org.  Click here for full details on this fellowship.

NYT: Mandatory Pro Bono To Start in 2013

NYT: Mandatory Pro Bono To Start in 2013

Dear friend,
My name is Theo Harris and I am steering committee member of the Minority Voting Rights Committee of the New York Democratic Lawyers Council. The NYDLC is a project of the New York State Democratic Party and a chapter of the National Democratic Lawyers Council. We are a group of New York attorneys and others who have a deep commitment to Democratic politics and who share the common goal of protecting each citizen’s right to vote. Voting rights are under attack in our country. The Republican Party is engaging in deliberate tactics to disenfranchise those most likely to vote for Democrats, and it is critical that Democratic attorneys use their skills to ensure that the right to vote is upheld. This fall, a strong Election Protection effort will be a critical key to victory for President Obama in New York, Pennsylvania and other swing states.

On Wednesday May 9th at 7pm, you are invited to attend the monthly meeting of the Minority Voting Rights Committee (NYDLC). Our guest speaker will be Macharia “Cha” Edmonds Esq(Obama For America-NY African American Outreach Coordinator). Mr. Edmonds will be discussing the campaign’s extensive plan for constituency outreach and empowerment and how one can get involved. We will also give committee updates on the recent poll watching and survey taking we did during the April 24 primary in Pennsylvania. As well as discussing the field plan and upcoming volunteer opportunities over the next couple of months leading to the November election. Please feel free to invite others whom you believe maybe interested. We just ask that they RSVP prior to the event to have your name listed at the front security desk.

What: Protect the Vote! – Monthly Minority Voting Rights Committee
When: Wednesday, May 9th 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Where: The Law Firm of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP. 787 Seventh Avenue (btwn 51St. and 52 St.)
RSVP: Is required. Please reserve your spot by emailing [email protected]

This meeting is sponsored by the Minority Voting Rights Committee of the New York Democratic Lawyers Council (NYDLC), Obama for America-NY. It is open to all attorneys and non-attorneys who are interested in volunteering to support the President

We hope to see you there!

Theo Harris Esq.
Steering Committee Member of the Minority Voting Rights Committee of
New York Democratic Lawyers Council
A Voting Rights Project of the
NYS Democratic Party and the DNC
(917) 602-9134

AABANY at MOCA Community of Heroes Celebration on May 16

AABANY at MOCA Community of Heroes Celebration on May 16

AABANY ED Speaks at “Bridge the Gap” CLE Orientation Program

On Wednesday, April 25, 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 250 new attorneys who were going to be sworn in to the New York State bar that day.  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.  The other panelists included Meredith Heller, who spoke on seeking and getting help through Lawyers’ Assistance Programs, Jeremy Feinberg, who spoke on civility, professionalism and pro bono service, and Norma Lopez, who gave an overview of the disciplinary process and how to avoid getting caught up in it.  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.

Join AABANY and KALAGNY at 33rd Annual AAPI Heritage Festival

Join AABANY and KALAGNY at 33rd Annual AAPI Heritage Festival

Fireworks at Smooth Moves 2012

On Tuesday, April 24, the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA), through its Commercial and Federal Litigation Section, presented Smooth Moves 2012: Career Strategies for Attorneys of Color.  The CLE portion of the event was entitled: “Views from the Corner Office: Diverse GCs Discuss How to Get There and How to Win Their Business.”

The moderator was Hon. Stephen C. Robinson, Partner at Skadden Arps and former judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

When Judge Robinson turned to the question of how to get the business of the prominent GCs who were on the panel, he asked how important diversity was in getting hired.

Don LiuDon Liu, Senior Vice President, Secretary and GC at Xerox Corporation replied that with Xerox’s strong leadership on issues of diversity, Xerox placed a high premium on diversity in deciding which outside counsel to retain.

At that point, Sandra Leung, GC and Corporate Secretary at Bristol-Myers Squibb, turned to Don and said, “Let me challenge you a bit on that. Do you mean to tell me that if you had a bet-the-company case and the only lawyer who can win the case for you and who is the proven expert on that type of case and has a winning track record, but he and his firm have a poor showing on diversity, you would not hire that attorney?”

Don answered, “I’ve never been faced with that situation,” which drew appreciative laughter from the audience, “but do you mean to tell me that in this wide world, he would be the only lawyer who can handle that case? I doubt it.  We would certainly consider his qualifications and track record, but we would still place a high premium on diversity.”

Sandra LeungSandra continued to press and was joined by Jeffrey Harleston, Executive Vice President and GC at Universal Music Group, who shared Sandra’s viewpoint and did not think that diversity would take precedence over other factors, especially if the case was not just “bet-the-company” but was “bet-the-industry.” In such a case, diversity or not, the company would go with the best lawyer for the job.

Don, seeming somewhat piqued but contained, replied: “There seems to be a suggestion that picking the diverse candidate somehow implies getting inferior services. I don’t buy that.” The audience applauded loudly for that statement.

The back-and-forth continued and Don seemed to relent slightly in his position but did not retreat from his stance that the hypothetical was unrealistic. Col. Maritza Ryan, Head of the Department of Law at the United States Military Academy, the fourth panelist, noted for the record (yes, transcription was being taken) that she was “the peaceful one.” The audience laughed appreciatively in response.

The debate was certainly lively and enhanced what was already an engaging discussion.  At the end, Don and Sandra, who are long-time friends, gave hearty hugs to each other, making clear that there were no hard feelings.

I didn’t have the benefit of the transcript in recounting the exchanges described above but of all the Smooth Moves programs I have had the pleasure to enjoy these last few years, this is the one for which I would request a copy of the transcript.  If you know how we can get a hold of one, please let me know.

What do you think?  If your company was faced with a bet-the-company or bet-the-industry case, does diversity go out the window in deciding which outside counsel to hire?

Tsui Yee Speaks on Immigration Service Fraud Prevention

Tsui Yee Speaks on Immigration Service Fraud Prevention

President Barack Obama Nominates Lorna G. Schofield to Serve as a U.S. District Judge on the SDNY Bench

The Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) welcomes and applauds the news that President Barack Obama has nominated Lorna G. Schofield to serve as a federal district court judge in the Southern District of New York. “AABANY is delighted to learn that President Obama has nominated Lorna Schofield to serve on the Southern District of New York bench” said Jean Lee, President of AABANY. “If confirmed, Ms. Schofield would be the first Filipino-American to serve as an Article III federal judge in the history of this country, which would be a legacy of both the Second Circuit and New York State.”   Click here to read the full press release.

Lorna Schofield