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NAPABA Applauds the Nominations of Cindy K. Chung to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and Judge Mia Roberts-Perez to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

For Immediate Release: July 12, 2022
Contact: Mary Tablante, Associate Strategic Communications & Marketing Director

WASHINGTON—Today, President Joe Biden nominated Cindy K. Chung to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and Judge Mia Roberts-Perez to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. If confirmed, Chung would be the first Asian American appellate judge on the Third Circuit and Judge Roberts-Perez would be the first Asian American district judge on the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

“NAPABA offers its congratulations to Cindy K. Chung and Judge Mia Roberts-Perez on their nominations,” said A.B. Cruz III, acting president of NAPABA. “We applaud President Biden for nominating a strong and historic slate of highly qualified Asian American candidates and for continuing to broaden the diversity of backgrounds and professional experiences to the bench. We urge the Senate to swiftly confirm them.”

Cindy K. Chung
In 2021, Chung was nominated by President Biden to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania and was confirmed by a voice vote. She is the first Asian American U.S. Attorney in Pennsylvania and the only Asian American currently leading any prosecutors’ office in Pennsylvania. Active in the Asian American community, Chung has participated in community briefings and events addressing anti-Asian hate incidents.

Previously, Chung served as a trial attorney in the Criminal Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, where she prosecuted the first case under the Shepherd-Byrd Hate Crimes Act. She also served as an assistant district attorney at the District Attorney’s Office, New York County, and investigation counsel in the Official Corruption Unit. Chung began her legal career as a law clerk for Judge Myron Thompson on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama. She received her J.D. from Columbia Law School and her B.A. from Yale University.

Judge Mia Roberts-Perez
In 2015, Judge Roberts-Perez was elected to the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas. Previously, she was in private practice at Perez Law LLC, where she specialized in criminal defense and family law. Judge Roberts-Perez started her career at Defender Associations of Philadelphia where she served as public defender in the major trials division. She received her J.D. from Temple University, Beasley School of Law and her B.A. from Tufts University.

NAPABA thanks President Biden for nominating Cindy K. Chung and Judge Mia Roberts-Perez and Senator Casey and Senator Toomey for recommending and supporting their nominations.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), represents the interests of over 60,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting APA communities. Through its national network, 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 all backgrounds in the legal profession.

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In the News: NYCLA President Vince Chang Speaks on New York’s Conceal Carry Regulations in Light of the Supreme Court Decision in NYSRPA v. Bruen Case

On June 30, 2022, New York Law Journal published an article interviewing New York County Lawyers Association (NYCLA) President, Vince Chang (a former AABANY President (2007)), on his insights about New York’s conceal-carry regulations. Chang suggests there’s a limited number of places where permit holders can conceal-carry their guns in New York. 

Governor Hochul and other state legislatures convened in Albany late June to discuss the extent of regulating the concealed carry of firearms and their impact on the public safety of New Yorkers. The Supreme Court’s recent ruling on New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen has forced government officials, including Gov. Hochul, to act swiftly and address the likelihood of an increase in licenses and in the number of individuals who will likely purchase and carry weapons in New York State. The legislation is meant to strengthen New York’s gun laws to bolster restrictions on concealed carry weapons and still align with the ruling in Bruen. 

Chang spoke in favor of regulating New York laws on conceal carry by stating that guns should be excluded from public areas including governmental locations, public transit, auditoriums, arenas, health care facilities, places where alcohol is served, and houses of worship. “We urge the legislature to implement laws to that effect, and we believe it probably will,” Chang said. 

According to Chang, an individual’s right to property takes precedence over their Second Amendment right, and property owners have the right to exclude firearms from their property. Just as private property owners can welcome concealed carry permit holders, those property owners who do not want firearms on their premises can restrict them by placing signs prohibiting them on their private property.

Under Chang’s leadership, NYCLA was the only bar association in the state to file an amicus brief supporting the New York state law at issue in Bruen. NYCLA recommended fingerprinting, background checks, mental health record checks, and training in firearms as a counter for the “conservative and reckless” Supreme Court decision. NYCLA’s letter to Gov. Hochul stated how the Bruen decision “effectively switched the burden of proof from the applicant who had to demonstrate proper cause, to the state, which must demonstrate, under deniable standards, that a license should not be granted.” Gov. Hochul’s new legislative package emphasizes the government’s priority to keep the public safe and prevent deaths and injuries by firearms. The law will take effect on September 1, 2022.

Read the full article here. (Subscription required.)

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AABANY Student Outreach Committee Presents – Pre-OCI Series: How to Navigate Biglaw Firms

On July 5, 2022, AABANY’s Student Outreach Committee hosted a virtual panel discussion to provide advice for the On-Campus Interviewing (OCI) process and biglaw firm recruiting. The event, part of the Student Outreach Committee’s Pre-OCI Series, ran from 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm on Zoom. The panel was moderated by Student Outreach Committee Co-Chair Long Dang (Columbia Law School ‘22, Summer Associate ‘21 – Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP) and featured the following panelists:

  • Charlene Hong (Cornell Law School ‘23, Summer Associate – Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz)
  • Victor Roh (Harvard Law School ‘21, Consultant – Boston Consulting Group)
  • Sharon Yang (Fordham University School of Law ‘23, Summer Associate – O’Melveny & Myers LLP)

Panelists discussed strategies for structuring a successful bid list, how to ask for interview opportunities, and shared their insights on networking. The main takeaways included prioritizing individual values, building professional relationships early on, and being proactive with respect to reaching out to recruiters and upperclassmen. The discussion was followed by a Q&A session, where audience members asked questions about extracurricular activities and tips on answering common interview questions. Panelists graciously stayed after the event’s end time to answer additional questions from the engaged audience. 

AABANY thanks the Student Outreach Committee for organizing the event and all panelists, moderators, and students who attended. To learn more about the Student Outreach Committee, please visit https://www.aabany.org/page/121. Upcoming events in this series include “How to Get a Small/Mid-Sized Firm Job” on July 20, 2022, and “How to Get an In-House Job” on July 21, 2022. 

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Thank You to Our June Pro Bono Clinic Volunteers!

On Saturday, June 25, 2022, AABANY’s Pro Bono & Community Service (PBCS) Committee in collaboration with Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) organized a Pro Bono Clinic in Flushing, Queens. Thank you to all our volunteers for participating! 

AABANYAAFE
Beatrice LeongGabriel Hisugan (AAFE)
Bei YangKeshari Tuisyan (AAFE intern)^
Evelyn Gong*Lilian Cheung (AAFE intern)^
Kyoung JungMaria del Carmen Cruz (AAFE)^
May WongYichun Liu (AAFE intern)
Shengyang WuZulma Vazquez (AAFE) (Spanish)^
Xue Huang
Yaoyu Liu
John Hwang
Lyubing Teng^
Meg Annamaneni^
Meng Zhang
Nicole Morikawa^
Sharmie Azurel^
Yvette Adiguzel^
^ = non-attorney volunteer

At the clinic, we met a total of 13 clients: 8 Spanish-speaking, 2 Mandarin-speaking, and 3 English speaking folks who had questions related to immigration (6 cases); housing (4 cases – 1 case with criminal context involved); unemployment insurance benefits (1 case); matrimonial (1 case); and wills/trusts/estates (1 case). 

Our volunteers were able to learn from each other and employ useful resources online to help clients look for information. This includes researching how to apply for IDNYC, a municipal identification card for all New Yorkers regardless of their immigration status, compiling information tool kits for a client’s ongoing immigration case, or referring them to other legal service providers. Volunteering attorneys and law students worked closely with AAFE’s interpreters to assist our Spanish-speaking clients. 

Volunteer Yvette Adiguzel stated, “Some clients had issues relating to a case that had already been initiated in court. When advising a client involved with a case, a useful resource to obtain New York case-related information online is eCourts NY. Anyone can use the e-courts information service for free and can search with information such as the party name, case number, type of court. eCourts NY can also be used to look up future date appearances regarding criminal and family cases, and can provide information relating to the active and disposed cases in civil courts and the Supreme Court. A tracking service called eTrack is an option available free of charge on the eCourts NY website so that you can monitor and set reminders relating to cases in civil local, supreme and family courts as well as criminal cases.” Many of the clients were grateful to the attorneys and volunteers, like Yvette, who were able to provide their expertise and provide informed legal advice. 

Thank you again to all our volunteers! 

If you would like to volunteer, our next clinic dates:

7/23/2022, 12:30pm – 3:30pm. Deadline to register 7/20/2022, 12pm.

We hope to see you at our next clinic on July 23! Please sign up!
To learn more about the Pro Bono Committee and what they do visit probono.aabany.org

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AABANY’s In-House Counsel Committee Holds 2022 Summer Soiree at Castell Rooftop Lounge

On Wednesday, June 29, 2022, AABANY’s In-House Counsel Committee held its annual Summer Soiree at the Castell Rooftop Lounge located atop AC Hotel New York Times Square. The beautiful midtown skyline served as the perfect backdrop to a memorable night filled with hors d’oeuvres, a variety of drinks, wines, cocktails, and many conversations. Around 100 senior in-house lawyers and senior law firm attorneys and partners attended the networking event. This was the first Summer Soiree held in person since 2019, with the 2020 soiree being canceled due to COVID-19, and the 2021 soiree held over Zoom at the beginning of 2022 as the Winter Soiree. Everyone seemed happy to be gathering in person again for this popular event.

Photo by Karen Zhou

Attendees discussed various topics ranging from career pivots during the pandemic to favorite pastimes and hobbies. While munching on mini lobster rolls and sipping curated cocktails, attendees also heard from AABANY’s Co-VP of Programs and Operations, Beatrice Leong, In-House Counsel Committee Co-Chair, Blossom Kan, and Immediate Past President, Terry Shen. Some spectacular photographs from the night taken by Karen Zhou can be found linked here. 

The attendees formed a diverse cohort, representing 74 companies across industries, including Apple, Meta, Johnson & Johnson, McKinsey & Company, Inc., and top global and regional law firms. 

Photo by Karen Zhou

We thank and acknowledge the following sponsors for helping us make this event possible:  

Broadridge

Baker McKenzie

BDO

Covington & Burling LLP

Thank you to all our attendees, and we hope to see everyone again at next year’s Summer Soiree. To learn more about the In-House Counsel Committee go to: https://www.aabany.org/page/149 

Photo by Karen Zhou

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NAPABA Announcement: NAPABA Community Service Corps Makes History at Unity March

NAPABA is proud to have been an organizational partner for the Unity March this past Saturday [June 25], the first large mobilization of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) on the National Mall that brought people of all backgrounds together who care about advancing socioeconomic and cultural equity, racial justice, and solidarity. Executive Director Priya Purandare was quoted in the Washingtonian for this historic event. We thank our members who attended and volunteered in the summer heat. Your presence contributed to a larger movement, and we are grateful for all you do! If you missed the event or any remarks, a full livestream of the Unity March is available for viewing here.

Community Service Corps | #NAPABAinAction

The mobilization came at the 40th anniversary of Vincent Chin’s murder, a critical turning point for the AAPI community. Chin’s murder, and the fact that his killers faced no jail time, highlighted the lack of a strong national voice for AAPIs within this country’s legal system. The case galvanized the community to action and this led to NAPABA’S founding in 1988 to give voice to values of justice, equity, and opportunity for AAPIs. Since that time, NAPABA has been strongly committed to civil rights advocacy.

We now stand at another turning point in history with the current rise in hate crimes targeting diverse communities. To take action and harness the power of our membership, we launched the NAPABA Community Service Corps to provide opportunities for NAPABA members to act for impact at the local and national levels. NAPABA Community Service Corps opportunities include hate crimes assistance and election protection efforts to fill the needs of the community.

NAPABA needs your help to form a national infrastructure of members committed to strengthening our communities. Will you join #NAPABAinAction? Learn more here and sign up on the Volunteer Now tab!

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In the News: AABANY Member Karen Lin Achieves Historical Primary Victory in the Race for Queens Civil Court Judge

On June 29, 2022, QNS published an article congratulating Karen Lin for her historical primary victory in the race for Queens Civil Court Judge. Karen Lin, an AABANY member, is the first East Asian female judge elected in Queens. 

Unofficial election results from the Board of Elections in the City of New York reflect that with over 97% of the scanners reported, Lin captured around 40% of the vote. Responding to her victory, Karen said, “It has been a long but exhilarating and inspirational day of talking with voters, and I am humbled and honored for the tremendous show of support all throughout Queens. I’m proud of the determined and focused campaign we ran and gratified for the support of my family and the community. On to the next step!”

To read the full article, click here. To learn more about Karen Lin’s profile, click here.

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AALFNY and AABANY to Host Summer Reception Congratulating AALFNY 2022 Public Interest Scholarship Recipients

For immediate release: July 4, 2022

Contact: [email protected]

Please join us on Wednesday, July 13, 2022, at 6 PM for a virtual AALFNY-AABANY Summer Reception to congratulate the AALFNY 2022 Public Interest Scholarship recipients. The awards ceremony will be followed by a panel discussion on Endless Tide, the recent report on Anti-Asian violence in New York. Register at https://news.whitecase.com/395/19601/landing-pages/blank-registration.asp.

The Asian American Law Fund of New York (AALFNY) is proud to announce the recipients of its 2022 Public Interest Scholarships.

  1. Juliana Chang, a student at Harvard Law School, graduating in 2024, is interning at A Better Balance to combat pregnancy and caregiver discrimination.
  2. Vincent Kwan, a student at UC Hastings Law School, graduating in 2024, is interning with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York, Criminal Division.
  3. Emlyn Medalla, a student at CUNY School of Law, graduating in 2023, is interning with the National Domestic Workers Alliance focusing on domestic worker labor and employment issues.

AALFNY is also honored to support the scholarship program of the South Asian Bar Association of New York (SABANY). This year’s AALFNY/SABANY Fellowship Award has been awarded to Mahum Vance, a rising second-year law student at New York Law School, who is interning this summer at Lawyers for Children, an organization that advocates for children in foster care.

We also applaud the organizations with which these students will be working.

AALFNY was founded as a nonprofit in 1993 by founders and board members of the Asian American Bar Association of New York. Since 1997, AALFNY has funded more than 60 public interest scholarships to encourage law students to use their knowledge and experience to assist their communities.

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AABANY’s Litigation, Prosecutors’ and Labor & Employment Committees Host Litigators’ Happy Hour at Three Monkeys

On June 21, 2022, the Litigation, Prosecutors’ and Labor & Employment Committees hosted a Litigators’ Happy Hour at the Three Monkeys. Conveniently located in Midtown, law clerks, litigators, prosecutors, and lawyers in various practice areas enthusiastically attended the event after work. A range of platters including buffalo chicken spring rolls, macaroni and cheese bites, and nachos were served for everyone to share. The night was filled with lively conversations among the attendees. Many expressed their continued excitement for more in-person programming and happy hours as part of the hosting committees’ efforts. Litigation Committee Co-Chair, Aakruti Vakharia, reminisced about this year’s Annual Dinner and even shared a few tips with other attendees as to how to stay stylish by securing a free personal shopper from nearby department stores. Others were celebrating successes on their cases, while new members and first-time attendees were welcomed by introducing them to AABANY’s extensive network. 

The committees also discussed ideas for programming and events for the upcoming year. Thanks again to everyone who attended the first joint event of the fiscal year from the Litigation, Prosecutors’ and Labor & Employment Committees. We look forward to many more events to come, whether collectively or individually, from these committees. To learn more about the different committees, please visit the Litigation Committee here, the Prosecutors Committee here, and the Labor and Employment Committee here. 

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League of United Latin American Citizens of New York Honors AABANY for Work in Fighting Anti-Asian Violence

On June 23, 2022, at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the League of United Latin American Citizens of New York (LULAC NY) honored AABANY for its work in fighting Anti-Asian violence.

For 93 years, LULAC has been fighting for the civil rights of the Latin American community. The Director of LULAC NY, Aureo Ivan Cardona, spoke on the importance of teaming up with other organizations to fight injustice and hate, because any group could be the next victim or scapegoat.

LULAC presented President William Ng with a beautiful wood-carved plaque that says “Stop the Hate… Tolerate.” Joining Will at the reception were Beatrice Leong, Co-VP of Programs and Operations, Shirley Bi, Secretary, and Will Hao, Board Director.

AABANY thanks LULAC NY for bestowing this honor and recognizing AABANY’s anti-Asian violence work.

To learn more about LULAC’s work, see https://lulac.org/about/

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