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AABANY Members: Apply for The New York County Lawyers Association and Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission’s Special Masters Program

On September 22nd, 2021, The New York County Lawyers Association (NYCLA) published a press release announcing its relaunching of the Special Masters Program. A team effort among NYCLA, the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission, and the Unified Court System, the relaunched Special Masters Program aims at “offering a pipeline for attorneys of color, as well as underrepresented communities to volunteer in the courts and to inspire them to become part of the court system.” The hope of this program is to “increase the representation of attorneys of color in the New York State Court System.” Vincent T. Chang, former President of AABANY (2007) and now the current NYCLA President, expressed his support and praise for this new program, and stated that he is “confident that the relaunched Special Masters Program will improve opportunities for underrepresented communities to play a greater role in the courts” and that the program will “highlight the skills of attorneys who have been historically less represented in our community.” Through this unique program, Special Masters will have the opportunity to train through NYCLA’s CLE Institute, work closely with Justices within the Supreme Court, Civil Term in New York County, as well as assist judges, conduct legal research, and draft memorandums of law advising the Court on legal issues.

To learn more about the Special Master’s Program, requirements and frequently asked questions, please click here to visit NYCLA’S website.

Application Instructions: To apply to the program, please submit your resume and a one-page letter indicating why you are interested in serving as a Special Master and how you are qualified for the role. Please email the documents to the attention of L. Austin D’Souza, the Special Masters Coordinator at [email protected] by Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 5pm.

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Announcing NAPABA’s 2021-22 Board of Governors

NAPABA is proud to announce the 2021-22 Board of Governors—comprised of officers, directors, regional governors, and at-large board members—who will be sworn in virtually this November. NAPABA is committed to cultivating a Board as diverse as the members we serve—leveraging their skills, expertise, and community connections in advancement of NAPABA’s vision to achieve optimal representation and influence of Asian American and Pacific Islander attorneys in every facet and level of the legal profession and beyond. Congratulations to our newly elected and appointed Board members!

Executive Committee

President

Sidney Kanazawa | California

President-Elect
Sandra Leung | New York

Treasurer
Hogene Choi | California

Secretary

Judy M. Lam | California

Immediate Past President
A.B. Cruz III | Texas


Directors
Marty Lorenzo | California
Kristin Haugen | Minnesota

Regional Governors
Central Regional Governor
Johnny Wang | Missouri

Central California Regional Governor
Jen Won | California

Eastern California /Nevada Regional Governor
Albert Montefalcon | California

Northeast Regional Governor
Anna Mercado Clark | New York

Northeast Regional Governor
James Y. Lee | New York Regional Governors

Northern California Regional Governor
Mark Punzalan | California

Northwest Regional Governor
Elaine Pascua | Washington

Southeast Regional Governor
Zarra Elias | Florida

Southern California Regional Governor
Denise Crawford | California

Southwest Regional Governor
Stacey Cho Hernandez | Texas

At-Large Board Members
Sanjeev Bhasker | North Carolina
Angela Lim | California
Kevin Lyn | North Carolina
Terri Ann Motosue | Hawai’i
Vincent Roldan | New Jersey
Eileen Sullivan | Arizona

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NAPABA Congratulates Judge Florence Pan on her Confirmation to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) congratulates Judge Florence Pan on her historic and overwhelmingly bipartisan (68-30) confirmation to serve as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Judge Pan will become the first Asian Pacific American (APA) woman to serve as an Article III judge in the District of Columbia.

In 2009, Judge Pan was nominated by President Obama to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and was confirmed by unanimous consent by the Senate. She was the first judicial nominee to be confirmed under the Obama Administration, and became the first APA judge to be appointed to any court in the District of Columbia. Judge Pan has over a decade of judicial experience serving in the Criminal, Family Court, and Civil Divisions, and has presided over more than 650 trials. She also has sat by designation on the D.C. Court of Appeals twice.

“Judge Florence Pan, who has ably served our nation’s capital for over a decade on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, is now the first Asian American woman to serve on the U.S. District Court,” said A.B. Cruz III, President of NAPABA. “NAPABA applauds the Senate’s historic bipartisan vote confirming this eminently qualified jurist.” Previously, Judge Pan served for 10 years as an Assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including two years as the deputy chief of the appellate division. She also held positions in the Department of the Treasury and at Main Justice, notably in the Office of the Solicitor General. Judge Pan taught at Georgetown University Law Center and American University, Washington College of Law, and is active in her community having served as the Secretary of NAPABA’s Judicial Council.

Judge Pan is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford Law School. Following law school, she clerked for the Honorable Ralph K. Winter, Jr., of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the Honorable Michael B. Mukasey of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

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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NAPABA Receives Grant from The Asian American Foundation to Serve as National Network Partner for Anti-Asian Hate Crimes Response

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is proud to announce that The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) has named it a National Network partner in its investment, coordination, and collaboration efforts to combat anti-Asian hate. NAPABA, along with other leading advocacy organizations, has received initial grant funding to support ongoing activities in anti-hate tracking, protection, response, and prevention measures. TAAF has invited NAPABA to partner in this effort in part due to recognizing NAPABA’s work in building a national civil rights infrastructure that harnesses the legal power, strength in numbers, geographic diversity, and linguistic abilities of NAPABA’s nearly 90 affiliated Asian Pacific American organizations.

“TAAF recognizes that the prolonged underinvestment in Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) populations resulted in our communities being unprepared for, and more vulnerable to the most recent onslaught in anti-Asian hate,” said A.B. Cruz III, president of NAPABA. “We are grateful not only to be a grant recipient, but also an ongoing partner with TAAF and its network of organizations dedicated to the common cause of protecting our AAPI populations.”

To address anti-AAPI hate locally, TAAF is piloting AAPI Action Centers led by on-the-ground partner organizations that will serve as hubs for addressing hate in their respective cities. These Action Centers will first be piloted in New York City, Chicago, and Oakland. Each Action Center will be connected to each other, and they will feed into the umbrella of TAAF’s Anti-Hate National Network to ensure best practices are being transmitted between the national and local levels of work. NAPABA intends to leverage its strength in numbers—which includes three affiliates in New York City, five in Chicago, and 10 affiliates in northern California—to contribute its expertise in assisting hate crimes and help hate incident victims seek pro bono legal assistance.

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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Membership Committee Hosts Improv Class on Sept. 16

On September 16, 2021, Membership Committee hosted an Improv Class at the Magnet Theater on West 29th Street. Members took an Introduction Class led by a seasoned comedian and were able to learn and practice basic Improv Skills. Members starred and acted in hilarious scenes, learning to think on their feet and tapping into their inner performers. Afterwards, the group enjoyed camaraderie over delicious food in Korea Town. 

We hope you will all come out for the Membership Committee Happy Hour on Oct. 14 at Sagaponack on W. 22nd Street. Come for the oysters, stay for the networking! More details at https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1558819.

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NY Judicial Institute on Professionalism in the Law and the NY Commission to Reimagine the Future of New York’s Courts 2021 Convocation: Watchdogs or Lapdogs? The Ethical Challenges Facing Government Lawyers

In our highly charged political climate today, government lawyers face unprecedented ethical challenges; they must often make decisions that clash between ethical rules and what their superiors demand. There is a growing consensus that rules are frequently unclear, but there is no agreement in how to revise them. 

On October 14th, 2021, 11:00 a.m-4:00 p.m ET, the New York State Judicial Institute on Professionalism in the Law and the Commission to Reimagine the Future of New York’s Courts will be holding a virtual Convocation that will bring together outstanding professionals who have had decades of experience in government to address these critical issues and provide much needed reforms. 

The Convocation will kick off with Paul D. Clement and Neal Katyal, both leading members of the Supreme Court bar who have led the U.S. Solicitor General’s office. They will speak on the ethical challenges facing today’s government lawyers and whether the government lawyer can (or should) represent both the client and the public’s interest. Three additional panels will follow and will touch on a variety of topics. 

The first panel titled, “How are Government Lawyers Different from Their Private Sector Counterparts in Their Ethical Responsibilities? Let Us Count the Ways” will examine conflicts government lawyers may face when advising decision makers in the executive branch and/or the agencies they serve. The second panel titled, “The Right Recipe for Independent Candid Advice: What Should Get Thrown In? What Should Get Left Out?” will discuss what it means for lawyers to exercise independent professional judgment and render candid advice. The final panel titled “ Recalcitrant Clients: What to do When the ‘Client’ Rejects Your Advice (or Worse)” will dive deep into questions such as, “With whom does the government lawyer have an attorney-client privilege?” and “Whose confidential information should be protected?”

Please note that this event is free of charge. To register for the event please click here. 

To learn more about the Convocation, please click here. 

For more information regarding the Convocation Agenda, please click here. 

Please direct any questions to [email protected]

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NAPABA Donates $10,000 to Assist AAPI Crime Victims

On September 21, 2021, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), proudly announced an award of $10,000 to the AAPI Crime Victims and Education Fund (“Fund”) to support the Fund’s efforts to assist crime victims and implement educational programs specifically aimed at reducing violence targeted against the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) population across the nation. Created by NAPABA affiliate the Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association (GAPABA) and the GAPABA Law Foundation out of the aftermath of the Atlanta spa shootings, the Fund will provide emergency monies to victims in need of urgent assistance. The Korean American Bar Association of Georgia (KABA-GA) is also a founding partner. The Fund is also committed to raising awareness about rights of AAPIs, providing linguistic access to justice, and supporting other educational activities such as bystander training.

“NAPABA is honored to support the AAPI Crime Victims and Education Fund and all the critical work the Fund will undertake not only to help victims recover from the wounds of anti-Asian hate crimes, but the affirmative educational work that will help prevent future hate from occurring,” said A.B. Cruz III, President of NAPABA. “The Fund’s mission aligns with NAPABA’s priorities of forging meaningful relationships between law enforcement and the communities they are sworn to protect, as well as combating stereotypes, and raising awareness and visibility of AAPI’s not only in legal circles, but in civic life in this country.”

“GAPABA is grateful for NAPABA’s continuing support and collaboration in our shared goal of ensuring that AAPIs remain visible and receive the support they need,” said Angela Hsu, President of GAPABA. “While we have launched the AAPI Crime Victims and Education Fund from Georgia, which became the epicenter for the rebirth of an anti-Asian hatred movement in the wake of the Atlanta spa shootings, we recognize that AAPIs around the country have been systemically overlooked for philanthropy, crime victim support, and other social services. This is why we established the fund to operate at a national level.” The Fund is currently overseen by the GAPABA Law Foundation, which is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and has an Advisory Board consisting of legal and community leaders from across the United States. The effort is led by a six-person volunteer executive committee, consisting of Angela Hsu, of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, and President of GAPABA; BJay Pak, of Alston & Bird LLP, former U.S. Attorney, N.D. Georgia; Christopher Chan, of Eversheds Sutherland; Edward Sohn, of Factor Law, Inc, and the GAPABA Law Foundation; Sara Hamilton, of Thompson Hine LLP, President of KABA-GA; and Timothy Wang, of Delta Air Lines, and President Elect of GAPABA. To contribute to the Fund please visit GAPABA Law Foundation for details.

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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AABANY Joins NAPAWF and AAJC’s Supreme Court Amicus Brief in Support of Roe v. Wade

AABANY has joined as a co-signatory to the amicus brief in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization filed by the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) and Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC).

In a press release, AAJC stated:

The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) and Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC (Advancing Justice – AAJC), with Duane Morris LLP, filed an amicus brief urging the nation’s highest court to reject a call by the state of Mississippi to overturn Roe v. Wade and allow individual states to ban or end the legal right to abortion.

The amicus, or the “friend of the court” brief, represents 29 community and civil rights organizations, as well as bar associations, representing the interests of Asian American and Pacific Islander women in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The Dobbs case is a challenge, brought by the independent and sole abortion care in Mississippi, represented by the Center for Reproductive Rights, to the state’s 2018 ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

To read the full press release and the amicus brief, click here.

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NAPABA Announces 2021-22 Board of Governors

NAPABA is committed to having a governing board that reflects the diverse Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander legal community and has the right blend of skill, expertise, community connections, and diverse perspectives as a whole. We are proud to announce the newly elected Officers and Directors who will serve on the 2021-22 NAPABA Board of Governors. We look forward to their leadership and the advancement of NAPABA’s mission and strategic plan. 

The following individuals were elected by the NAPABA membership:    

Executive Committee
President-Elect
Sandra Leung

Treasurer
Hogene Choi

Secretary
Judy Lam

Directors
Director
Marty Lorenzo

Director
Kristin Haugen

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Congratulations to the Newly Installed Board Members of the Network of Bar Leaders

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On September 13, 2021, the Network of Bar Leaders held this year’s Induction & Installation Ceremony at the Museum of Korean American Heritage to welcome the new president, Eve C. Guillergan of the New York City Bar Association and all of the Network’s new board members.  Honorable George B. Daniels of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York kicked off the ceremony and swore in the new board members.  Honorable Diane Gujarati, distinguished guest speaker, tasked the bar leaders to extend their support, guidance, and mentorship to future attorneys who are embarking on their careers during challenging and unprecedented times.  The ceremony was attended by judges, past and present bar leaders, including our very own Terry Shen, President of AABANY.  Dianna Lam, co-chair of AABANY’s Student Outreach Committee and a 4L evening student from Fordham Law School and Vivian Lee, AABANY Student Leader and a 2L from Pace Law School, volunteered to assist with operational needs during the ceremony.

Please join us in congratulating the Network’s President, Eve Guillergan, and all the newly-installed Officers and Directors, including Margaret Ling as Second Vice President. We are pleased to note that both Eve and Margaret are AABANY members and that the keynote speaker Hon. Diane Gujarati is also an AABANY member. AABANY looks forward to working with the Network of Bar Leaders in the weeks and months to come. To learn more about the Network of Bar Leaders, see https://www.networkofbarleaders.org/

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