Don H. Liu Scholars Program 2019
Don H. Liu Scholars Program 2019
Applications may now be submitted for the 2019 Don H. Liu Scholars Program. The Program was founded in 2014 by two past presidents of the Asian American Bar Association of New York. The Program seeks to identify and cultivate future Asian American leaders in the legal community to address the single most important reality facing Asian American professionals today – the barrier to advancement.
This year, the Selection Committee will select up to 3 scholars. Each scholar will be awarded $15,000 and have access to prominent mentors, including Don H. Liu, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of Target Corporation. Additionally, scholars will have assistance in securing summer internships. Details and more information about the Program can be found here: http://www.donhliuscholars.org/ and on the
Don H. Liu Scholars Program 2017 Annual Report.
To be eligible for the Program, the applicant must be of Asian descent and be enrolled full-time as a 1L (and be expected to graduate in 2021) in a law school in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania or the District of Columbia. Application materials are due on November 23, 2018. For more details on the application process and eligibility requirements, please follow the link in the title to see the application package.
AABANY encourages any interested parties who meet the above requirements to apply. If there are any questions, please feel to email Ligee Gu, [email protected]
AABANY Co-Sponsors: Information Session on Going In-House at AmEx
On October 16, AABANY co-sponsored an information session on going in-house at AmEx. The event began with a panel discussion moderated by In-House Counsel Committee Co-Chair Grace Fu that engaged in a lighthearted and candid discussion about what it is like to work in-house at AmEx. The panelists, which included AmEx General Counsel Laureen Seeger and Senior Counsel Ming-Hsuan Elders, discussed the various types of matters handled by the company’s legal department and shared their personal experiences to shed light on the company’s culture. The panelists also discussed issues like diversity and steps the company is taking to make the legal field more inclusive for minorities. After the panel concluded, attorneys in attendance were matched with Hiring Leaders at AmEx and given the opportunity to mingle and engage in a more personalized one-to-one discussion.
We thank AmEx’s General Counsel Organization’s Diversity Committee and in particular Cindy Huang, IP Counsel at AmEx, and John Parauda, Managing Counsel at AmEx, for working with AABANY to make this event possible. We thank all the attendees who came and hope that many good and helpful connections were made during the event.

NAPABA Call for Nominations
The NAPABA Nominating and Elections Committee is accepting nominations for election as the Vice President for Finance and Development of the NAPABA Board of Governors for the 2018-19 term, in light of Courtney Fong’s withdrawal. Read his full statement here. The NAPABA Board of Governors makes the organization’s policies for the given year, and consists of nine officers, ten regional governors, and four appointed At-Large Board Members. The responsibilities of board members include, but are not limited to, supporting NAPABA’s mission statement, endorsing NAPABA events and programs, securing financial supporters, and demonstrating the highest standards of integrity and decorum. For a full list of governor responsibilities, click here.
AABANY members who joined or renewed their NAPABA membership by July 1, 2018, are eligible to vote. Ballots have been delivered by email, and must be cast on or before Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2018. If you have any questions, you may contact the NAPABA Nominating & Elections Committee Chair George Chen, [email protected], or NAPABA Executive Director Tina Matsuoka, [email protected]. For general inquiries, please contact [email protected].
To submit an nomination and for more information regarding this position, click here. The deadline to submit is October 22 at 5 PM ET/2 PM PT.
AABANY Group Membership for Law Students
AABANY’s Student Outreach Committee is excited to launch a group membership rate for law students at local Asian Pacific American Law Student Associations (APALSAs). For a group rate of $150, AABANY will offer up to 20 APALSA members free one-year memberships. This group rate covers all AABANY events, including CLE and non-CLE programs, networking events, AABANY’s Mentorship Program and AABANY’s Annual Fall Conference.
Please note that the current group rate covers up to 20 law students per law school. If the APALSA will have more than 20 participants, please reach out to Student Outreach Committee Co-Chair Edwin Kim ([email protected]) to discuss pricing options for groups larger than 20.
This group rate represents a huge discount given that the regular rate for law students is $15 per person. For APALSA members who are already dues-paying members, participation in this group rate will extend current memberships by another year. If you are a member of an APALSA at a New York area law school and interested in participating, please have one representative from your APALSA reach out to Edwin Kim ([email protected]) for further instructions.
This law student group rate offer will remain in effect until Monday, Dec. 3.
Brooklyn Junior Lawyer Initiative – Workshop Registration Form [ November 27, 2018 6:00 – 7:30 PM ] Survey
AABANY President James Cho alerted us to this wonderful training opportunity for junior lawyers:
EDNY Bankruptcy Court Announces Junior Lawyer Workshop at the Brooklyn Courthouse on November 27,2018, 6:00 – 7:30 PM
Register Today! [Follow the link in the title]
The EDNY Bankruptcy Court will conduct a workshop for junior lawyers at the Brooklyn Courthouse on November 27 from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. The workshop will give junior and less experienced lawyers the opportunity to gain experience and training in courtroom skills by arguing motions that were filed in chapter 7,11 and 13 cases. The motions will be argued without opposition. They will be on a teaching calendar called and argued in Court with an EDNY Bankruptcy Judge presiding. Participating lawyers will each be assigned a motion in advance, will argue it and receive feedback from the Bankruptcy Judge and more experienced bankruptcy lawyers present who are members of the EDNY Chapter 11 Lawyers’ Advisory Committee. Approximately ten minutes will be set aside for each participant to present argument and receive individual feedback. After the motions on the calendar have been argued, there will be time for questions and discussion.
The workshop will not be a competition or moot court exercise. It is designed to provide a “safe” environment for junior and less experienced lawyers to practice argument and improve their courtroom skills.
The workshop is offered to help implement the policy recently adopted by the Court that, “where junior lawyers are familiar with the matter under consideration, but are not experienced in arguing before a court, they should be encouraged to participate.” In these circumstances, “where it creates an opportunity for a junior lawyer to argue, this Court is amenable to permitting more than one lawyer to argue for a party.” The new policy is highlighted on the Court’s web site: http://www.nyeb.uscourts.gov/news/edny-bankruptcy-court-policy-provide-opportunities-courtroom-skills-development
There will be a limited number of lawyers in the workshop. The Bankruptcy Judges are volunteering their time to prepare for and preside at the workshop. Please register only if you are able to commit to participate. The deadline to register is November 9, 2018.
Junior lawyers, including first year associates who have taken the Bar exam as well as lawyers who have practiced for a number of years but have limited or no courtroom experience, may register for the workshop by following the link posted in the “News & Announcements” section of the Court’s web site home page. The participants will receive detailed instructions for the workshop and their assigned motion a few weeks in advance of the workshop.
Participants will receive by November 16 the assignments of the motions they will argue and will be contacted one week before the workshop to answer any questions they may have and confirm their appearance. If you must cancel your appearance, give at least 48 hours advance notice to the EDNY Chapter 11 Lawyers’ Advisory Committee by sending an e-mail to [email protected] and [email protected].
In addition to junior and less experienced lawyers, all members of the Bar are invited to register attend the workshop as an observer by following the link posted in the “News & Announcements” section of the Court’s home page.