Pro Bono Monthly Clinic on Wednesday, August 9
Our Pro Bono Monthly Clinic was held on Wednesday, August 9 (second Wednesday of the month).
Please join us in thanking all attorneys and interpreters that evening who assisted 30 clients:
Attorneys:
- Michelle Yeung
- Judy Lee
- Jonathan Hernandez
- May Chiang
- Yun Gao
- Kelly Diep
- Kwok Ng
- Asako Aiba
- Chris Kwok
- Tim Wong
Interpreters:
- Wei Li
- Mani Chander
- Yiwen Feng
- Wei Ling Huang
Watch an exclusive clip from Justin Chon’s ‘Gook’
Watch an exclusive clip from Justin Chon’s ‘Gook’
From Angry Asian Man:
Heads up. Writer/director Justin Chon’s acclaimed indie drama Gook opens in theaters on August 18. Set against the backdrop of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, the film follows two Korean American brothers, Eli and Daniel, who run their late father’s shoe store in a predominantly Black community. The pair strikes up a unique and unlikely friendship with a streetwise 11-year-old girl, Kamila. While Daniel has dreams of his own, Eli struggles to keep the family business afloat. But racial tensions in the neighborhood build to a breaking point, erupting into conflict that threatens their livelihood and tests the meaning of family. Gook is a stunning, gut-punch of film, full of humor, heart and low-budget scrappiness. It also announces the arrival of one hell of a voice and vision – didn’t I see Justin Chin butt naked in 21 & Over? – and revelatory performances from its supporting cast, including comedian David So as Daniel, newcomer Simone Baker as Kamila, and even a dramatic turn from Chon’s own father.
For more information and to see the trailer, click the link in the title. Gook opens in New York City on August 25.
Funeral Arrangements for Retired Court of Appeals Judge George Bundy Smith
Thanks to MBBA for sharing this information.
Funeral Arrangements for Retired Court of Appeals Judge George Bundy Smith are as follows:
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, August 12, 2017, at Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Dr, and 120th Street, Entrances at 490 Riverside Drive & Claremont Avenue, NYC
The viewing is from 9AM to 10AM and services will begin immediately thereafter at 10AM.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Justice Bundy Smith’s honor to:
Phillips Academy
ATTN: Kathleen O’Sullivan
180 Main Street
Andover, MA 01810
Donations to the MBBA’s Honorable George Bundy Smith Scholarship fund:
Friends of the MBBA, Inc.
275 Madison Avenue, 14th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Links:
George Bundy Smith Bio on New York Historical Society of the New York Courts
Retired NY appeals court judge George Bundy Smith dies at 80
MBBA Members and Supporters:
It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of the Honorable George Bundy Smith who was an excellent jurist and giant in our profession. He will be profoundly missed by his MBBA family, and the legal profession generally.
The Honorable George Bundy Smith, served on the MBBA Board and founded its original scholarship fund. Appointed by Governor Mario Cuomo, Judge Smith served on the New York State Court of Appeals from 1992 to 2006. He also served as a judge on the Civil Court of New York City from 1975-1986 and as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of New York from 1987-1992. A former law professor at Fordham Law School, Judge Smith was also a former Freedom Rider and a graduate of Yale University (B.A. 1959), where he was just one of three African Americans in his class, and Yale Law School (LL.B 1962). He also received a Ph.D from New York University and an LL.M from University of Virginia School of Law.
In 2014, The Metropolitan Black Bar Association established The Honorable George Bundy Smith Scholarship Fund to offer three scholarships to students who demonstrate qualities of leadership, a passion for the arts and sciences, or a commitment to diversity and academic excellence. The fund is in honor of Judge Smith, who for many years provided board leadership and guidance to the Metropolitan Black Bar Association, including starting the organization’s first scholarship fund. Above all, Judge Smith valued education and consistently leveraged his successes to the benefit of the African-American community.
Statement from Chief Judge Janet DiFiore on behalf of the New York Court of Appeals: The Court of Appeals is saddened by the death of George Bundy Smith, who served with great distinction as an Associate Judge of the Court from 1992 to 2006. A freedom rider during the civil rights struggle of the 1960s, Judge Smith remained soft-spoken, self-effacing, and completely dedicated to fairness and justice for all people throughout his career. As then-Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye said of him in 2005, “George is a man of few words, but they are absolutely the right words.” He leaves our nation a better place than he found it. We will miss him deeply.
We will provide you with information about services and memorials as we receive them.
In Service,
President Paula T. Edgar and the Board and Officers of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association
A Statement from Chief Judge Janet DiFiore on Behalf of the New York Court of Appeals (August 5, 2017)
The Court of Appeals is saddened by the death of George Bundy Smith, who served with great distinction as an Associate Judge of the Court from 1992 to 2006. A freedom rider during the civil rights struggle of the 1960s, Judge Smith remained soft-spoken, self-effacing, and completely dedicated to fairness and justice for all people throughout his career. As then-Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye said of him in 2005, “George is a man of few words, but they are absolutely the right words.” He leaves our nation a better place than he found it. We will miss him deeply.
AABANY joins the entire legal community in mourning Hon. George Bundy Smith, a trailblazing attorney and jurist, for his contributions to making positive change in the legal profession and society as a whole.
Please consider supporting the Metropolitan Black Bar Association (MBBA) Hon. George Bundy Smith Scholarship Fund. More from MBBA:
The Honorable George Bundy Smith, served on the MBBA Board and founded its original scholarship fund. Appointed by Governor Mario Cuomo, Judge Smith served on the New York State Court of Appeals from 1992 to 2006. He also served as a judge on the Civil Court of New York City from 1975-1986 and as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of New York from 1987-1992. A former law professor at Fordham Law School, Judge Smith was also a former Freedom Rider and a graduate of Yale University (B.A. 1959), where he was just one of three African Americans in his class, and Yale Law School (LL.B 1962). He also received a Ph.D from New York University and an LL.M from University of Virginia School of Law.
In 2014, The Metropolitan Black Bar Association established The Honorable George Bundy Smith Scholarship Fund to offer three scholarships to students who demonstrate qualities of leadership, a passion for the arts and sciences, or a commitment to diversity and academic excellence. The fund is in honor of Judge Smith, who for many years provided board leadership and guidance to the Metropolitan Black Bar Association, including starting the organization’s first scholarship fund. Above all, Judge Smith valued education and consistently leveraged his successes to the benefit of the African-American community.
All That Glitters Is Gold
AABANY Co-Sponsors: All That Glitters is Gold
Thursday, August 10, 2017 7:00pm
Asian American Writers’ Workshop
112 W 27th #600
New York, New York 10001
If you’re in the mood for an addictive and charming summer read, come hear authors Diksha Basu and Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan read new novels about social climbing, love, and the drive to strike it rich. Basu’s The Windfall portrays the rise of the Delhi rich from the perspective of a nouveau riche family that’s just hit the Internet jackpot; the book made Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan laugh so hard he almost fell out of bed.
Described as Jane Austen in Singlish, Cheryl Tan’s Sarong Party Girls follows a young material girl in the material world of the Singapore party scene, and her quest to nab a foreign husband.
Don’t miss these sharp, hilarious novels that mix comedy of manners, rom-com, and social satire in the age of globalized capital. They’ll speak with Jarry Lee, Deputy Books Editor for BuzzFeed News.
For more information, click the link in the title.
AABANY Member Eve Guillergan Asked to Serve on Governor Cuomo’s New York State Council on Women and Girls
Congratulations to AABANY member Eve Guillergan for being asked to serve on Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Council on Women and Girls, the state’s first steering committee to recognize and advance women’s rights within our State. Learn more about the council’s work to affect Statewide policies and make a positive impact on the lives of women and girls in New York State by following the link in the title.
Andy Hahn Discusses Biases, Barriers, and the Bamboo Ceiling within the Asian American Legal Community
In an interview with Bloomberg last week, former AABANY President Andy Hahn examined the obstacles that face Asian Americans in the law, from high attrition rates and underrepresentation to pervasive stereotypes and biases. On the heels of Justice Goodwin Liu’s study, “A Portrait of Asian Americans in the Law,” the interview explored Andy Hahn’s own experiences, from his time as an army lawyer to his tenures as president of both AABANY and NAPABA, and how those roles have made Andy intimately familiar with the challenges of Asian Americans in the law. Despite large growth since the 1990s, the Asian American legal community faces gross underrepresentation today, from clerkships and judgeships to partner and management roles. This has led Andy to his own “crusade” to galvanize Asian Americans into participating in the law. Follow the link in the title to read the full article published in Bloomberg Law.
Andy’s work as a leader in the legal profession has not gone unnoticed, as the New York Law Journal recently honored him with the 2017 Distinguished Leadership Award. To read the press release congratulating him for this achievement, click here.
Serve the APA Community by Joining the AABANY Community Response Task Force
AABANY’s Issues Committee is pleased to invite you to join the newly formed AABANY Community Response Task Force!
The Community Response Task Force (CRTF) is AABANY’s answer to the rapidly changing legal landscape and the need for quick, effective, and coordinated responses to the emergent issues that affect our communities. AABANY is firmly committed to being a strong voice and steadfast advocate on behalf of the Asian-American/Pacific-Islander community. In the past several months, we have all been witness to sweeping changes that necessitated powerful legal responses. While there have been some great triumphs, there were often times when it was difficult to obtain information, to find ways to contribute, or to organize a response quickly enough to be effective.
The CRTF is specifically designed to address these needs. The CRTF will serve as a central clearinghouse for information and coordination – tailoring the alerts sent to each volunteer based on that volunteer’s preferences and the needs of the community. Alerts and actions will range from emergency legal services to direct non-legal service actions and from workshops to rallies.
Furthermore, the CRTF will not simply be a reactive body but we will seek to proactively research and prepare for issues on the horizon by reaching out to experts and formulating effective responses. We will also be reaching out and collaborating with other organizing bodies in order to present a more united and broad-based response to issues that affect our communities.
So, where does that leave you?
The CRTF is seeking first and foremost to create a database of willing, ready, and able volunteers, like you, who want be a part of the response. We will activate volunteers based on the subject area, the type of response, and the interests of each volunteer.
We are also looking for people to become members of the Task Force itself, helping to research and anticipate possible future issues, reaching out to experts and developing toolkits, and coordinating with
other organizations.
If you are interested, please fill out the this form or feel free to email us directly at crtf@AABANY.org
We keep all responses and information confidential in the Task Force Database. Information contained therein will not be shared with anyone outside of the Task Force and are solely for the purpose of organizing and coordinating Task Force activities.
To learn more about the Issues Committee, visit http://www.aabany.org/?page=154