Chinese-American Planning Council Holds Conference for Chinese Families with Developmental Needs
Chinese-American Planning Council Holds Conference for Chinese Families with Developmental Needs
A few days before an AABANY co-sponsored kickoff training event where lawyers and associates were trained to better meet the needs of Chinese families with children with disabilities, the Chinese-American Planning Council held a support conference on special education services for the Chinese community on July 7th.
Children with special needs benefit enormously from special education programs, but many Chinese families turn away from special education out of shame or denial over their children’s developmental delays. At the support conference, a full audience of 150 people–with 200 more on the waiting list–was advised to accept a child’s special needs and to meet those needs through special education. Customized programming catered to students’ individual situations can provide a discrimination-free education that builds self-confidence and gives students the tools they need to thrive.
For more information about Legal Service NYC’s special pro bono project to combat this problem, please contact Nelson Mar, AABANY member and attorney at Legal Services NYC, at nmar@lsnyc.org
New York Lawyers for the Public Interest Releases Guidance to Nonprofits Regarding Immigration Enforcement
The current administration has launched a marked and terrifying increase in aggressive immigration enforcement causing nonprofits and service providers to question how to continue effective operations and ensure that their immigrant clients have access to their services. New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) is pleased to announce the release of a special guide that outlines best practices for nonprofits when assisting and protecting immigrant clients in this new era.
With help from their pro bono partners, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, an advisory by Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, and valuable input of many allies, NYLPI has developed these guidelines to answer key questions raised by nonprofits and service providers. As one of the first comprehensive documents to be created on this topic, NYLPI’s Guidance to Nonprofits Regarding Immigration Enforcement aims to assist members of the nonprofit community in navigating complex legal questions and provide guidance on specific scenarios.
Informed nonprofits are thriving nonprofits. NYLPI’s shared goal is to ensure that every individual can live with access to the support that they need to succeed in our sanctuary city.
AABANY and KALAGNY Congratulate Andrew T. Hahn, Sr. as New York Law Journal Distinguished Leadership Award Honoree
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 27, 2017
NEW YORK – July 27, 2017 – The Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York (“KALAGNY”) and the Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) congratulate Andrew T. Hahn, Sr. on being named a 2017 Distinguished Leadership honoree by the New York Law Journal, the most circulated legal periodical in the U.S. This honor is a part of the New York Law Journal’s Professional Excellence Awards event, which recognizes outstanding attorneys and judges every year. The Distinguished Leadership award honors lawyers whose leadership skills have proven to be exceptional in their effectiveness and the inspiration they provide to others. Mr. Hahn and the other Distinguished Leadership honorees will be featured in a special section of the New York Law Journal and honored at a dinner at Tribeca Rooftop on October 17, 2017.
A partner at Duane Morris LLP, Mr. Hahn is an experienced litigator who has been named a Top Attorney in the New York Metro Area and is “top-rated” by Super Lawyers. Focusing on commercial litigation matters involving contract disputes, franchising, insurance and software licensing matters, Mr. Hahn has also provided his expertise in class actions relating to products liability and toxic torts, securities, antitrust, bankruptcy and banking. Over the years, Mr. Hahn has served as President of the National Asian and Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and as Chairman of KALAGNY, and has also served as AABANY’s Judiciary Committee Chair, Board Director, and in 2004, served as AABANY’s President. Mr. Hahn has previously been recognized as a “Top 100 Under 50” Diverse Executive Leader by Diversity MBA Magazine, and received KALAGNY’s Trailblazer Award in 2008.
As a Korean-American who has practiced in the legal profession for over 30 years, including within the military and in private practice, Mr. Hahn has witnessed various forms of open and implicit discrimination in the workplace and in the Courts. Throughout his career, he has promoted diversity at every opportunity, working to dismantle stereotypes and eradicate glass ceilings on the way to the ultimate goal of fair treatment of each individual.
“KALAGNY takes great pride in its nomination of Andy Hahn for the New York Law Journal’s Distinguished Leadership Award,” states KALAGNY President Karen Kim, “and we welcome this opportunity to celebrate Andy’s extraordinary ability to lead and inspire. Andy has been involved with KALAGNY since its inception and continues to share his time, expertise and guidance with our organization. We congratulate him whole-heartedly on being a Distinguished Leadership honoree and thank him for his devotion to the legal profession, KALAGNY and the greater community.”
“AABANY is proud of Andy Hahn for this well-deserved recognition,” states AABANY President Dwight Yoo. “AABANY, its members and the community have all benefited from Andy’s leadership over the years, and we are excited and pleased that the New York Law Journal has recognized his contributions as a leader in the profession with the Distinguished Leadership Award.”
For more information, please contact Karen Kim, KALAGNY President, at (212) 545-1900, or direct any inquiries to kalagny@gmail.com. You may also contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (212) 332-2478, or direct any inquiries to main@aabany.org.
About KALAGNY
The Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York (KALAGNY) is a professional membership organization of attorneys and law students concerned about issues affecting the Korean American community in greater New York. Incorporated in 1986, KALAGNY seeks to encourage the professional growth of its members as well as provide legal support for the Korean American community.
To achieve these goals, KALAGNY provides its members with training and resources useful for professional advancement; expands access by Korean Americans in greater New York to legal services and education; and provides a forum for the expression of opinions concerning social, political, economic, legal and other issues of concern to our members. KALAGNY is a New York regional affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).
Additional information about KALAGNY is available at http://www.kalagny.org/
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About AABANY
The Asian American Bar Association of New York is a professional membership organization of attorneys concerned with issues affecting the Asian Pacific American community. Incorporated in 1989, AABANY seeks not only to encourage the professional growth of its members but also to advocate for the Asian Pacific American community as a whole. AABANY is a New York regional affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).
Additional information about AABANY is available at www.aabany.org
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AABANY Congratulates Ona Wang on Her Historic Appointment to the Bench for the Southern District of New York
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 26, 2017
Contact: Yang Chen, Executive Director
(212) 332-2478
NEW YORK – July 26, 2017 – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) congratulates Ona T. Wang on being appointed a United States Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of New York. Ms. Wang is the first Asian American to be appointed a magistrate judge in the Southern District of New York.
A partner at Baker Hostetler, Ona Wang has broad litigation experience in civil, criminal and regulatory matters. Ms. Wang has been deeply involved in complex litigation involving high-profile cases, with a particular focus in the past several years on the Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities Liquidation and the Michael Kenwood receivership cases in the District of Connecticut. She serves as the Vice Chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee and is an active member of the New York office’s Diversity Committee and Women’s Committee.
As a volunteer with the Equal Justice Initiative, she represented inmates on death row in Alabama, seeking clemency in state and federal courts and litigating death penalty cases at all levels. In the past three years, she partnered with the Southern Poverty Law Center, the ACLU of Pennsylvania, and most recently with the Human Rights Campaign and the Immigrants’ Rights Project of the national ACLU.
Ms. Wang is an active member of AABANY and currently serves as a co-chair of the Litigation Committee. Since 2003, Ms. Wang has been an active member in both the American Bar Association and the New York City Bar Association, having served in multiple committees for each. Since its inception in 2000, she has served as a member of the Federal Bar Council American Inn of Court, and most recently as a Master. As a deeply involved member of her local community, she has represented Team New York Aquatics, New York City’s LGBT+ aquatics team, at various national and international water polo tournaments and competed as an individual and relay swimmer in the International Gay Lesbian Aquatics Championships and the Gay Games and subsequently served as a volunteer coach and manager for the team from 2005 through 2010.
“As is apparent from her long track record of involvement in her legal and local communities, Ona Wang is a dedicated and highly qualified candidate to serve as a magistrate judge in the Southern District of New York,” stated Dwight Yoo, President of AABANY. “Her experience as an accomplished litigator, coupled with her dedication to social justice, will serve her well as she serves the federal Court. We also recognize the historic nature of her appointment, diversifying the bench of one of the oldest and most venerable courts in the nation’s history.”
Ms. Wang received an A.B. cum laude from Harvard-Radcliffe Colleges, a Ph.D. in zoology from Duke University, and a J.D. cum laude from the New York University School of Law, where she served as a Staff Editor and Executive Editor for the N.Y.U. Review of Law & Social Change and as a research assistant for the Equal Justice Initiative. Upon graduation, Ms. Wang commenced her legal career as a law clerk for the Honorable Deborah A. Batts in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Following her clerkship, she worked as a litigation associate at the law firm of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. In 2003, Ms. Wang joined the law firm of Baker Hostetler LLP as a litigation associate and was quickly elevated to partner in 2006.
For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (212) 332-2478, or direct any inquiries to main@aabany.org.
The Asian American Bar Association of New York is a professional membership organization of attorneys concerned with issues affecting the Asian Pacific American community. Incorporated in 1989, AABANY seeks not only to encourage the professional growth of its members but also to advocate for the Asian Pacific American community as a whole. AABANY is the New York regional affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).
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NAPABA Congratulates BJay Pak on Nomination to be the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia
For Immediate Release
July 24, 2017
For More Information, Contact:
Brett Schuster, Communications Manager
bschuster@napaba.org, 202-775-9555
WASHINGTON — On Friday, July 21, President Trump announced the nomination of Byung J. “BJay” Pak to be the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. If confirmed, Pak would be the first Asian Pacific American to hold this position.
“We congratulate BJay Pak on his nomination to serve as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia,” said Cyndie M. Chang, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “A respected community member and experienced attorney with a record of leadership in government and in private practice, Mr. Pak has more than demonstrated his ability to lead the U.S. Attorney’s office.”
A longtime member of the Asian Pacific American legal community, Mr. Pak has served on the board of the Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association, a NAPABA affiliate, and was a former chair of the NAPABA Government Enforcement and Compliance Committee. He has also spoken on legal education courses sponsored by NAPABA and is a recipient of the NAPABA Best Under 40 Award.
An experienced litigator and former prosecutor, Mr. Pak is currently a partner at Chambers Pak Burch & Adams LLC, where he focuses on complex litigation. Previously, he was an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Georgia for six years, a partner at Ballard Spahr LLP and Schiff Harding LLP, and an associate at Alston & Bird LLP. Mr. Pak also served in the Georgia House or Representatives.
Mr. Pak clerked for Judge Richard Mills of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois. He received his B.B.A. from Stetson University in 1995 and his J.D., summa cum laude, from University of Illinois College of Law in 1998.
NAPABA commends President Trump for announcing the nomination of Byung J. “BJay” Pak to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.
For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, at 202-775-9555 or bschuster@napaba.org.
The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of almost 50,000 attorneys and over 80 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government.
NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, 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 color in the legal profession.
To learn more about NAPABA, visit www.napaba.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter (@NAPABA).
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association | 1612 K St. NW, Suite 510 | Washington, D.C. 20006 | www.napaba.org
