Get excited! The Career Placement Committee will host the Third Annual Diversity Career Fair and Expo on September 23, 2017 as part of AABANY’s Fall Conference. The Diversity Career Fair is an exciting opportunity to meet with a variety of public sector and private sector employers that are looking to hire diverse candidates with all levels of experience. Employers will set up informational tables, collect resumes, and/or conduct on-site interviews. More than 20 employers have already committed to participating this year. More information will follow in upcoming newsletters and on the Fall Conference website, but in the meantime, feel free to send any questions to the Career Placement Committee Co-Chairs at careers@aabany.org
Join AABANY to See ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL at the Asia Society
Join AABANY to See ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL at the Asia Society
It’s a story of resilience, courage, and justice in the face of power. ABACUS: Small Enough to Jail documents the legal battle of the Sung family, Chinese immigrants and owners of Abacus Federal Savings in Chinatown. In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, Abacus was the only bank in the United States to be charged with a crime, accused of mortgage fraud by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. Over the course of five years, the Sungs embark on an existential legal battle in defense of themselves and their Chinatown community, and over the fact that, in an industry of powerful interests and influential corporations, no bank should be small enough to jail. Don’t miss this true, David vs. Goliath story from acclaimed director Steve James (Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters, Life Itself).
ABACUS: Small Enough to Jail will be shown at the Lila Acheson Wallace Auditorium in the Asia Society on Wednesday, September 6th. Reception begins at 5:30 PM, screening begins at 6:30 PM, followed by Q&A that will include director Steve James.
Click on the link in the title to see the film’s trailer.
AABANY is proud to be outreach partner for this screening. All AABANY members can see ABACUS: Small Enough to Jail at a discounted price with the code “AABA090617.” Select “Non-Member Adult” ticket, proceed to check-out, add the code, and then click activate. Using this code, attendees will pay $10 instead of $15 for the ticket. Click here to buy tickets. We hope to see you there!
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.






