In the op-ed “Time for Change: Addressing Underrepresentation of Asian American Judges in the New York State Judiciary,” published on January 14, 2025, in the New York Law Journal, former Presiding Justice Randall T. Eng (Ret.) addresses the longstanding underrepresentation of Asian Americans in the New York State judiciary. While progress has been made since his historic appointment as the first Asian American judge in the state in 1983, the numbers remain glaring. Asian Americans, who constitute about 15% of New York City’s population, occupy only 5% of the judiciary statewide. Of the 1,300 state-paid judges, just 68 are Asian American, and many counties have never had an Asian American judge in positions of significant judicial power.
Justice Eng stresses the significance of leadership roles in the judiciary, pointing out that “there are 105 administrative and supervisory positions throughout the state… only five are held by Asian Americans, and there are none within OCA’s [Office of Court Administration] executive leadership team.” He also draws attention to historic firsts, such as Kathy Hirata Chin being shortlisted for the Court of Appeals vacancy in 2012 but emphasizes the need for urgent action, because to date no Asian American has been appointed to the New York State Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court.
Despite some progress, systemic inequities persist. For example, only three counties – Queens, Manhattan, and Brooklyn – have elected Asian Americans to the Supreme Court, while the remaining 59 counties remain without representation. Justice Eng asserts that true progress requires collective effort and advocacy: “We need to take it to the next step. We need to start saying as a community ‘it should be us.’” He calls on the community to expect and demand nominations for future vacancies, ensuring that representation reflects the diversity of the state.
To read Justice Eng’s call for change, op-ed in full, click here. (subscription required).
On January 9, 2025, the AABANY Intellectual Property (IP) Committee kicked off the new year with a fun and interactive event: the Super Smash Brothers & Sake Night, hosted at Fish & Richardson. The IP Committee fired up retro N64 gaming consoles, a Nintendo Switch, and a PlayStation 5 for this event, with attendees ranging from experienced gamers to first-time players.
The event included a tasty dinner menu with crowd favorites like pizza, wings, meatballs, and chicken tenders. For sake enthusiasts, a curated tasting session gave participants the chance to sample and compare five different types of sake from Japan and the United States.
Despite the chilly weather, on one of the coldest nights in New York City in recent memory, the event saw a great turnout. Guests enjoyed networking in a relaxed atmosphere, friendly competition, and a few cups of sake.
A big thank you to everyone who braved the cold to make this event a success! Based on the positive feedback, the IP Committee is already planning similar events for the future.
Stay tuned for more retro gaming nights, sake tastings, IP Committee dinner series, and other exciting activities in 2025. Visit the IP Committee’s page on the AABANY website to join.
The Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) celebrated the illustrious career of Hugh H. Mo by honoring him with the prestigious Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award at their Fifteenth Annual Fall Conference, on October 12, 2024, during the Conference Cocktail Reception that capped a full day of programming. This award, named after Norman Lau Kee—an influential legal and community figure in New York City’s Chinatown—celebrates leaders who have made significant contributions to the legal field and the AAPI community, recognizing attorneys who exemplify the qualities of role models and trailblazers in the legal profession while contributing to the wider community.
Born in Shanghai, China, Hugh immigrated to the United States at nine years old after living in Hong Kong, Taipei, and Madrid. Hugh then grew up on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. His journey into the legal profession started by participating in student activist groups, including the Vietnam War protests and the Civil Rights Movement, throughout high school and college. During his sophomore year at NYU, he was involved in a newly published magazine called Bridge: The Magazine of Asians in America, focusing on the experiences, issues, and concerns of Asian Americans that were ignored by the mainstream media and to mobilize Asians in political empowerment. As a result of his experiences as a student activist, Hugh was imbued with idealism and the desire to make the world a better place. He realized that in order to help Asians in general and in political empowerment, law is the most effective instrument to facilitate change to help people.
Hugh defines law as “advocacy,” to lend a voice to those who cannot advocate for themselves. This belief in the power of the law to help others was a driving force in his decision to become a lawyer. He says, “As a lawyer there is so much potential to help people,” and that realization has shaped his legal career.
From his formative student activist experiences, Hugh enrolled at Boston University School of Law, graduated in 1976, and served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the first Asian American to do so. During his tenure, he mentored then Assistant District Attorney Sonia Sotomayor – who later became the first Hispanic and 111th United States Supreme Court Justice. In Justice Sotomayor’s memoir, My Beloved World, she wrote that she was fortunate to be assigned a second-seat role in her first murder trial, with Hugh as lead counsel. The case was People v. Richard Maddicks, the “Tarzan burglar.” Maddicks committed a series of burglaries and murders in a bloody three-month spree from 1981 to 1982 in Central Harlem, by swinging from rooftops on ropes and crashing through apartment windows with his gun blazing. Hugh and Sonia successfully prosecuted Maddicks in a 37-count indictment charging him with multiple counts of murder, burglary, assault, and other crimes. Hugh ensured her second-seat role was far from pro forma, allowing her to present half of the 40 government witnesses and to draft the opening statement of the case, which Hugh delivered. After a four-week jury trial in early 1983, Maddicks was convicted and sentenced to 62½ years–to–life in state prison. In her memoir, Sonia recalled that Hugh was “a slightly built figure with a booming voice and a big personality to match; a hard driving prosecutor, he was also a gentle family man and an all-around confounder of stereotypes.”
Hugh’s eight-year tenure as a prosecutor was the beginning of a long legal career that stretched almost five decades, in which he fought for and inspired Asian Americans through the power of the law to secure our rights, justice, and fairness. In 1984, he was appointed as Deputy Commissioner in Charge of Trials in the New York City Police Department. At the time, he was the highest-ranking person of Asian descent in New York City government. After four years, he left public service to join the national and international law firm of Whitman & Ransom as a partner and founder of its China practice group.
In January 1994, Hugh established The Law Firm of Hugh H. Mo, P.C., to primarily represent domestic and overseas Chinese clients in corporate, civil and criminal litigation, white collar and financial crimes, government investigation, customs, tax, and real estate matters. In 2023, Hugh received the NAPIPA Life-Time Achievement Award, and his firm was honored with the 2023 NAPABA APA-Owned Law Firm of the Year Award.
Throughout his career, Hugh has always championed the issues and concerns of the AAPI community. He reflects that one of the most common issues Asian American immigrants face is assimilation: adopting a new language, learning new behaviors, being accustomed to new social norms, and fully embracing American culture, and, at the same time, retaining one’s Asian identity, language, and culture. As he learned in high school and college, law is an instrument of change and justice, and for Asian Americans learning to assimilate, it is even more imperative to have Asian representation at all levels of the legal profession.
As a trial attorney, Hugh serves as an advocate to bridge the language and cultural barriers for his Asian clients. His private practice, The Law Firm of Hugh H. Mo, P.C., has represented countless individuals, corporations, and government entities, primarily focusing on clients within the Chinese American community and overseas. Hugh has served as legal counsel for the Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations, Chinese Consulate in New York, Xinhua News Agency, N.A., People’s Daily Overseas Edition, and other Chinese government entities and state-owned enterprises over the years.
In addition to his legal work, Hugh founded and currently serves as Co-Chair of the NYPD Asian American Police Executives Council (AAPEX), with the mission to inculcate leadership development of Asian police executives in the NYPD. He was involved as a co-founder of the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) in 1989, laying a foundation for future generations of Asian American lawyers. He was also involved in establishing the NYPD Asian Jade Society, the Chinatown Health Clinic (now known as the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center) and has served as Board President of the Chinatown Planning Council (now known as the Chinese-American Planning Council).
Hugh’s achievements extend beyond the courtroom. He served on numerous civic and advisory committees, including transition committees for elected officials such as Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr., City Comptroller John Liu, and Mayor David N. Dinkins, among others.
When asked about current challenges facing the Asian American community, he reflects on the disproportionate challenges that Asians have to overcome in order to pursue success in the law, including barriers due to institutional racism and the under-representation of Asian American partners in BigLaw, corporations, government, and the judiciary. Hugh maintains that this obstacle can be overcome by “grit, intelligence, and the willingness to rise up to any challenge.” Success is possible for anyone who dares and dreams with determination. Hugh’s career offers even more hopeful insight: every day is a new opportunity, because every day brings a new challenge. But, in his words, “challenges are meant to be overcome.”
He has opened doors for Asian Americans in law and inspired others to pursue justice and community advocacy. Accepting the Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award, Hugh reflected on the importance of uplifting the AAPI community through representation and leadership.
“We all represent not just our clients and ourselves, but our community,” Hugh said, emphasizing the role of Asian American lawyers as bridges for first-generation immigrants. His message resonates as a call to action for future generations to embrace challenges, strive for excellence, and contribute to a more equitable society.
The Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award recognizes attorneys who exemplify the qualities of role models and trailblazers in the legal profession while contributing to the wider community. Hugh’s journey serves as an inspiration for overcoming racial barriers, bridging communication and cultural gaps, and rising up to face all challenges and converting them into opportunities for continuing success and achievement. As a trailblazer in the legal profession, Hugh’s legacy is a testament to the power of determination and service. As he puts it, “We should be defined not by one or a few achievements, but by a multitude of achievements. We should not be defined by our worst mistake but by the sum of our collective accomplishments. … I don’t believe a person should be defined by their magnum opus. It is a successful life journey that counts.”
Written by Lui Montes, AABANY Legal Intern, Fall 2024.
L-R: (top row): Judge Carmen A. Pacheco of Kings County (Brooklyn) Civil Court, Judge Edwin I. Novillo of Queens County Criminal Court, and Judge L. Austin D’Souza of New York County (Manhattan) Civil Court, (bottom row) Judge Ira R. Greenberg of Queens County Civil, Judge Taisha L. Chambers of Bronx County Civil Court, and Judge Frances Ortiz of New York County Housing Court.
Judge L. Austin D’Souza has been appointed as the Supervising Judge of the Manhattan Civil Court, succeeding Judge Shahabuddeen Ally. This significant and prominent elevation attests to Judge D’Souza’s strong leadership and dedication to public service.
Judge D’Souza is part of a group of new judicial leaders appointed across New York City, including Hon. Frances Ortiz, Hon. Ira Greenberg, Hon. Edwin Novillo, Hon. Taisha Chambers, and Hon. Carmen Pacheco, each taking charge of key courts in Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, and Brooklyn.
Chief Administrative Judge Joseph Zayas praised the appointees for their “sound judgment, fairness, integrity, innovative spirit, and commitment to public service.” First Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Norman St. George also recognized their innovative and adaptable approaches to addressing the challenges of the legal system.
Judge D’Souza, an active member of AABANY, has consistently demonstrated a commitment to creating diversity and advancing the legal profession. His involvement with AABANY shows his passion for community engagement, further reflecting the qualities that make him a renowned and well-respected leader in the judiciary. Please join AABANY in congratulating Judge D’Souza on this noteworthy accomplishment and wishing him every success in his future judicial endeavors.
To read the full article in the New York Law Journal, click here.
On December 17, 2024, the AABANY Intellectual Property (IP) Committee held its final dinner of the year at Dhaba Indian Cuisine, a cozy spot perfect for a cold winter evening. Members, both new and returning, gathered to enjoy flavorful and spicy dishes, while sharing career updates and holiday plans. The Committee was also happy to welcome a guest from out of town.
The dinner provided an excellent opportunity for members to connect, reflect on the past year, and look forward to the opportunities that 2025 holds.
The IP Committee is excited to continue its dinner series in the new year, creating additional chances for members to network, learn from each other, and engage with professionals in the IP community.
A big thank you to everyone who attended! The IP Committee always welcomes new members to join our growing and dynamic community.
To learn more about the IP Committee and how you can get involved, visit the IP Committee’s page on the AABANY website.
Professor Eun-Ok Im, Ph.D., MPH, RN, CNS, FAAN, and her colleagues at the University of Texas at Austin are conducting a research study on “Cancer Pain Management: A Technology-based Intervention for Asian American Breast Cancer Survivors.”
Currently, the team is in the process of recruiting participants to enroll in the study. They are looking for Asian American women aged 18 years and older who has had a breast cancer diagnosis in the past; can read and write English, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, or Japanese; has access to the Internet; and identifies their sub-ethnicity as Chinese, Korean, or Japanese.
Eligible participants who agree to join the study will be randomly assigned to two groups using the educational information or the online forum and 1:1 coaching/support program for three months. Participants will be asked to complete a questionnaire three times. Each participant will receive $ 50 reimbursement after each questionnaire. Thus, each participant can get up to $150 reimbursement upon completing the program.
For any questions, please contact the email address provided in the flyer. Please see below for translated flyers in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.
On December 17, the Jewish Lawyers Guild held their annual Chanukah Party in the Rotunda of the New York State Supreme Court on 60 Centre Street. The festivities began at 6 pm, well after the courthouse closed for regular business and judicial proceedings. The atmosphere was lively as a large crowd gathered not just to celebrate Chanukah but also to honor Justice Jeffrey K. Oing of the Appellate Division, First Department on his retirement at the end of the year. Justice Oing has served on the Board of Governors of the Jewish Lawyers Guild and was a past recipient of the Guild’s Golda Meir Award.
AABANY was a proud co-sponsor of this event and among the AABANY leaders and members in attendance were President Joseph Eng, Jr., Membership Director Alysha Naik, and Executive Director Yang Chen. Former Presidents Vince Chang and P.C. Cheng also came out for the celebration. Among the AAPI judges at the event were Hon. Lillian Wan, Hon. Margaret Chan, Hon. Shahabuddeen Ally, Hon. Christopher Chin, Hon. Austin D’Souza and Hon. Judy Kim.
Many past and current leaders of the Jewish Lawyers Guild took turns at the podium to praise and congratulate Justice Oing for his time on the bench and his service to the bar and the community. One of the speakers was Hon. Michael Katz, who served alongside Justice Oing when they were both court attorneys earlier in their careers. “When I prepared my remarks for this evening, I was going to roast Justice Oing,” he began. “But I soon realized that it would be a futile effort. Justice Oing isn’t ‘roastable.’ There is just no unkind thing that can be said of him … even in jest.” Justice Katz’s sentiments reflected what all the judges and attorneys before and after him thought about Justice Oing: He is a beloved jurist, attorney, and human being, who has earned the respect and admiration of those who have had the privilege to know him and serve with him.
AABANY thanks the Jewish Lawyers Guild for throwing a great holiday party. We are especially grateful that they honored Justice Oing on the occasion of his retirement, and they certainly did it in style, with a large crowd, copious amounts of delicious food, and a grand setting.
Please join AABANY in congratulating Justice Oing on his retirement and thanking him for his trailblazing legal and judicial career. Knowing Justice Oing, we do not expect that he will be sitting on his laurels for long and look forward to hearing about what is in store for the next chapter in his journey.
With the end of the holiday season and the start of a New Year, we want to give our gratitude and admiration for all the working parents in the legal professions who balance their demanding schedule at work and at home.
On November 12, 2024, the Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee hosted the “Mothers-in-(Practicing) Law” Panel, which was moderated by Yen-Yi Anderson, Co-Chair of Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee and Managing Principal at Anderson & Associates Law P.C., and invited speakers: Hon. Lillian Wan, Associate Justice of Appellate Division, Second Department; Ada Wang, IP Litigation & Antitrust Senior Associate at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati; Michelle Li, Director at Perella Weinberg Partners, and Megan Rha, Partner at Rha Kim Grossman & McIlwain LLP. The engaging discourse allowed panelists and the audience to discuss the challenges of a demanding legal profession for women and the added responsibilities of child-rearing.
The burden of child-rearing affects working parents in the legal profession emotionally, mentally, and physically. To follow up, on November 13, 2024, the Professional Development Committee hosted the “Fathers-in-(Practicing) Law” Panel with moderator Willow Liu, Esq, and featured speakers Benjamin Hsing, AABANY’s President-Elect and Partner at Venable, LLP., and Kwok Ng, Co-Chair of the Pro Bono & Community Services Committee and Associate Court Attorney in NYC Civil Court. The speakers talked about how legal employers viewed paternity leave in the past versus now, how paid family leave creates equity for both mothers and fathers to care for newborns, and how to set life balance needs and boundaries to protect their family time.
Being a lawyer is already an incredibly challenging profession, and adding the responsibility of parenting requires extraordinary strength, endurance, and time management. To excel both in legal careers and as loving parents, our speakers emphasized being tolerant (remember to breathe, and it’s ok even when it’s not ok), practicing self-care, such as getting adequate rest (if possible) and taking walks, and working as a team with your work colleagues, family, and significant other. In the end, all can agree that family comes first!
To working parents in the legal profession, don’t be too harsh on yourselves. You are not alone! Please consider joining the Parents Committee (in formation) to share parenting advice. For more information about that Committee email us at [email protected].
Each year on May 1st, the United States observes Law Day in celebration of our legal system and the freedoms we enjoy. This year, the Office for Justice Initiatives and the Historical Society of New York Courts invite high school students in New York State to participate in an art contest inspired by this year’s American Bar Association’s Law Day theme The Constitution’s Promise: Out of Many, One.
All submissions must be received by February 25, 2025. The winner will be announced on May 1, 2025. For more information, including rules and how to enter, please click here.
The 2024 NAPABA Convention in Seattle was a record-breaking event—over 3,400 attendees and 1,100 first-timers! Ours was the largest gathering of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) lawyers ever and remains cause for celebration and an achievement that will inspire us as we head into 2025.
During Convention, NAPABA members came together to connect, learn, grow, and celebrate the strength of our vibrant AANHPI community. Your presence, engagement, and enthusiasm were truly inspiring and left a lasting impact.
