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PRESS RELEASE: AABANY To Honor Vernon Jordan and Other Honorees at 25th Annual Dinner

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE         Contact: Yang Chen, Executive Director

February 24, 2014                                                                 (718) 228-7206

AABANY TO HONOR VERNON JORDAN WITH “I4 LEADERSHIP AWARD” AT 25TH ANNUAL DINNER TO BE HELD AT CIPRIANI WALL STREET

NEW YORK – On Wednesday, February 26, 2014, the Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) will hold its 25th Anniversary Annual Dinner at Cipriani Wall Street.  Attendees of the 2014 AABANY Annual Dinner will include prominent federal and state judges, elected officials and dignitaries, attorneys from large and small law firms, corporate law departments, prosecutors’ offices and government agencies.  AABANY’s 2013 Annual Dinner attracted more than 750 members of the legal and business communities from New York and beyond.  This year AABANY is pleased to announce that its 2014 Annual Dinner honorees will be:

  • Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., Senior Managing Director Lazard Frères & Co. LLC
  • Randal S. Milch, Executive Vice President, Public Policy, and General Counsel Verizon Communications Inc.
  • AALDEF (Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund)

Vernon E. Jordan, Jr. will receive the AABANY I4 Leadership Award.  The I4 Leadership award is presented to a leader who is an ICON, embodying the highest IDEALS and INSPIRING others while making a real and lasting IMPACT in the community and society.  Mr. Jordan, a Senior Managing Director at Lazard Frères & Co. LLC, the financial advisory and asset management firm, also remains Senior Counsel at the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, where he practices general, corporate, legislative and international law in Washington, D.C.    

Randal S. Milch is Executive Vice President, Public Policy, and General Counsel of Verizon Communications Inc.  He leads the company’s public policy, legal, regulatory, government affairs and security groups.  From 2006 until being named to his current position in October 2008, Mr. Milch served as the Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Verizon Business, responsible for all legal services and external affairs support for the company’s global enterprise carrier. Before that, Milch served as the Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Verizon’s domestic telecom business.  He was appointed to the latter position in 2000, upon the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE.  He sits on the Verizon Leadership Council, the corporation’s senior operating and policy making body.  At Verizon, Mr. Milch has championed diversity through the creation of a supervisory diversity council within the legal department.  Mr. Milch will receive AABANY’s Corporate Counsel Leadership Award.

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), which was founded in 1974 and is celebrating its 40th anniversary, is a national organization that protects and promotes the civil rights of Asian Americans.  By combining litigation, advocacy, education, and organizing, AALDEF works with Asian American communities across the country to secure human rights for all.  AALDEF focuses on critical issues affecting Asian Americans, including immigrant rights, civic participation and voting rights, economic justice for workers, educational equity, housing and environmental justice, and the elimination of anti-Asian violence, police misconduct, and human trafficking.  AALDEF will receive AABANY’s Public Advocacy Award.

“We are deeply honored and humbled that such a legendary defender of legal rights as Vernon Jordan will be helping AABANY commemorate our 25th anniversary at our Annual Dinner, along with such notable leaders in their respective corporate and community legal spheres as Randal Milch and AALDEF,” said Mike Huang, AABANY President.

For more information about AABANY, or this event, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (718) 228-7206, or direct any media inquiries to [email protected].

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The Asian American Bar Association of New York was formed in 1989 as a not-for-profit corporation to represent the interests of New York Asian-American attorneys, judges, law professors, legal professionals, paralegals and law students.  The mission of AABANY is to improve the study and practice of law, and the fair administration of justice for all by ensuring the meaningful participation of Asian Americans in the legal profession.

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PRESS RELEASE: NAPABA CONDEMNS ARIZONA LEGISLATION THAT BOLSTERS BUSINESSES’ ABILITY TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST LGBT PEOPLE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          February 24, 2014 

Contact: Emily Chatterjee                                                   (202) 775-9555

NAPABA CONDEMNS ARIZONA LEGISLATION THAT BOLSTERS
BUSINESSES’ ABILITY TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST LGBT PEOPLE
Calls on Governor Jan Brewer to veto bill

WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) strongly urges Arizona Governor Jan Brewer to veto legislation passed by the Arizona state legislature last Thursday that, under the guise of religious freedom, would enable discrimination against individuals who identify as LGBT.

“NAPABA has a long-standing commitment to supporting the civil rights of all members of our community, including our LGBT brothers and sisters,” said William J. Simonitsch, president of NAPABA. “While NAPABA respects the sincerely held religious beliefs of all people, religion has unfortunately been misused by some historically as an excuse to oppress people of color and people of other religions. For many it justified slavery, segregation, and the criminalizing of interracial marriages. The employment of a religious justification to now excuse the discrimination of LGBT people is just as reprehensible.”

If Governor Brewer does not veto Arizona House Bill 2153/Senate Bill 1062 by this coming Friday, Arizona will soon allow individuals and for-profit corporations to discriminate against anyone if they claim to be acting in the name of their religious convictions. This includes refusing services to members of the LGBT community and denying equal benefits to women in the workplace. On its face, it could be used as justification for discriminating against anyone, on any grounds, so long as a free religious exercise claim is asserted.

“As a long-time citizen of Arizona and as a former President of the Arizona Asian American Bar Association, I believe that this bill does not represent our state, and we categorically denounce this and all legislation targeting disenfranchised groups, including the LGBT and immigrant communities,” said George C. Chen, president-elect of NAPABA. “Religious freedom is an important part of our society, but this bill is about legalizing discrimination, not about religious freedom. Governor Brewer needs to veto this bill.”

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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 over 40,000 attorneys and 67 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal service 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.

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Columbia APALSA Third Annual Conference: On the Shoulders of Giants

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The Columbia Asian Pacific America Law Students Association invites you to attend their third annual conference: On the Shoulders of Giants: New Horizons for Asian Americans in Law and Politics.  The conference will be held on Saturday, March 8 starting at 1pm.  Attend one of three panels on Immigration Reform, Minority Identity, and Professional Development or attend dinner with keynote speaker former NYC Comptroller John Liu.  Among the speakers at the conference will be AABANY President Mike Huang, President-Elect Clara Ohr and Board Member Karen Lim, who will be joining Helen Wan (author, The Partner Track) and Vivia Chen (blogger, The Careerist) on a panel entitled “Navigating the Career Ladder: Professional Development Strategies for Asian American Attorneys.”

CLE credit will be offered.  Tickets are available on our
website at http://blogs.law.columbia.edu/apalsaconference/.

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PALS Presents: Opportunities and Career Paths of U.S. Attorneys

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You Are Invited to Attend a Career Panel & Networking Reception 

Opportunities and Career Paths of U.S. Attorneys
Thursday, March 6, 2014
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Sponsored By:
Proskauer

 

Eleven Times Square
(Eighth Avenue & 41st Street)
New York, NY 10036
 
This panel will provide insight on the recruitment and selection process of Assistant United States Attorneys. The panel will also explore the skills gained and the benefits of practicing as a Federal Prosecutor.
Panelists: 
The Honorable Margo K. Brodie
United States District Court Judge
Eastern District of New York
The Honorable Pamela K. Chen
United States District Court Judge
Eastern District of New York
Alphonzo Grant, Jr.
Executive Director
Morgan Stanley
Keisha-Ann Gray
Partner
Proskauer Rose, LLP

Moderator:
Orelia Merchant
Assistant United States Attorney 

United States Attorney’s Office

Eastern District of New York

Click HERE to RSVP
Registration ends on March 4, 2014 
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PALS Mission Statement: 

PALS is dedicated to enhancing the skills and careers of minority law students and early career attorneys. PALS does this by offering customized mentoring, educational and professional development opportunities. PALS provides resources to augment the law school and employer training of, respectively, minority law students and beginning lawyers, and will continue to offer its services free of charge.

PALS is a 501©(3) not-for-profit organization

Providing Mentoring, Career and Skills Development for Minorities in the Legal Profession Since 1984

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Is Empathy Enough? Racial Justice and the Moral Imagination in the 21st Century

Join the Fordham Center on Religion and Culture and the Fordham Theatre Program for 

Is Empathy Enough? Racial Justice and the Moral Imagination in the 21st Century

Monday, February 24, 2014, 6 p.m.
Fordham University, Pope Auditorium
113 West 60th Street, New York NY 10023

Racial justice remains elusive a half century after the monumental Civil Rights Act of 1964. Where law falls short, could an enriched culture of empathy produce the needed transformation in the American conscience?

Join us for a forum that mines the arts, history and theology to explore the power—and weakness—of empathy as a force for social change.

Featuring
Pun Bandhu, award-winning actor and founding member of the Asian American Performers Action Coalition
Ruben Rosario Rodriguez, author of Racism and God Talk: A Latino/a Perspective 
Ariela Gross, author of What Blood Won’t Tell: A History of Race on Trial in America 
Aimee Meredith Cox, Department of African and African-American Studies, Fordham University

RSVP to [email protected]
Free and open to the public
_____________________

This forum coincides with the Fordham Theatre Program’s production of

We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as Southwest Africa, From the German Sudwestafrika, Between the Years 1884-1915 
By Jackie Sibblies Drury
Directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh

For schedule and ticket information go to FORDHAM.EDU/THEATRE
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PRESS RELEASE: AABANY TO HONOR VERNON JORDAN WITH I4 LEADERSHIP AWARD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE         Contact: Yang Chen, Executive Director

February 5, 2014                                                                  (718) 228-7206

AABANY TO HONOR VERNON JORDAN WITH “I4 LEADERSHIP AWARD”
AT 25TH ANNUAL DINNER TO BE HELD AT CIPRIANI WALL STREET

NEW YORK – On Wednesday, February 26, 2014, the Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) will hold its 25th Anniversary Annual Dinner at Cipriani Wall Street.  Attendees of the 2014 AABANY Annual Dinner will include prominent federal and state judges, elected officials and dignitaries, attorneys from large and small law firms, corporate law departments, prosecutors’ offices and government agencies.  AABANY’s 2013 Annual Dinner attracted more than 750 members of the legal and business communities from New York and beyond.  This year AABANY is pleased to announce that the 2014 honorees will be:

  •  Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., Senior Managing Director, Lazard Freres & Co., LLC
  • Randal S. Milch, Executive Vice President, Public Policy, and General Counsel Verizon Communications Inc.
  • AALDEF (Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund)

Vernon E. Jordan, Jr. will receive the AABANY I4 Leadership Award.  The I4 Leadership award is presented to a leader who is an ICON, embodying the highest IDEALS and INSPIRING others while making a real and lasting IMPACT in the community and society.  Mr. Jordan, a Senior Managing Director at Lazard, the financial advisory and asset management firm, also remains Senior Counsel at the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, where he practices general, corporate, legislative and international law in Washington, D.C.  Prior to joining Akin Gump in January 1982, Mr. Jordan served as president and chief executive officer of the National Urban League, Inc.; executive director of the United Negro College Fund, Inc.; director of the Voter Education Project of the Southern Regional Council; attorney-consultant at the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity; assistant to the executive director of the Southern Regional Council; Georgia field director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; and as an attorney in private practice in Arkansas and Georgia.  Upon graduation from Howard University School of Law in 1960, he joined the firm of a civil rights activist in Atlanta and became involved in a case against the University of Georgia to challenge racist policies.  In 1962, Mr. Jordan became a Georgia field director for the NAACP and his leadership was an instrumental part of the civil rights movement.  In particular, Mr. Jordan, as director of the Voter Education Project, coordinated voter registration drives and counseled the electorate, helping to dramatically increase the number of African-American elected officials.  

Mr. Jordan has served as a key strategist and advisor to multiple U.S. Presidents from Lyndon Johnson to Bill Clinton, as well as to many prominent civil rights leaders.  His presidential appointments include:  the President’s Advisory Committee for the Points of Light Initiative Foundation; the Secretary of State’s Advisory Committee on South Africa; the Advisory Council on Social Security; the Presidential Clemency Board; the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission; the National Advisory Committee on Selective Service; and the Council of the White House Conference “To Fulfill These Rights.”  Jordan served as the chairman of the Clinton Presidential Transition Team in 1992.

”We are deeply honored and humbled that such a legendary defender of legal rights as Vernon Jordan will be helping AABANY commemorate our 25th anniversary at our Annual Dinner, along with Randal Milch, recipient of AABANY’s Corporate Counsel Leadership Award, and AALDEF, recipient of AABANY’s Public Advocacy Award,” said Mike Huang, AABANY President. 

For more information about AABANY, or this event, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (718) 228-7206, or direct any media inquiries to [email protected].

###

The Asian American Bar Association of New York was formed in 1989 as a not-for-profit corporation to represent the interests of New York Asian-American attorneys, judges, law professors, legal professionals, paralegals and law students.  The mission of AABANY is to improve the study and practice of law, and the fair administration of justice for all by ensuring the meaningful participation of Asian Americans in the legal profession.

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From Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman’s Office: Labor Rights Forum

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On behalf of the Office of the Attorney General we would like to invite you to a Labor Rights Forum on Thursday, March 6, 2014 at 6:30PM. The Attorney General and his Labor Bureau Chief Terri Gerstein will be joined by a panel of Labor Rights experts to discuss important issues impacting our community including: Minimum Wage, Overtime, Laws Related To Tipped Workers, New Laws, and Immigrant Workers. The event will take place at Gregorio Luperón High School—501 W. 165th Street and Amsterdam Avenue in Upper Manhattan.

To confirm your attendance or for more information, please email [email protected] or call 212-416-8754

We need your help to ensure the community forum’s success so please circulate the attached flyers and encourage your friends, family and anyone interested to attend.

English Flyer

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From AsianInNY: Learning From Experiences of Asian American Leaders

AsianInNY is a proud sponsor for the Forum on Politics and Governance: Lessons from the experience of Elected Asian American Leaders at the Philippine Consulate General in New York.

Date: Feb 28th 6-8pm
Add: 556 5th Ave, New York, NY 10036

Learn from the lessons through the top Asian American Leaders including:

Congresswoman Grace Meng
State Assemblyman Ron Kim
City Council President Rolando Lavarro
Candidate 2013 NYC Council Elections Mr. Ed Santos

100 seats only including free admission, drinks and light hors d’oeuvres.

Must RSVP: http://www.asianinny.com/?p=38172

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SDNY OFFERS SOLO PRACTITIONERS AND SMALL LAW FIRMS AN INTRODUCTION TO FILING AMENDED CIVIL PLEADINGS ON ECF

In anticipation of attorneys filing amended pleadings in civil cases using the court’s Electronic Case Filing (ECF) system, the court will offer an introduction to the process on February 26, 2014 at 5:30 p.m., in room 160 of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse (500 Pearl Street in New York). Attendees will learn how to use the ECF system to file amended pleadings and request summonses electronically. A question and answer session will follow, and light refreshments will be served.

Registration is limited to 100 people and is open only to solo practitioners and attorneys from law firms with 20 or fewer attorneys.

To register for the event please visit the court’s website at
http://nysd.uscourts.gov/nysd_survey?survey=demo

CONTACT: Drew D’Agostino, 212-805-0615; or Jazmin Rivera, 212-805-0675