DERRICK KAHALA WATSON CONFIRMED TO HAWAII DISTRICT COURT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 18, 2013
NAPABA Contact: Emily Chatterjee (202) 775-9555
AAJC Contact: Kimberly Goulart (202) 499-7027
DERRICK KAHALA WATSON CONFIRMED TO HAWAII DISTRICT COURT
Watson becomes only person of Native Hawaiian descent to serve on federal bench
WASHINGTON – Today, leaders of the Asian Pacific American community applaud the confirmation of Derrick Kahala Watson to the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii. With a Senate vote of 94-0, he becomes the only person of native Hawaiian descent to currently serve as an Article III judge, and only the fourth in American history.
“Derrick Kahala Watson’s confirmation to the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii is an important step forward for our nation,” said Wendy C. Shiba, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “With Judge Watson’s well-deserved confirmation, the federal bench will be further diversified. Of note, the District of Hawaii will become the first federal court in U.S. history with a majority of Asian Pacific Americans, as Judge Watson joins Chief Judge Susan Oki Mollway and Judge Leslie Kobayashi on the bench.”
“Judge Watson’s confirmation brings with it much needed diversity to the federal bench,” said Mee Moua, president and executive director of the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice. “He brings with him not only a history of government service to the bench, but also a personal story that inspires all members of our community.”
Until his confirmation, Watson served as chief of the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii. He has deep roots in Hawaii, growing up in a multi-generational household on Oahu that included his mother, who worked at a local bank until her retirement several years ago, and his father, who retired from the Honolulu Police Department. Judge Watson attended the Kamehameha Schools, Harvard College and Harvard Law School, and is the first person in his family to attend college.
NAPABA and AAJC applaud President Obama for nominating Judge Watson to the bench and thank the late Senator Inouye, former Senator Akaka, and Senators Schatz and Hirono for their recommendation and support of Judge Watson’s nomination.
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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 63 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.
The Asian American Center for Advancing Justice (www.advancingjustice.org) works to promote a fair and equitable society for all by working for civil and human rights and empowering Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other underserved communities, and is comprised of the Asian American Justice Center (www.advancingequality.org), the Asian American Institute (www.aaichicago.org), the Asian Law Caucus (www.asianlawcaucus.org) and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (www.apalc.org).
AALDEF Fundraisers – Mets & Yankees Tickets
From our friends at AALDEF:
The baseball season is heating up! Did you know that there’s a way that you can attend Mets and Yankees games and support the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund? AALDEF participates in a special program that helps to raise funds for public interest organizations. By purchasing tickets to select baseball games through this program, your cost will include the value of the ticket plus an additional donation to support AALDEF. Most of these tickets (including the donation) are below regular price. All donations go directly toward AALDEF’s legal and education programs. Please take advantage of this opportunity to root for your team while making a contribution for a good cause!
METS
Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field
Friday, April 26, 7:10 pm
Promenade Sec. 515 (directly above home plate)
$21per ticket, plus $9 donation or more
SUBWAY SERIES: Mets vs. NY Yankees at Citi Field
Monday, May 27, 7:10 pm
Promenade Sec. 522 (above third base)
$50per ticket, plus $40 donation or more
FOURTH OF JULY SPECIAL: Mets vs. Arizona Diamondbacks at Citi Field (with post-game Fireworks Show)
Wednesday, July 3, 7:10 pm
Promenade Sec. 515 (directly above home plate)
$25per ticket, plus $5donation or more
YANKEES
Yankees vs. Oakland A’s at Yankee Stadium
Friday, May 3, 7:05 pm
Grandstand Sec. 409 (above right field)
$11per ticket, plus $9 donation or more
Yankees vs. LA Dodgers at Yankee Stadium
Wednesday, June 19, 7:05 pm
Grandstand Sec. 409 (above right field)
$22per ticket, plus $8 donation or more
Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium
Wednesday, June 19, 7:05 pm
Grandstand Sec. 409 (above right field)
$22 per ticket, plus $8 donation or more
Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium
Friday, August 9, 7:05 pm
Grandstand Sec. 409 (above right field)
$11per ticket, plus $9 donation or more
LABOR DAY GAME: Yankees vs. Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium
Monday, September 2, 1:05 pm
Grandstand Sec. 409 (above right field)
$16.25per ticket, plus $3.75 donation or more
Tickets are limited, so act fast! Please contact Eva Lew at [email protected] or (212) 966-5932 x 208 to reserve your tickets.
Thank you for supporting AALDEF!
Help for Hong Kong Residents Overseas
Passing along information from Anita Chan, Director, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York, for visitors from Hong Kong who may have been affected by the Boston Marathon explosion on April 15.
The Boston explosion was such a tragedy. I hope no one you know was affected.
We have been in close touch with the Immigration Department of Hong Kong, the Chinese Consul General in New York, as well as the Hong Kong Association of Massachusetts. From what we can gather so far there were over 30 Hong Kong runners at the Marathon but luckily no Hong Kong resident was injured.
In this connection, I would like to share the following information with you:
Hong Kong permanent residents requiring assistance when overseas can call the Hong Kong Immigration Department’s dedicated hotline at 852-1868 or the Chinese Consulate General (CCG) at the respective cities. In the case of New York and Massachusetts they can call CCG of New York at: 212-244-9392 / 212-244-9456. The relevant webpage of our Immigration Department provides further details: http://www.gov.hk/en/residents/immigration/outsidehk/
This is the established and quickest channel for Hong Kong residents to get help when they are overseas. Please feel free to share the information with those you think may find this useful.
Let’s hope no one needs to use the hotline services. Just thought it would be good to share the information.
Please take care.
Best,
Anita Chan
Director
Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office New York
For Immediate Release: CACF Names Karen Kithan Yau New Executive Director Effective June 3, 2013
AABANY congratulates Karen Yau on her appointment as Executive Director of the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families. Karen is a member of AABANY and co-chair of the Government Service and Public Interest Committee.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, April 12, 2013
COALITION FOR ASIAN AMERICAN CHILDREN AND FAMILIES NAMES KAREN KITHAN YAU NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR EFFECTIVE JUNE 3, 2013
NEW YORK, NY- The Board of Directors of the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF) announces the appointment of Karen Kithan Yau as Executive Director, effective June 3, 2013. She succeeds Wayne Ho, who completed nearly nine years of service as executive director. Ms. Yau is currently an Assistant Attorney General of the State of New York, serving in the Labor Bureau.
“We are very pleased that Karen Yau will join CACF. She has deep legal, governmental, and community experience, and has shown that she gets results that matter for the least advantaged in our society. She has enormous enthusiasm for CACF’s mission,” said Edward Pauly, Acting President of CACF’s Board. “And we thank Wayne Ho for his extraordinary and selfless leadership for the past 9 years. He has successfully transformed CACF into the premiere advocacy voice for Asian Pacific American children and families.”
Ms. Yau began her career as an organizer for MFY Legal Services on the Lower East Side. An immigrant, she graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School and Stony Brook University, and received her J.D. degree from Northeastern University School of Law. Prior to joining the Office of the Attorney General, she was an Assistant Professor of Law at Syracuse University College of Law. Ms. Yau was also a Robert M. Cover Teaching Fellow at Yale Law School. Recipient of a Skadden Fellowship, she worked at the National Employment Law Project. In addition to public interest law, Ms. Yau practiced as a litigation associate at Vladeck, Waldman, Elias & Engelhard. Active in community service, Ms. Yau is a member of the inaugural Solidarity Board of Community Voices Heard and an alumna of the Immigrant Civic Leadership Program at the CORO New York Leadership Center.
“I am honored to be given an opportunity to lead CACF and to work with Asian Pacific American and immigrant children and families whose experiences I relate deeply to,” said Ms. Yau. “I am committed to working with the excellent Board, Staff, and Action Council of CACF to build on its legacy, and with fellow advocates to shape and implement an effective advocacy agenda for the well-being of the children and families in our diverse communities."
The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF), the nation’s only pan-Asian children’s advocacy organization, aims to improve the health and well-being of Asian Pacific American children and families in New York City. CACF’s website is www.cacf.org.
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SDNY NOTICE: SDNY Seeks Applicants to CJA Panel
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York is seeking applicants for the SDNY Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Panel. Applications are available on the court’s website at www.nysd.uscourts.gov/cja.php. Completed applications must be addressed to David Patton, Executive Director of the Federal Defenders of New York, and submitted electronically by May 31, 2013 to [email protected]; no paper applications will be accepted.
Click HERE to view PDF.
NAPABA Submits Testimony in Support of Srinivasan Nomination
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
1612 K Street NW, Suite 1400
Washington, DC 20006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 9, 2013
Contact: Emily Chatterjee
(202) 775-9555
NAPABA SUBMITS TESTIMONY AND URGES SWIFT CONFIRMATION
OF SRI SRINIVASAN TO BECOME THE FIRST INDIAN AMERICAN
FEDERAL APPELLATE COURT JUDGE IN THE NATION’S HISTORY
WASHINGTON, DC – In anticipation of tomorrow’s Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on the nomination of Srikanth “Sri” Srinivasan to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) submitted testimony in strong support of Srinivasan’s confirmation. If confirmed, he will be the first Indian American to serve as a federal appellate court judge in the nation’s history. He also would be the first Asian Pacific American to serve on the D.C. Circuit.
As noted in NAPABA’s testimony, the nomination is especially important to the Asian Pacific American community, given that out of the approximately 175 active federal appellate court judges, there are currently only two who are Asian Pacific American. Moreover, the fact that over 3.1 million Indian Americans live in the United States, the lack of any Indian American federal appellate court judge is notable.
Srinivasan has received extremely high praise from all segments of the legal community. The list includes numerous federal judges (including Justice Sandra Day O’Connor), former government officials, and professors. These individuals include officials and judges appointed by the Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama Administrations. They invariably have described Srinivasan as “a tremendous lawyer,” “one of the very smartest, most talented,” and “especially gifted.” All of them state that Srinivasan will be an “excellent” or “tremendous” appellate court judge.
NAPABA urges for Srinivasan’s prompt confirmation. As NAPABA’s testimony stated, “Sri Srinivasan would make an immediate contribution as a federal circuit judge. His qualifications, integrity, intellect, and commitment to the justice system are unquestionable. He also brings with him an all-American life story that is inspiring.”
A copy of NAPABA’s testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee can be found here.
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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 63 local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members represent 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 federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes professional development of people of color in the legal profession.
Metropolitan Black Bar Association Press Release: Hon. Sheila Abdus-Salaam
President R. Nadine Fontaine of the Metropolitan Black Bar is pleased to announce that Governor Andrew Cuomo has nominated the Honorable Sheila Abdus-Salaam to the New York State Court of Appeals. If confirmed, Justice Abdus-Salaam will be the first African-American woman to sit on the highest court of this State. Her confirmation will fill the vacancy created by the untimely passing of Associate Justice Theodore T. Jones, Jr.
Click HERE for the press release.