ACS and the University of Pennsylvania Law School ACS Chapter are pleased to announce the 2013 Constance Baker Motley National Student Writing Competition, an annual national student writing competition in honor of Constance Baker Motley, a civil rights attorney and the first African-American woman appointed to the federal bench. This competition seeks to encourage student scholarship that advances Judge Motley’s legacy by enhancing society’s understanding of progressive legal theories. The winner will be awarded $3,000 and an offer of publication in the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law. The two runners-up will receive $1,000 each. The submission deadline is Friday, February 22, 2013. Email questions to [email protected].
NAPABA SUPPORT FOR ABA APPOINTMENTS – FEB. 11 DEADLINE
We need your help and involvement to ensure that Asian Pacific Americans are well represented in the ABA’s leadership ranks. Please consider applying for an appointment or encouraging another NAPABA member to do so.
NAPABA will be recommending candidates for appointments to committees, commissions, and other ABA entities for the upcoming bar year. To be considered for an endorsement, you must submit a request to NAPABA by February 11, 2013, noon EST.
Important steps:
- To apply for an ABA appointment, you must be a member of the ABA. If you are not already a member, click here for membership information.
- You must apply for an appointment online at http://www.abanet.org/appointments by February 25.
- You should seek the support of your friends and colleagues who are already in the ABA leadership ranks or who are leaders in your local/state bar associations.
- To secure NAPABA’s support for an appointment, send an email to Pia Rivera at [email protected] by February 11 with the subject line “ABA Appointments.” You should provide a short bio, identify the particular entities you are interested in serving on, and explain your interest and any relevant experience.
This ABA link in #2 above includes information that may answer any questions you may have. If you have other questions, please email Pia Rivera for assistance.
Press Release: Former AABANY President Glenn Lau-Kee Named President-Elect of the NYSBA
NEW YORK – January 28, 2013 – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) welcomes and applauds the news that Glenn Lau-Kee has been named as President-Elect of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA). The 77,000-member New York State Bar Association is the official statewide organization of lawyers in New York and the largest voluntary state bar association in the nation. Mr. Lau-Kee was elected at the 135th Annual Meeting by the House of Delegates, the Association’s decision and policy-making body. He will begin his one-year term as President-Elect on June 1, 2013. Mr. Lau-Kee will be the first Asian American to serve as a President-Elect of NYSBA. “On behalf of AABANY and its Board of Directors and Officers, we congratulate Glenn on this historic achievement and wish him success as he becomes the President-Elect of the New York State Bar Association, a revered organization and leader among all bar associations in the nation,” said Jean Lee, President of AABANY.
AABANY and NYSBA participate in a number of joint programs through the year, including an annual Diversity Reception at NYSBA’s annual meeting in New York every January. “Glenn is among the most respected leaders at NYSBA and in the entire legal community in New York. AABANY is proud of Glenn’s historic ascension to the presidency-elect of NYSBA, an elevation which inspires the entire Asian legal community. We are certain that Glenn’s new role at NYSBA will boost Asian American participation in NYSBA and lead to new joint initiatives between NYSBA and AABANY,” said Vincent Chang, former AABANY President and a current member of NYSBA’s Nominating Committee.
To read the full text of the press release go to: www.aabany.org/associations/6701/files/PR%20012813%20-%20Glenn%20Lau%20Kee%20-%20NYSBA_Final.pdf
CORRECTION – Sandy Resources and FEMA Application Deadline: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27th, 2013
**CORRECTION**
As of today, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that FEMA has also given New York a 30-day extension for applying for individual assistance. In addition, FEMA has extended access to its Transitional Sheltering Assistance program, by 14 days. That will allow New Yorkers to stay in hotels through February 9 (check-out is Sunday, February 10th) if their homes were damaged by the storm.
DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR FEMA BENEFITS HAS BEEN EXTENDED: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27th, 2013
Click HERE to apply for FEMA disaster assistance.
Dear Friends,
As our community is still struggling because of immigration status restrictions on disaster relief benefits, the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) continues to call on the Mayor and Governor to make more relief assistance available to all New Yorkers. Our colleagues at the New York Disaster Interfaith Services (NYDIS) are working hard through their Unmet Needs Roundtable to make funds available to support immigrants who do not qualify because of these restrictions. In addition, the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) has taken some steps to assist organizations working with immigrants. But more needs to be done. We will keep you posted on future developments.
Despite the limitations on existing benefits for Sandy victims, this link will give you a list of resources that are currently available.
If you have any questions, requests, or concerns please reach out to Manny Castro at [email protected] or (212) 627-2227 x 246.
//picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf
On January 24, 2013, AABANY held its Annual Meeting. It was hosted by Cravath, Swaine & Moore, in their New York office, and the firm generously provided space, food and drinks for all our attendees. At the meeting, many AABANY members and friends got to meet and mingle before the business portion of the Annual Meeting began. President Jean Lee led the meeting and invited members to cast their votes for officers and directors if they had not already done so. While the votes were being counted, she gave an overview of AABANY’s active and productive year in 2012. Executive Director Yang Chen reported on the activities of AABANY’s numerous committees, after which he announced the Outstanding Committee of the Year award. This year’s top committee was the Women’s Committee for the excellent variety of substantive programs and networking events that greatly enhanced AABANY and its mission. President-elect Mike Huang gave closing remarks and would have announced the results of the election had they been ready at that time, but they were not, so the audience was invited to continue enjoying food, drink and each other’s company. At about 8:45 pm, the results were ready, and Mike proudly announced that the following Officers had been elected:
- Clara Ohr, President-elect
- James Yu, Vice President of Programs and Operations
- William Wang, Vice President of Finance and Development
- Jane Chuang, Treasurer
- Karen Kim, Recording Secretary
- Judy Kim, Membership Secretary
The following Directors were elected:
- James Lin
- James Chou
- Francis Chin
- Linda Lin
- Teena-Ann V. Sankoorikal
AABANY’s Year-End Report for 2012 was distributed at the meeting along with the current issue of AABANY’s newsletter, The AABANY Advocate. To review a copy of the Year-End Report online go to http://bit.ly/ann_rpt13.
Thanks to everyone who came out to the Annual Meeting, and thanks to everyone who submitted proxies to help us obtain quorum. We hope to see you at our upcoming events in 2013, in particular our 24th Annual Dinner at Cipriani Wall Street coming up on February 27.
(Source: http://bit.ly/)
Webinar: The Challenge of International Judgment Enforcement
Webinar: The Challenge of International Judgment Enforcement
Join The Asian Lawyer and Kobre & Kim LLP for a Live Webinar. AABANY’s Advisory Committee Member Michael Kim is a featured speaker.
Asset recovery and judgment enforcement with an Asian angle can be challenging. This seminar will focus on how to leverage combined action in Asia, the Caribbean and the U.S. to achieve effective outcomes for clients.
Topics covered will include:
- Sequencing enforcement in key Asian jurisdictions, to leverage intra-Asian judgment enforcement treaties;
- Using interim remedies (injunctions, discovery orders, etc.) in the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, and other offshore financial centers;
- Using discovery procedures available through the U.S. court system to assist international actions;
- Seeking assistance from U.S. and other governments known to be aggressive in international asset forfeiture; and
- Applying best practices in preparing for and managing the unique investigative demands of foreign asset recovery.
Find all the details for this program and register here.
AALDEF 2013 Summer Legal Internships
ASIAN AMERICAN LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND
2013 SUMMER LEGAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
Founded in 1974, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) 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.
Internships for the summer of 2013 are available in the following program areas:
Anti-Trafficking Initiative – legal research and writing on the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act and Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as outreach, community education, and advocacy on the rights of exploited and abused workers.
Community Health Care Initiative – legal research, community education and outreach in the areas of immigration, government benefits, language rights, and health care access;
Economic Justice for Workers – legal research, advocacy and direct representation on behalf of Asian immigrant workers experiencing wage-and-hour, retaliation, and workplace safety violations in the restaurant, nail salon, domestic work, and other low-wage industries.
Educational Equity – legal services, policy work, community education, research and litigation concerning educational equity, juvenile justice, affirmative action, student free-speech and police surveillance, and anti-Asian harassment;
Housing Justice Project – community outreach/education, community planning, research, and litigation on housing and land use issues affecting low-income Asian immigrant communities;
Immigrant Access to Justice – litigation, legal services, and organizing/outreach with communities impacted by post 9/11 immigration and law enforcement policies. An additional emphasis on Asian immigrant communities’ access to representation and education about immigration policies and practices that may impact them, including unconstitutional DHS stops, new deferred action policies for youth, and Secure Communities.
Voting Rights – legal research and fact development under the Voting Rights Act and Equal Protection Clause challenging anti-Asian voter discrimination, advocacy on bilingual ballots, and the redrawing of local, state, and federal district lines; produce reports and organize public forums; assist in organizing legal trainings.
Description of Summer Internship Program:
The summer program is ten weeks, from approximately June 3 through August 9. Interns work full-time and are supervised by attorneys in specific program areas. Depending on the program area, interns will work on litigation, legal and policy advocacy, community outreach and education, or client intakes; each program area differs in emphasis. Summer interns attend weekly brown bag lectures on a range of public interest legal topics along with interns from other legal defense funds and civil rights groups. The position is unpaid. However, in previous years many AALDEF interns have been successful at securing independent funding. Academic credit can be arranged.
To Apply:
· AALDEF has extended its legal internship application deadline to Friday, February 1, 2013. Interested applicants should e-mail or mail a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to AALDEF on or before that date at the address below. Please indicate in your cover letter the top three preferred program areas. Only law students qualify for AALDEF’s legal internships. Applications may be faxed or emailed.
· Any bilingual ability should be stated in the application. Bilingual ability is helpful, but not required. Gujarati, Hindi, Khmer, Korean, Indonesian, and Urdu-speaking applicants are especially urged to apply.
· Applications will be reviewed upon receipt through the February 1, 2013 deadline. Interviews will take place on a rolling basis. Only applicants who have been granted interviews will be notified of their advancement in the application process.
Summer Internship Search (Legal)
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
99 Hudson Street, 12th floor
New York, New York 10013-2815
Fax: 212-966-4303 Email: [email protected]
For more information, contact:
Shirley Lin at 212-966-5932 x220 or [email protected]
Thomas Mariadason at 212-966-5932 x223 or [email protected]
* * *Please do NOT email applications to [email protected] or [email protected] * * *
# # #
UNDERGRADUATE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
Summer interns attend weekly brown bag lectures on a range of public interest legal topics along with interns from other legal defense funds and civil rights groups. The summer program is ten (10) weeks, beginning approximately June 3rd through August 9th. The position is unpaid. However, in previous years many AALDEF interns have been successful at securing independent funding and work-study funds may also be available. Academic credit can be arranged.
Community Health Care Initiative: community education and outreach in the areas of immigration, government benefits, language rights, and health care access.
Educational Equity Intern: Responsibilities include community outreach and presentations with Asian American youth groups, public education policy research, assistance with client intakes and general support for projects on educational equity, juvenile justice, affirmative action, student free-speech and police surveillance, and anti-Asian harassment.
Housing & Environmental Justice Project: Responsibilities include community outreach and research on land use, community planning, and anti-displacement issues.
Office Assistant: Responsibilities include data entry, organizing press clippings, answering phones, doing mailings, assisting with fundraising and other events, and performing general clerical duties. Other responsibilities include providing support for community education and outreach projects and acting as an interpreter/translator. Computer experience with databases, graphics and web programs is helpful.
Voting Rights Intern: research and fact development under the Voting Rights Act and Equal Protection Clause challenging anti-Asian voter discrimination, advocacy on bilingual ballots, and the redrawing of local, state and federal district lines; produce reports and organize public forums; assist in organizing legal trainings; help prepare for election monitoring of the 2013 Mayoral Elections; conduct voter registration drives.
Requirements: Candidates must be detail-oriented and possess strong writing skills. Spoken and written knowledge of Korean, Bangla, Chinese, or another Asian language is a plus. Qualified applicants should indicate which internship they are applying for and send a resume and cover letter by Monday, February 11, 2013 to:
Summer Undergraduate Intern Search
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
99 Hudson Street, 12th floor
New York, New York 10013
fax: 212.966.4303 or email: [email protected]
For more information, contact Jennifer Weng at 212-966-5932, ext. 212 or [email protected]
NYCCC Lunar New Year Celebration
Arts & Crafts, Music, Dance, and Culture:
Lunar New Year Festival 2013
INTO THE BOROUGHS: SPRING CELEBRATION
Date: Saturday and Sunday, February 2 – 3, February 9 – 10, and February 16 – 17, 2013
Place: Children’s Museum of the Arts, Children’s Museum of Manhattan (Manhattan), Queens Theatre (Queens), and Brooklyn Millennium High School (Brooklyn)
Fees: FREE for Feb 9th & 10th; Family Festival at Children’s Museum of Manhattan and Children’s Museum of the Arts are free with museum admission
(New York, NY) New York Chinese Cultural Center (NYCCC) is staging a 3-weekend Chinese culture program to celebrate the beginning of spring and welcome the Year of Snake. Lunar New Year is the largest and most important annual festival celebrated by Chinese and Chinese descendants around the world. Followed by a triumphed celebration at the World Financial Center Winter Garden in 2012, NYCCC is bringing its most popular and celebrated program to the boroughs.
This year, to kick off the festival with the family program, on February 2nd & 3rd, NYCCC partners with Children’s Museum of the Arts to present live Chinese traditional music, ribbon, and sword dance, as well as hands-on crafts activities, including Chinese paper cutting, creating dough figurines, and calligraphy writing, that will allow young children and family the up, close & personal experience with Chinese crafts and folk arts. Events are free with admission.
As the day proceeding toward the Chinese New Year, on the following Saturday and Sunday, February 9th & 10th, the festival will step in to the boroughs with its main performance at the Queens Theatre and Brooklyn Millennium High School. The 2-day festival will start with 60 minutes hands-on arts & crafts activities include paper cutting, dough figurines, and calligraphy in the lobby, followed by a 70 minutes stage performance. The performances include traditional Chinese sword, ribbon, folk dance, and Peking Opera featuring the living Peking Opera legend, Qi Shu-fang; as well the modern Chinese rock band, Hsu-nami, known for its daring integration of the rock sound with the Chinese classical music instrument: Erhu. Click here to find out more information on artists.
Also on February 16th & 17th, Chinese Ink Brush Painting workshop and young Chinese dancers performing in traditional costumes will take place at Children’s Museum of Manhattan. Registration for the workshop is one hour before each program and tickets for performance are distributed beginning one hour before each performance. Both events are free with admission.
The New York Chinese Cultural Center has produced annual Lunar New Year Festivals for 25 consecutive years to sold-out audiences. It’s the most popular and most see program for Chinese New Year celebration in New York City. By partnering with local cultural institutions such as Queens Theatre and Children Museum of the Arts, NYCCC is able to bring the celebrated program to different boroughs.
Read more details here.
Press Release: Congratulations Lillian M. Moy, Recipient of NYSBA’S 2013 Diversity Trailblazer Award
The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) applauds the selection of Lillian M. Moy, as the recipient of the 2013 New York State Bar Association (“NYSBA”) Diversity Trailblazer Award. The NYSBA Committee on Diversity presented the 2013 Diversity Trailblazer Award at an Award Presentation and Networking Reception during the 10th Annual Celebrating Diversity in the Bar Reception held on Monday, January 21, 2013 at the New York Hilton in New York City.
“We are thrilled that NYSBA has recognized Lillian with the Diversity Trailblazer Award. Her commitment and dedication to promoting diversity in the legal profession is well known to us, as she has been a constant and passionate proponent of getting AABANY and other diverse and specialty bar associations more involved with NYSBA and other mainstream bar associations. Her work has greatly improved the visibility and participation of lawyers of color in bar groups and the legal profession. We are proud to count her among our most prominent members in AABANY. Congratulations, Lillian!” said Yang Chen, Executive Director of AABANY.
To read the full text of the press release go to http://www.aabany.org/associations/6701/files/PR%20012413%20-%20Lillian%20Moy%20NYSBA.pdf.
NAPABA Applauds the Appointment of Judge Carla Wong McMillian To The Georgia Court of Appeals
WASHINGTON – Yesterday, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal appointed Judge Carla Wong McMillian to be a judge on the Georgia Court of Appeals. Judge McMillian is the first Asian Pacific American state appellate court judge to be appointed in the Southeast Region of the United States.
“We applaud Governor Deal for this historic appointment,” stated Wendy Shiba, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “Judge McMillian has distinguished herself on the Georgia trial court bench, and we believe that all of Georgia benefits from having a highly qualified and diverse Court of Appeals.”
Judge McMillian has been a state court judge in Fayette County, Georgia since 2010. In 2012, she became the first Asian Pacific American female judge to be elected in Georgia. Prior to Judge McMillian’s appointment to the bench, she was a partner at the law firm of Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan LLP, where she focused on complex litigation. She has been listed as a “Rising Star” in Georgia Super Lawyers in 2007 and 2010. NAPABA recognized her as one of its “Best Lawyers Under 40” in 2012. Judge McMillian is a proud Georgian, whose grandparents immigrated to the United States from China in the 1920s and whose mother is from Hong Kong.
NAPABA congratulates Judge McMillian on her appointment and commends Governor Deal for his initiative in diversifying the judiciary.