The AABANY Academic Committee held its annual Holiday Lunch at Sabai Thai in Manhattan on Monday, December 12. Committee Co-Chairs Elaine Chiu, Catherine Kim, Donna Lee, and Tom Lee were joined by AABANY Board member Francis Chin. They all enjoyed a festive and delicious meal that included Panang Curry, Pad Thai and Pad See Ew.
The conversation ranged far and wide – from the dearth of AAPI judges on the state court bench, to the early closing of KPOP, the Broadway musical, to the pros and cons of multiple choice law school exam questions! They also discussed the American Bar Foundation’s and NAPABA’s 2022 report, “A Portrait of Asian Americans in the Law 2.0,” which finds that “Asian Americans remain underrepresented in clerkships and in leadership positions in law firms, state judiciaries, and other public and private sector arenas.” Luncheon attendees noted that AAPI representation in the legal academy would be an excellent addition to a future Portrait Project 3.0!
Thanks to the Academic Committee for upholding this annual tradition. Learn more about them and how to get more involved with the Committee here.
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work at American Express? Our members got a glimpse during a visit to Amex’s New York headquarters in November.
On November 1, 2022, Amex and the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) hosted a networking event that provided an inside look into what it’s like working in the General Counsel’s Organization at Amex.
The event commenced with opening remarks by Amex’s Chief Legal Officer Laureen Seeger, who shared some of her most memorable experiences working at the company over the past decade. The event shifted to a panel moderated by Amex’s Deputy General Counsel Sarah Dodds-Brown. The discussion included a diverse group of Amex attorneys who spoke about their unique career journeys and gave tips on how to be a competitive candidate for in-house counsel positions. The panel was followed by a networking session where attendees spoke with Amex attorneys on topics including the company’s hiring process, its unique work culture, and what career development looks like at Amex.
The event was a great opportunity for AABANY members to meet members of Amex’s General Counsel’s Organization and learn about Amex opportunities and its diverse, inclusive and supportive culture.
A special thank you to Amex and the attendees for making the event a huge success!
WASHINGTON – [On Dec. 21, 2022,] President Joe Biden nominated Judge Wesley Hsu to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
“NAPABA applauds the Biden-Harris administration for nominating Judge Wesley Hsu,” said Sandra Leung, president of NAPABA. “Judge Hsu has been an active leader in NAPABA, helping mentor and uplift AAPI attorneys. In 2005, NAPABA recognized him with its Best Lawyers Under 40 for achieving prominence and distinction with his service to the community. His frequent contributions to our community and vast experience in the law make him uniquely qualified. We urge the Senate to swiftly confirm Judge Hsu.”
In 2017, former governor Jerry Brown appointed Judge Hsu to the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Hsu served for 17 years in the Office of the United States Attorney in the Central District of California, notably as the Executive United States Attorney and Deputy United States Attorney. Previously, he worked at a private law firm, and clerked for the Hon. Mariana R. Pfaelzer of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
“We are thrilled that President Biden has continued to honor his promise of a diverse and representative Judiciary,” said Priya Purandare, executive director of NAPABA. “The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California serves over 19 million people, the most populous federal judicial district, which includes a significant population of the AAPI community. Judge Hsu has spent his career, spanning almost three decades, serving in private practice, government, and as a Superior Court Judge in this district. If confirmed, Judge Hsu is well prepared to serve the people of the Central District of California.”
Judge Hsu is active in his community as a Co-Chair of the California Asian Pacific American Judges Association, a member of the Board of Governors for the Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance, and Founding Member of NAPABA’s Government Enforcement and Compliance Committee and NAPABA’s Data Security and Privacy Committee. A graduate of Yale University and Yale Law School, Judge Hsu has served as an adjunct professor at Loyola Marymount Law School and a writing instructor at the University of Southern California Law School.
###
The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), represents the interests of over 60,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting APA communities. Through its national network, 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 all backgrounds in the legal profession.
On December 15, the New York Law Journal published an op-ed titled, “Jeffrey K. Oing: The Chief Judge All New Yorkers Need Now,” written by President William Ng. The op-ed states in relevant part:
A New Yorker with over thirty years of legal and administrative experience, the majority of which has been in public service, Justice Oing stands out as the candidate with the most experience in all three branches of government — judicial, legislative, and executive.
This breadth of experience makes Oing the ideal judge to help make government work better for all New Yorkers. Indeed, before his illustrious career on the bench, Oing served as Deputy General Counsel to the New York City Council and worked on issues such as re-districting under the Voting Rights Act.
Earlier in his career, Oing provided legal and policy advice to the New Jersey State Governor and cabinet members on various pending legislation concerning constitutional law, civil justice, consumer affairs and employee relations.
If Oing is nominated, Hochul will have full confidence that she is selecting an experienced judge who understands well how government works and who has dedicated his professional career to public service and delivering justice.
The op-ed concludes with the statement that New York has never had a judge of Asian American and Pacific Islander descent sitting on its highest court, and Governor Hochul would not only be appointing a highly qualified jurist to serve as Chief Judge, she would also be making history and adding much needed diversity to the state’s highest court.
To read the full op-ed, click here (subscription required).
We expect Gov. Hochul to announce her decision by Dec. 23, and AABANY continues to urge the Governor to nominate Justice Oing to be Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals.
On December 16, AABANY sent a letter to Governor Hochul calling on her to reject the New York City Bar Association’s “not well qualified” rating of Hon. Jeffrey K. Oing. AABANY was joined on the letter by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and the following New York bar associations:
Defense Association of New York
Filipino American Lawyers Association of New York
Jewish Lawyers Guild
Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York
The Women’s Trial Lawyers Caucus separately sent a letter to the Governor indicating its support for both Justice Oing and the call to reject the “not well qualified rating.”
All signatories were unanimous in calling on the Governor to reject the bizarre outlier rating given by the New York City Bar Association, with reference to the New York Law Journal article (subscription required) from Dec. 14 about the controversial and unusual rating.
AABANY stands by its statement released on December 12 endorsing Justice Oing as the most highly qualified candidate for the Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals and continues to urge the Governor to nominate him as Chief Judge.
On December 3, 2022, AABANY’s Pro Bono & Community Service (PBCS) Committee partnered with the VNS Health staff to hold a pro bono clinic in VNS Health’s Manhattan community center from 12:00 PM to 3:30 PM.
Overall, we met with 11 clients who had questions about topics such as immigration, housing, and divorce. With help from our many clinic attorneys and volunteers, AABANY’s PBCS attorneys were able to connect clients with AABANY’s Legal Referral and Information Service, a program that connects prospective clients from the Asian American and Pacific Islander community with qualified lawyers who are both linguistically and culturally competent.
AABANY’s PBCS intern Connor Li spoke about his experiences at Saturday’s clinic with great reverence for the work PBCS is able to do through these clinics. He said, “It’s always a pleasure to help out at the clinic. Whether it’s meeting members of the community or listening to experienced legal professionals, I always feel like I’m learning something at every point. And with the help of the amazing VNS staff, clients with urgent needs for legal advice regarding housing, immigration, and familial issues were checked in and assigned to attorneys with great expediency. We were even able to provide Cantonese and Mandarin interpreters at nearly every client meeting, though we could definitely have used the assistance of more Cantonese interpreters. I would definitely encourage more AABANY members or willing individuals from the general public who know Cantonese to come to these clinics. Your help would be appreciated!”
As with every clinic, free lunch was provided for all attorney and non-attorney volunteers by PBCS. We thank all 11 of our volunteers for coming to provide their invaluable assistance! As always, if you have any questions about upcoming clinics, please contact us at [email protected]. Thanks again for attending, and happy holidays!
Volunteer Attorneys
Interpreters & Observers
Beatrice Leong
Alexander Hwang
Francis Chin
Connor Li
Grace Pyun
Xiaoli Qin
Jackson Chin
Yuichi Hayashi
Jayashree Mitra
Yuting Xie
May Wong
Please make plans to join us as a volunteer at the next Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic on January 14, or please help us spread the word. More details here.
On November 29th, AABANY’s Anti-Asian Violence Task Force (AAVTF) led by Chair Elaine Chiu and member Jim Lin, attended the sentencing of Tammel Esco in support of the survivor of a horrific act of hate that took place in Yonkers on March 11, 2022. AAVTF member Jennifer Wu represented the survivor pro bono as the case against Esco proceeded through the courts and accompanied the survivor, together with co-counsel Johan Tatoy (also an AABANY member) at the sentencing.
Tammel Esco was arrested after he brutally beat a 67-year-old Filipino-American woman at the entrance of her Yonkers apartment. Esco pleaded guilty to the charge of first-degree assault as a hate crime and was sentenced to 17-1/2 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Judge Minihan presided at the sentencing and recounted Esco’s sad history. She offered him the chance to apologize or explain himself, but he declined. In her victim impact statement, the survivor stated, “A complete stranger heartlessly spit, beat, and kicked me over 100 times just because of my heritage. I lost months of my life. I will forever be on edge.” Currently, she remains in stable condition, yet had to move out of her longtime home due to the traumatic event.
After the sentencing, AABANY members had the chance to meet the District Attorney of Westchester County, Mimi Rocah, at her press conference, where Jennifer Wu commented on the survivor’s behalf, stating, “Leaving the home that you’ve had for 24 years and where you raised your daughters, is incredibly painful.” During the meeting, AAVTF members offered proposals on statutory reform and how to prevent such gruesome cases from occurring in the Asian American community in the future. Elaine Chiu commented further on AAVTF’s attendance at the sentencing and the press conference, stating, “It was a very valuable day with efforts that contribute to the multi-faceted work of our Task Force.”
Watch this News 12 report about the sentencing, in which Johan Tatoy, as the survivor’s attorney, spoke at the press conference and AAVTF Task Force Chair Elaine Chiu was interviewed.
To learn more about the AAVTF and support its efforts, please click here.
The NAPABA Judicial Council announces three summer internship opportunities
You are invited to apply for a 2023 NAPABA Judicial Council-sponsored internship, which includes a $1,000 scholarship stipend. In your application, you may indicate whether you wish to be considered for one or more of the internships with the following Judicial Council members:
Judge Edmond E. Chang U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois
Judge Lucy Koh U.S. Court of Appeal Ninth Circuit
Justice Carla Wong McMillian Supreme Court of Georgia
Each full-time internship will last approximately 8-10 weeks, with precise details to be arranged between the selected intern and assigned judge or justice, including whether conducted in-person, remotely, or as a combination of both.
The application deadline is January 15, 2023.
To apply, please email a single PDF file to [email protected] with the subject line “Application for NAPABA Judicial Council Internship”:
Cover Letter (indicating which internship(s) you wish to be considered for, discussing your interest in the internship(s), and providing names and contact information for up to three references)
Resume
Writing Sample (10-15 pages)
Law School Transcript (may be sent separately as grades become available)
If you have any questions about the internship or application process, please feel free to contact Curtis A. Kin, President, NAPABA Judicial Council.
NAPABA | 1612 K St. NW, Suite 300 | Washington, DC 20006 | www.napaba.org
WASHINGTON – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association applauds the confirmations of Judge Mia Roberts Perez to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Alamdar S. Hamdani to be United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. Judge Perez will be the first Asian American and second Latina judge to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Hamdani will be the first Asian American to serve as a United States Attorney in Texas.
“NAPABA applauds the historic confirmations of Judge Perez and Alamdar Hamdani,” said Sandra Leung, president of NAPABA. “Both individuals are well-qualified for their respective roles. We are thrilled to finally have representation for our community in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Southern District of Texas.”
“NAPABA thanks President Biden for nominating them and Senators Casey and Toomey for supporting Judge Perez, and Senators Cornyn and Cruz for supporting Mr. Hamdani.”
Judge Mia Roberts Perez served as a judge on the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas and as an Assistant Defender at the Defender Association of Philadelphia. Judge Perez received her J.D. from Temple University, Beasley School of Law in 2006 and her B.A. from Tufts University in 2003.
Alamdar Hamdani served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, as deputy chief of the Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division at the Department of Justice, and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. He graduated from the University of Houston Law Center and the University of Texas at Austin.
“The successful confirmations of Judge Perez and Mr. Hamdani are steps in the right direction for our country,” said Priya Purandare, executive director of NAPABA. “The AAPI community continues to be underrepresented in our courts and chief law enforcement positions—even in areas with significant AAPI populations. We thank President Biden and Senators for supporting, nominating, and confirming qualified AAPI attorneys for these positions.”
#
The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), represents the interests of over 60,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting APA communities. Through its national network, 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 all backgrounds in the legal profession.
The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), in collaboration with the American Bar Foundation, is proud to announce the release of A Portrait of Asian Americans in the Law 2.0: Identity and Action in Challenging Times (Portrait Project 2.0). Building on the results of the original Portrait Project report published in 2017, this five-year follow-up study provides comprehensive data and analysis on the progress and experiences of Asian Americans in the legal profession.
“Portrait Project 2.0 is a crucial resource for lawyers, policymakers, researchers, and advocates seeking to advance diversity in the legal profession,” said Sandra Leung, president of NAPABA. “By spotlighting the experiences of Asian American attorneys, this new report calls attention to our community’s successes and challenges, and provides troves of data that will inform efforts to promote equity and inclusion in a variety of sectors and organizations. We are proud that this report quantifies the advances we have made on the bench and in the C-Suite. However, we recognize that Asian Americans remain underrepresented in the highest ranks of law firms, education, and in public service and commit to investing in career development in those sectors.”
“The findings of Portrait Project 2.0 highlight the importance of NAPABA’s ongoing work to develop innovate programs to help attorneys at all stages of their career lifecycle, from law school to retirement, to advance and find personal fulfillment in their profession,” said Priya Purandare, executive director of NAPABA. “As we learned five years ago, legal employers and legal networks must make more strategic investments in supporting Asian American attorneys by facilitating relationship-building, helping young lawyers develop soft skills, and providing leadership opportunities. Further, they must invest in meaningful interventions that combat institutional bias and stereotypes. This report underscores the opportunity top organizations across sectors have to attract and retain top-talent by creating supportive and value driven cultures.”
The 77-page report — authored by Tyler Dang, Katherine Fang, Benji Lu, Michael Tayag, and California Supreme Court Justice Goodwin Liu — combines detailed analysis of employment data in various legal sectors with qualitative insights from focus groups and results of a wide-ranging national survey completed by over 700 Asian American lawyers.
This five-year update offers fresh insights into Asian American career advancement and political participation against the backdrop of a rise in anti-Asian hate. Among the key findings:
Asian American attorneys indicated greater engagement with social and political issues. Those seeking to change practice settings ranked a desire to advance issues important to them among their most significant reasons for doing so. This was ranked among the least significant reasons in 2016.
47% of survey respondents reported having become more involved in community organizations, protests, or other forms of advocacy on behalf of Asian Americans since March 2020, suggesting recent societal events may be influenced this behavior.
There has been progress in the appointment of federal judges and in the ranks of general counsel. The number of Asian American federal judges has increased over the past five years, comprising 6% of active federal judges compared to 3.4% in 2016.
Underrepresentation of Asian Americans in the top ranks of the legal profession persists. Asian Americans are the largest minority group at major law firms, but they have the lowest ratio of partners to associates — and the highest attrition rate. Further, they remain underrepresented among law clerks, law professors, state court judges, and state and federal prosecutors.
Asian American attorneys would likely benefit from greater institutional supports that counteract stereotypes and facilitate relationship-building and leadership opportunities.
NAPABA thanks Justice Goodwin Liu and the American Bar Foundation for their continued partnership, support, and investment in our vision of a community where Asian Pacific Americans achieve representation, success, and influence within the legal profession and beyond. #
The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), represents the interests of over 60,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting APA communities. Through its national network, 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 all backgrounds in the legal profession.
NAPABA | 1612 K St. NW, Suite 300 | Washington, DC 20006 | www.napaba.org
