WE Blog @ AABANY

May 4, 2012

Press Release: Congratulations to Linda S. Lin on Nomination to City Council Districting Commission

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 4, 2012

Contact: Yang Chen – (718) 228-7206

ASIAN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK APPLAUDS

CITY COUNCIL APPOINTMENT OF LINDA S. LIN TO DISTRICTING COMMISSION

NEW YORK – May 4, 2012 – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) welcomes the news that City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn and Minority Leader James Oddo announced eight appointments to the Districting Commission on May 3. The Districting Commission meets once every ten years following the decennial census. Based upon changes in the population of the City, Council district lines are redrawn to accommodate shifts in population within the City.

“I am pleased to announce the Democratic Caucus appointments to the Districting Commission,” said Speaker Quinn. “These five individuals together with the appointees of Mayor Bloomberg and the Council’s Minority Caucus will take on the important task of redrawing our electoral districts fairly. I want to thank them for their leadership, for the challenging work they will do, and for their service to our City. ”

Among the Council appointments is:

Linda S. Lin

Ms. Lin is a senior attorney with Liberty International Underwriters and a former Associate of the law firm of Willkie Farr & Gallagher. Ms. Lin is the Immediate Past President of the Asian American Bar Association of New York. She is the former law clerk for U.S. District Judge Dora L. Irizarry. She is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School and Binghamton University. She resides in Forest Hills, Queens.

“AABANY is pleased that the City Council has appointed our Immediate Past President Linda Lin to this important position,” said AABANY President Jean Lee. “Linda has been following the redistricting issue closely and is well-informed about the impact that properly drawn district lines will have on the civic engagement of under-represented populations, including the Asian American community. With the explosive growth of the Asian American population in New York City over the past decade, we hope that the City Council Districting Commission will draw lines taking into account this significant demographic shift. We applaud the City Council on its appointment of Linda Lin. We believe she will prove to be an asset to the City Council Districting Commission.”

For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (718) 228-7206, or direct any inquiries to main@aabany.org.

The Asian American Bar Association of New York is a professional membership organization of attorneys concerned with issues affecting the Asian Pacific American community. Incorporated in 1989, AABANY seeks not only to encourage the professional growth of its members but also to advocate for the Asian Pacific American community as a whole. AABANY is the New York regional affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).

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Additional information about AABANY is available at www.aabany.org

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May 4, 2012

Free Training: September 11th Victim Compensation Fund

Tuesday, May 8, 2012
10:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m.

Did you know that Congress reopened and funded the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund for $2.775 billion to help to provide compensation for economic and non-economic loss to individuals or relatives of deceased individuals who were killed or physically injured as a result of the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001? Come find out how people in your community might be eligible under this important program!

Go here for all the details on this event. Register for this training here.

May 4, 2012December 4, 2018

May 4, 2012December 4, 2018

May 4, 2012December 4, 2018

May 4, 2012

Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem Fellowship

NDS is seeking recent law school graduates for a paid two-year post-graduate fellowship.THE NEIGHBORHOOD DEFENDER SERVICE OF HARLEM (NDS) is a community-based, holistic public defender office located in Harlem. NDS represents residents of Northern Manhattan who are charged with crimes who cannot afford to hire a lawyer. Clients are represented by teams composed of lawyers, investigators, social workers, and team administrators. NDS also provides pre-arrest representation to clients under threat of arrest. NDS adheres to a client-centered approach to representation that emphasizes a heightened responsiveness to clients’ needs prior to arrest, while a case is pending,and after the case concludes.

Interested applicants should email a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to NDS at ndsfellow@ndsny.org with the subject line, “NDS Fellowship.” For more information about NDS, please visit our website at www.ndsny.org. Click here for full details on this fellowship.

May 3, 2012

NYT: Mandatory Pro Bono To Start in 2013

On May 1 (Law Day), the New York Times reported that Chief Judge Lippman has mandated pro bono service for new lawyers starting in 2013, making New York the first state to do so.

The approximately 10,000 lawyers who apply to the New York State Bar each year will have to demonstrate that they have performed 50 hours of pro bono work to be admitted, Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman said. He said the move was intended to provide about a half-million hours of badly needed legal services to those with urgent problems, like foreclosure and domestic violence.

What do you think? Is this a good development or not so good? Is this the right solution to a pressing problem? Share your thoughts!

May 2, 2012

Dear friend,
My name is Theo Harris and I am steering committee member of the Minority Voting Rights Committee of the New York Democratic Lawyers Council. The NYDLC is a project of the New York State Democratic Party and a chapter of the National Democratic Lawyers Council. We are a group of New York attorneys and others who have a deep commitment to Democratic politics and who share the common goal of protecting each citizen’s right to vote. Voting rights are under attack in our country. The Republican Party is engaging in deliberate tactics to disenfranchise those most likely to vote for Democrats, and it is critical that Democratic attorneys use their skills to ensure that the right to vote is upheld. This fall, a strong Election Protection effort will be a critical key to victory for President Obama in New York, Pennsylvania and other swing states.

On Wednesday May 9th at 7pm, you are invited to attend the monthly meeting of the Minority Voting Rights Committee (NYDLC). Our guest speaker will be Macharia “Cha” Edmonds Esq(Obama For America-NY African American Outreach Coordinator). Mr. Edmonds will be discussing the campaign’s extensive plan for constituency outreach and empowerment and how one can get involved. We will also give committee updates on the recent poll watching and survey taking we did during the April 24 primary in Pennsylvania. As well as discussing the field plan and upcoming volunteer opportunities over the next couple of months leading to the November election. Please feel free to invite others whom you believe maybe interested. We just ask that they RSVP prior to the event to have your name listed at the front security desk.

What: Protect the Vote! – Monthly Minority Voting Rights Committee
When: Wednesday, May 9th 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Where: The Law Firm of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP. 787 Seventh Avenue (btwn 51St. and 52 St.)
RSVP: Is required. Please reserve your spot by emailing tlharris_esq@yahoo.com

This meeting is sponsored by the Minority Voting Rights Committee of the New York Democratic Lawyers Council (NYDLC), Obama for America-NY. It is open to all attorneys and non-attorneys who are interested in volunteering to support the President

We hope to see you there!

Theo Harris Esq.
Steering Committee Member of the Minority Voting Rights Committee of
New York Democratic Lawyers Council
A Voting Rights Project of the
NYS Democratic Party and the DNC
(917) 602-9134

April 30, 2012

AABANY at MOCA Community of Heroes Celebration on May 16

MOCA (Museum of Chinese in America) will be holding its first Community of Heroes Celebration on May 16 at the Golden Unicorn. AABANY will be taking seats at the event. AABANY members who wish to attend will get a 50% subsidy on the tickets, so you pay $100 instead of $200. For more information about the event, click the link in the title. If you wish to buy tickets through AABANY at the subsidized rate, contact yang.chen@aabany.org.

April 30, 2012

AABANY ED Speaks at “Bridge the Gap” CLE Orientation Program

On Wednesday, April 25, AABANY Executive Director Yang Chen was a panelist at a CLE Orientation Program presented by the First Department’s Committee on Character and Fitness for a group of about 250 new attorneys who were going to be sworn in to the New York State bar that day. The program took place at NYCLA from 9 am to 11 am, and Mr. Chen provided an overview of ethical issues confronting the new practitioner. Mr. Chen spoke from his perspective as a practitioner for nearly 20 years working on complex commercial litigation and antitrust matters. The other panelists included Meredith Heller, who spoke on seeking and getting help through Lawyers’ Assistance Programs, Jeremy Feinberg, who spoke on civility, professionalism and pro bono service, and Norma Lopez, who gave an overview of the disciplinary process and how to avoid getting caught up in it. Maria Matos, Executive Secretary of the Committee on Character and Fitness and former President of the Puerto Rican Bar Association, organized the event, which is held every few weeks throughout the year.