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On Saturday, December 10, AABANY’s Pro Bono and Community Service Committee presented two community workshops at the Indochina Sino-American Community Center (ISACC) in Manhattan’s Chinatown.  In the morning, Kings County ADA Kin Ng and elder law attorney Pauline Yeung-Ha, partner at Grimaldi & Yeung, spoke about financial abuse of seniors.  In the afternoon, Nelson Mar, senior staff attorney at Legal Services NYC, spoke about the educational rights of immigrant children in New York City public schools.  Peter Cheng, Executive Director of ISACC, and his staff provided translation services to the many members of the Chinatown community that came out to learn more about their legal rights in the areas of elder law and education law.  Tony Lu and Karen Wu, co-chairs of the Pro Bono and Community Service Committee, helped to organize the program as part of AABANY’s effort to reach out to the community.  For photos of the event, go to http://bit.ly/aabany_isacc2011.  For more information about the Pro Bono and Community Service Committee, contact Tony and Karen at probono-chairs@aabany.org.

(Source: http://bit.ly/)
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Thanks to everyone who joined us on Friday night, December 9, for AABANY’s Annual Holiday Party.  Many AABANY members and friends filled the North Balcony at Pranna on 28th and Madison Avenue to share some holiday cheer over drinks and a delicious spread that included satays, beef sliders, lamb sliders, popcorn shrimp, edamame falafel and sweet potato fries. Check out the photos here: http://bit.ly/holiday_pty2011.  AABANY wishes everyone a joyous holiday season!

(Source: http://bit.ly/)
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National Mock Trial Competition

On March 10 and 11, 2012, Pace Law School in White Plains will again be hosting a National Mock Trial competition featuring some of the top schools in the country, including Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Princeton, Brown and Dartmouth, among others.

Pace is offering 3 free general CLE credits for all attorneys who volunteer to judge a round. A round lasts no longer than 3 hours. Free parking is available and Pace will provide complimentary food and beverage. You can judge as many rounds as you’d like.

Register to judge online by clicking this link. Or, get more information and register by visiting www.WhitePlainsORC.com.

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Special Announcement from the Judiciary Committee

For those interested in applying to become a United States Magistrate Judge, here is an announcement from Theo Cheng, co-chair of the Judiciary Committee:

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York has announced a vacancy for a full-time U.S. Magistrate Judge position in Brooklyn. The EDNY’s public notice, which contains additional information about the position is available on the court’s website at http://www.nyed.uscourts.gov/pub/docs/notices/ALC_Vacancy_Public_Notice_PR-10-18-2011.pdf, and the application itself is available on the court’s homepage. AABANY encourages all qualified attorneys with an interest in serving in the federal judiciary to submit an application, which is due no later than January 13, 2012. If you have any questions about the position or would like assistance in connection with your application, please contact AABANY’s Judiciary Committee at judiciary@aabany.org, or any of the co-chairs Vince Chang (vince.chang@aabany.org), Theo Cheng (theo.cheng@aabany.org) or James Chou (james.chou@aabany.org.)

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US District Ct. Mediation Program

The Hon. Harold Baer, U.S. District Court  Judge, Southern District of New York would like to see more diverse attorneys involved in the Court’s mediation program. Judge Baer has observed that “one of the many advantages of our program is that we provide phenomenal training for those who have no previous exposure to mediating disputes but are interested in learning."  To learn more about serving as a mediator in SDNY, read Local Civil Rule 83.12 here.

If you interested in learning more about this program, please email Taa Grays at tgrays@metlife.com. You must email Ms. Grays by Monday, December 12, 2011.

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Center for Urban Research: Report on Diversity on Wall Street

Center for Urban Research: Report on Diversity on Wall Street

The Center for Urban Research of the CUNY Graduate Research Center recently issued a report entitled Progress and Pitfalls of Diversity on Wall Street. Among the notable findings:

In ethno-racial terms, the bulk of diversity on Wall St. is due to the rapidly growing share of Asian workers, who have gone from 5 percent of older core workers in 2000 to 19 percent of younger ones in 2005-09.  Latinos have increased their share as well, but African Americans have not.

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The report notes two possible classes of explanations for the group disparities evident in the Wall St. workforce: minorities and women may differ in the human-capital characteristics required for career trajectories oriented towards top positions, and/or they may be excluded by discrimination, institutional or individual, from these trajectories. Census data cannot tell us which kind of explanation is more important; deciding between them requires other kinds of data, which currently do not exist.

To learn more and download a copy of the report, click on the link in the title.

Progress and Pitfalls of Diversity on Wall Street

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DISTRICT ATTORNEY VANCE ANNOUNCES NEW CO-DIRECTORS OF THE IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS PROGRAM

For Immediate Release

December 01, 2011

DISTRICT ATTORNEY VANCE ANNOUNCES NEW CO-DIRECTORS OF THE IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS PROGRAM

Victims of Fraud Can Call the Immigrant Affairs Program Complaint Hotline at 212-335-3600

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the appointments of Assistant District Attorneys Mayerling Rivera and Rosemary Yu as co-Directors of the Office’s Immigrant Affairs Program. The Program was established in 2007 to investigate and prosecute fraud committed against immigrants, and to educate the public about immigration fraud and related issues through fraud prevention workshops and seminars. Since its creation, the Program has fielded more than 2,100 complaints.

“I would like to congratulate Assistant District Attorneys Mayerling Rivera and Rosemary Yu on their well-deserved appointments” said District Attorney Vance. “Keeping this city’s immigrant population safe is one of our top priorities. In their new roles, Ms. Rivera and Ms. Yu will spearhead our Office’s efforts to educate the public about immigration fraud and aggressively prosecute individuals who victimize our immigrant communities.”

District Attorney Vance also thanked Assistant District Attorney Daysi Mejia for her outstanding service during her four years as the founding Attorney-in-Charge of the Program.

Ms. Rivera joined the office in 1996 and spent eight years in Trial Bureau 70, where she prosecuted a variety of violent street crimes. During that time, she was also assigned to both the Sex Crimes and the Domestic Violence Units, and tried numerous felony sex crimes and domestic violence cases. In 2004, she transferred to the former Family Violence and Child Abuse Bureau, where she worked on both domestic violence and child abuse investigations. Recently, she has been assigned to the Special Victims Bureau, where she supervises domestic violence cases, conducts trainings, and handles U-Visa certifications. Throughout her career, Ms. Rivera has done extensive community work throughout the city, focusing specifically on Washington Heights. In addition to her case-related work, Ms. Rivera has frequently spoken on behalf of the Office on a variety of subjects including teen violence, child abuse, and domestic violence. A native New Yorker and fluent Spanish speaker who was raised in Washington Heights, Ms. Rivera is a graduate of Seton Hall University and received her law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law.

Ms. Yu is a native New Yorker who was raised in Chinatown. She joined the Office in 2005, following her graduation from Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law. Ms. Yu was initially assigned to the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor, where she handled numerous felony narcotics cases and investigations. In 2008, she was one of four ADAs recognized by Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan for her outstanding case work. In 2009, Ms. Yu was assigned to the Special Investigations Bureau, where she worked almost exclusively with the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force on long-term narcotics investigations using electronic eavesdropping and other investigatory tools. Ms. Yu was assigned last year as one of the five inaugural ADAs in the new Crime Strategies Unit, where she is currently responsible for intelligence coordination and understanding crime trends for the east side of Manhattan South. Ms. Yu is also one of the founding members of the Prosecutors’ Committee of the Asian American Bar Association of New York. She is a graduate of Stuyvesant High School and Claremont McKenna College. After graduating from college, Ms. Yu worked for one year for former U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao.

The appointments will be effective as of December 9, 2011.

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AABANY Press Release on Karen Wu Receiving Outstanding Young Lawyer Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

December 5, 2011

Contact: Yang Chen, Executive Director

AABANY APPLAUDS SELECTION OF KAREN I. WU AS RECEIPIENT OF NYSBA’S 2012 OUTSTANDING YOUNG LAWYER AWARD

NEW YORK – December 5, 2011 – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) applauds the selection of Karen I. Wu, co-chair of AABANY’S Pro Bono and Community Service Committee, as the recipient of the 2012 New York State Bar Association (“NYSBA”) Outstanding Young Lawyer Award.

The NYSBA will be presenting the 2012 Outstanding Young Lawyer Award at an Award Presentation and Reception during the NYSBA Annual Meeting on Thursday, January 26, 2012 at the New York Hilton in New York City.  Each year, the NYSBA’s Young Lawyers Section honors a young lawyer who has rendered outstanding service to both the community and legal profession.  The Outstanding Young Lawyer Award recognizes an attorney who has actively practiced less than 10 years, and has a distinguished record of commitment to the finest traditions of the Bar through public service and professional activities.

“We congratulate Karen, and we are grateful to the NYSBA Young Lawyers Section for recognizing Karen’s exemplary legal work and continued commitment to the public interest community,” states AABANY President-elect, Jean Lee.  “I am truly honored and humbled to receive the NYSBA’s 2012 Outstanding Young Lawyer Award.  I am extremely fortunate to be able to practice law in an area that has a positive social impact, and it has always been important for me to serve the community in a volunteer capacity as well.  Volunteering is not always convenient, but I have seen how communities are changed when people give their time to serve others, and would encourage all attorneys to find ways to make a difference,” says Karen.

Karen I. Wu is an associate at Perlman & Perlman, LLP, a New York City-based law firm, which focuses on representing the philanthropic community.  Karen has provided counsel to public charities, private foundations, fundraising professionals, and for-profit companies engaging in cause marketing and philanthropy.  She advises clients on a variety of issues including corporate governance and tax issues, fundraising regulatory compliance, joint ventures, political activities, business activities, and intellectual property matters. She is the author of several articles regarding fundraising regulation and tax compliance, and has provided several workshops and teleconferences to various members of the nonprofit community.  Karen is a board member of the Townsend Harris High School Alumni Association, as well as Open Hands Legal Services, a nonprofit organization that provides free legal services and counseling to the poor in New York City.  She serves as Pro Bono Counsel to the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association and Taiwan Mission Foundation.  She currently serves as the co-chair of the Pro Bono and Community Service Committee of the AABANY.  Karen earned a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School in 2004, and a B.A. from Wellesley College in 2000. 

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The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) 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).  To learn more about AABANY, visit www.aabany.org. 

© 2011 Asian American Bar Association of New York. All rights reserved. Logo is a registered trademark of the Asian American Bar Association of New York.

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Vincent Chang at NYCLA Public Hearing on Impact of Budget Cuts on Judiciary

Vincent Chang sat on a New York County Lawyers Association (NYCLA) panel at a public hearing on Friday, December 2 that addressed the impact of present and future budget cuts on the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Chief Judge Loretta Preska of the SDNY and Chief Judge Carol Amon of the EDNY testified at the hearing, which discussed, among other things, the effect that budget cuts would have on public safety, including courthouse security, as well as pretrial and probation supervisory services. The hearing also addressed issues relating to cutbacks in services provided to lawyers and to the public, such as cuts in clerk’s office support staff, docketing, interpreters, court reporting, audio visual, IT, and other areas, which could result in increased delays and other challenges to the administration of justice.

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