Official blog of the Asian American Bar Association of New York
On Wednesday, January 27, the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) received the news that Corky Lee succumbed to his battle against COVID-19. We join the community in mourning this iconic and ever-present figure who graced us through his art and advocacy with a deep and unwavering love for Asian Americans in New York and across the country. Read more here.
On January 29, 2021, the Membership Committee hosted their weekly virtual Membership Mixer, with 19 participants in attendance. This week AABANY hosted a Zoom room to meet Board Member Andy Yoo and learn more about his career as General Counsel for education companies.
This week, participants were asked: “What was the riskiest thing you ever did in your life?” Participants answered that riskiest moves they made included partying under the influence of alcohol in foreign countries including Japan, South Korea and Mexico, traveling alone without knowing the local languages, skydiving, leaving their partnership at a private law firm to become Executive Director, moving to NYC alone to start a job, skiing on Black Diamond snow slopes, and swimming with sharks.
As always, after the regular mixer ends at 7:30pm, members are encouraged to stay for the Mixer afterparty to chat in smaller groups. This week, we were joined by AABANY President-Elect Terry Shen, and former AABANY Board Member Steve Chung and former AABANY Program Associate Simone Chung. Steve even drew a portrait of Terry. The afterparty ended at 11pm.
Congratulations to Tansy Woan, who won a Masterclass program of her choice!
Our weekly Friday mixers are open to everyone, but only members who register for the weekly mixers through the calendar entry on the AABANY website have a chance at winning a prize. Thank you to the In- House Counsel Committee for co-sponsoring this week’s mixer prize.
Please join us this week in the REMO room for smaller group breakouts and on February 12, 2021 for our Lunar New Year celebration. To register for this week’s mixer, please sign up online by February 4 at https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1468893.
For Immediate Release: Date: January 21, 2021
Contact: Priya Purandare, Executive Director
Reversing the Muslim Ban, Restoring DACA, and Promoting Diversity
WASHINGTON—The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) supports the efforts by President Biden to repeal the Muslim Ban, to preserve Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion—values important to NAPABA, as outlined in the Executive Orders he signed yesterday.
“We applaud President Biden’s initial executive orders that specifically address many of the key issues that NAPABA cares about and has been advocating on,” said A. B. Cruz III, president of NAPABA. “We are encouraged by the Administration’s steps today to promote religious tolerance by reversing the Muslim Ban, fortify the DACA program to better protect DREAMers, and commit to promoting racial equity for all Americans. We look forward to working with the new administration on policies that meaningfully support and advance our community.”
NAPABA and our affiliated bar associations opposed the Muslim Ban, including filing amicus briefs in the Supreme Court. NAPABA supports the DACA program and efforts to find a bipartisan solution for the status of the undocumented in the country.
NAPABA congratulates President Biden and Vice President Harris on their historic inauguration.
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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) represents the interests of approximately 50,000 legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity in government and the judiciary on the local, state, and federal levels, 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.
On January 22, 2021, the Membership Committee hosted their weekly virtual Membership Mixer, with 20 participants in attendance. This week AABANY featured the Academic Committee represented by Co-Chairs Elaine Chiu, James Cho, Suzanne Kim, and Donna Lee. They shared with the group their career paths from being practitioners to professors, gave tips on how to become adjunct professors, and took questions about careers in academia.
This week, the ice breaker question to participants was: “What was your favorite law school class?” Participants responded that their favorite classes were property, criminal law, corporations, evidence, civil procedure, constitutional law, critical race theory, international human rights, law of international development, civil rights, and law and the movies.
The Membership Committee previously hosted Monthly Mixers at bars, ballparks, stadiums, operas, etc, but due to COVID, we have moved online to offer members a weekly outlet to share their feelings, see old friends, and make new connections. Mixers start at 6:30pm on Friday and the main event ends at 7:30pm but many often stay on after 7:30pm for smaller breakout groups.
Membership Committee will continue to host weekly virtual mixers until it is safe to gather together again in person.
We are giving away door prizes at some of the mixers. In order to win, you must be a member and must RSVP on the calendar entry on the AABANY website to get a raffle number. Non-members can join the mixer but won’t be eligible to win a prize.
Congratulations to Dianna Lam for winning this week’s prize: a full HD 1080p webcam with microphone and ring light! May your online courses at Fordham go smoothly, and your classmates and professors see and hear you in the best light!
Please join us on January 29, 2021 for our Meet the Board series, featuring Andy Yoo. Register by Thursday, Jan. 28, at https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1468892.
Submit a Program for the 2021 NAPABA Convention
NAPABA is now seeking program submissions for the 2021 NAPABA Convention, Nov. 4-7!
We welcome submissions on a wide range of substantive legal matters and topics concerning the legal community. We aim to deepen our members’ knowledge and skills and provide them with opportunities to forge bonds through panel discussions, workshops, and interactive presentations.
Program submissions must be adaptable for both an in-person and virtual meeting.
Remember:
For more information, visit our Call for Programs page.
Join Our Speaker Database
Interested in speaking at the NAPABA Convention without submitting a program? Join our speaker database!
Programs seeking additional speakers may contact convention@napaba.org. If you know anyone who would be interested in this opportunity, forward them this email!
On Monday, January 4, 2021, AABANY’s Student Outreach Committee hosted its first virtual Mock Interview Workshop in collaboration with Columbia Law School APALSA, AABANY Career Placement Committee, and the Columbia Law School Alumni Association. The event was part of the Student Outreach Committee’s pre-OCI series, held to prepare students for the interviews during a time of great uncertainty. 90 students from various law schools in and outside of New York received mock interviews and OCI advice from over 40 practitioners, public servants and general counsels from diverse backgrounds.
Prior to the workshop, Columbia Law School APALSA initiated the pairing of students and attorneys according to their availability and shared practice interests. Once the student-attorney pairings were solidified, students connected with attorneys via email. This advance preparation made for a smooth and timely transition to the event.
The workshop began promptly at 6:00 PM with a panel discussing interview tips, dos and don’ts, and Zoom etiquette. The panel, moderated by Margaret Ling, AABANY’s Development Director, featured esteemed speakers Rudy Carmenaty, President of the Columbia Law School Alumni Association, and Yen Chu, Secretary of the Columbia Law School Alumni Association. An OCI tip sheet carefully prepared by the members of the Student Outreach Committee was circulated to the students for review prior to their mock interviews. Starting at 6:30 PM, students met with their paired attorneys for one-on-one 30-minute mock interview sessions through the Remo platform and received invaluable feedback. Many students and attorneys expressed how beneficial the event was and that they appreciated AABANY for organizing such an event where attorneys could pay it forward and students could gain unique interview experiences from well-regarded practicing attorneys and public servants. One student, Eleen Zhou, a 2L from Cornell Law School, commented that she found the mock interview extremely helpful in preparation for the OCI season. Despite a few technical difficulties, members of the Student Outreach Committee worked diligently and promptly to ensure that no attorney or student was left without a mock interview opportunity.
The Student Outreach Committee would like to thank the participating attorneys for generously contributing their valuable time to help our students practice their interview skills. For students entering the interviewing season, best of luck! Please do not hesitate to reach out if AABANY’s Student Outreach Committee can ever be a resource for you. For more information about the Committee go to https://www.aabany.org/page/121
The Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) was recently mentioned in a Law360 article on New York state bar associations’ reactions to the violence that occurred at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. The article states: “The Asian American Bar Association of New York, one of the state’s most vocal attorneys group, endorsed a
statement published by its parent organization, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, decrying the storming of the Capitol as the act of militants.”
NY Lawyers Condemn Storming Of US Capitol By Mob
By Marco Poggio
Law360 (January 7, 2021, 4:34 PM EST) — Prominent New York state bar associations have condemned the violence that unfolded in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, in which a mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters broke into the U.S. Capitol as the Electoral College vote certification was in progress, resulting in the deaths of four people. Read more here (subscription is required).
For Immediate Release: Date: January 8, 2021
Contact: Priya Purandare, Executive Director
Biden Administration Lacks AAPI Cabinet Secretary for The First Time in 20 Years
WASHINGTON—The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) calls upon President-elect Joe Biden to remain committed to his promise to assemble a diverse Cabinet and administration that truly reflects America as he continues to appoint senior leadership candidates. For the first time in 20 years, there will not be an Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Cabinet Secretary despite the community having put forth one of the most extensive and impressive pool of candidates ever.
“NAPABA stands dismayed that AAPIs will not be represented at the Secretary level position in the inaugural Biden Cabinet,” said A. B. Cruz III, president of NAPABA. “While there have been many historic positive firsts for the incoming Administration, the AAPI community cannot help but feel dismissed. Countless individuals, including numerous members of Congress, community leaders across a broad spectrum, and many leading organizations, including many non-AAPIs, are calling for greater AAPI representation across leadership roles in the ongoing transition appointment process. We trust the new Administration will specifically address this apparent disconnect by nominating and placing AAPIs into key leadership roles going forward.”
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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) represents the interests of approximately 50,000 legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity in government and the judiciary on the local, state, and federal levels, 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.