AABANY has received a request from the Honorable Joseph A. Zayas, Chief Administrative Judge, and the Honorable Norman St. George, First Deputy Chief Administrative Judge of the New York Office of Court Administration, to disseminate important information to our members. Effective December 1, 2023, all New York attorneys will be required to register and renew their registration using the Office of Court Administration’s Online System. This vital update ensures compliance with registration requirements, and we encourage all members of the bar to review the full details of this important announcement. You can access the complete information in the provided PDF document by clicking here. Stay informed and be prepared for this important change in registration procedures.
Thank You to Our Volunteers at the Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic in October
On October 18th, 2023, AABANY held its Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic at the AAFE (Asian Americans for Equality) Community Center, at 111 Norfolk Street. Our dedicated volunteers gathered on Wednesday evening to provide invaluable, free legal services to the community. The clinic was met with a large number of volunteers, eager to give back to the New York AAPI community. Volunteer interpreters and attorneys met with clients, discussing a range of issues, encompassing family, immigration, and employment law.
AABANY would like to thank our Pro Bono & Community Service (PBCS) Committee, AAFE, our community partners, and our hard-working volunteers for giving us their time and energy. Our success could not be possible without your support. AABANY hopes to continue making a positive impact on the community and providing much-needed legal services to those in need. We extend our sincere gratitude towards the following individuals:
Volunteer Attorneys:
- Anna Wang
- Beatrice Leong
- Helen Lee
- Hongye Mao
- Francis Chin
- Menglong (Anthony) Zhu
- Osamu Watanabe
- Tiange (Tim) Chen
- Wenhsien Cheng
- Xue Luan
- Yan Lian Kuang-Maoga
- Yan Sin
- Yang Xu
- Yi Stewart
Interpreters and Shadowers:
- Cecilia Yang
- Gaohany Guo
- I-Kai Lee
- Jieman Tan
- Justin Lee
- Ruo Yang
- Shi Tang
- Suzie Yu
- Yiming (Roselyn) Chen
- Yu-Syuan Huang
- Yuwen Long
AAFE:
- Elton Ye
- Ling Ren
Once again, AABANY thanks all the volunteers, AAFE, community partners, and the PBCS Committee who made this Pro Bono Clinic possible. Please join the next Queens Pro Bono Clinic taking place on November 1st at One Flushing Community Center. For more information, please click here.
Thank You to Our Volunteers at the Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic in August
On August 5th, 2023, AABANY held its Brooklyn Pro Bono Legal Clinic at the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) Brooklyn Community Services Center. The clinic met with 25 clients, coming in with questions about housing, immigration, and family law issues. Volunteer attorneys and interpreters patiently addressed client concerns, answering questions and connecting them to lawyers through AABANY’s Legal Referral and Information Service (LRIS).
We thank the Pro Bono & Community Service (PBCS) Committee and the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) for organizing and hosting the event. Established in 1965, CPC is a social services organization dedicated to helping Asian American, immigrant, and economically disadvantaged communities within New York City to obtain equitable access to essential resources and opportunities, thus fostering Asian American success.
The next Pro Bono Clinic will be on September 6th, from 6:30pm – 8:30pm, and located at AAFE One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave 2nd Floor, Queens, NY 11355. You can sign up here to volunteer. To add the date and time for this clinic to your calendar, click here. For upcoming clinics, please check AABANY’s calendar and update your email preference in your account to receive our emails.
Thank you to our volunteers for supporting the clinic. Your time and dedication is essential for delivering crucial assistance to individuals seeking legal guidance. We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to:
Volunteer Attorneys:
Amber Lee
Ashley Shan
Gary Yeung
Kwok Kei Ng
May Wong
Interpreters and Observers:
I-Kai Lee
Jihyon Kim
Ruo Yang
Yini Lai
To learn more about the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, click here.
Thank You to Our Volunteers at the Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic in July
On Wednesday, July 19th, 2023, AABANY hosted a highly successful Manhattan Pro Bono Legal Clinic at the AAFE (Asian American for Equality) Community Center, at 111 Norfolk Street, where compassionate volunteers offered their time and expertise to provide invaluable free legal services to the community. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to the Pro Bono & Community Service (PBCS) Committee, AAFE, our community partners, and our dedicated volunteers! Throughout the evening, we had the privilege of meeting with 22 clients, engaging in discussions of various legal issues, including immigration, housing, and family law. This was a vast increase from last month’s clinic when we had 8 clients.
In partnership with AAFE Community Center and other community partners, we recognize that the success of the Pro Bono Clinic would not be possible without our volunteers’ unwavering dedication to serving the community. By offering services in both Mandarin and Cantonese, we aim to continue to provide support for those who may face linguistic or cultural barriers when seeking access to legal services. Together, we continue to make a difference in the lives of our community members.
Volunteer Attorneys:
- Beatrice Leong
- Pang-Mei (P.M.) Natasha Chang
- Tiffany Ngeo
- Yen-Yi Anderson
- David Mou
- Menglong (Anthony) Zhu
- Yan Sin
- Yuanyuan Li
Interpreters and Shadowers:
- Daphne Mei
- Anna Bao
- Ruo Yang
- Wendy Zeng
- MengXi (Claire) Xiong
- I-Kai Lee
- Doh Yun (John)
- Suzie Yu
- Alex Hwang
AAFE:
- Ling
Thanks to all the volunteers, AAFE, community partners, and PBCS Committee who made this Pro Bono Clinic possible. Please join the next Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic taking place on August 16th at AAFE Community Center. To volunteer, please register here by August 11th. For more information, please click here.
Thank You to Our Volunteers at the Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic in June
On June 21st, 2023, AABANY held its Manhattan Pro Bono Legal Clinic at AAFE (Asian Americans for Equality) Community Center where dedicated volunteers came together to provide free legal services to the community. Thank you to the Pro Bono & Community Service (PBCS) Committee, AAFE, our community partners, and our volunteers! We met with 8 clients and discussed issues relating to immigration, housing, and contracts.
In partnership with AAFE Community Center and other community partners, the Pro Bono Clinic would not be possible without the volunteers’ dedication to serving all members of the community, in both Mandarin and Cantonese. It provides indispensable support to those who may face linguistic or cultural barriers in attempting to gain access to legal services.
The next Manhattan clinic will be on July 19th located at AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002. You can sign up here to volunteer for our next Pro Bono clinic. For upcoming clinics, please check AABANY’s calendar and update your email preference in your account to receive our emails.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the volunteers who made this Pro Bono Clinic a success:
Volunteer Attorneys:
- Ashley Shan
- Beatrice Leong
- Chenyi Wang
- Francis Chin
- Gary Yeung
- I-Kai Lee
- Jessie Liu
- Karen Kim
- Kevin Hsi
- Leslie Kan
- Lina Lee
- Shang Zhai
- Susan Song
- Nicholas Loh
- Pang-Mei (P.M.) Natasha Chang
Interpreters & Shadowers:
- Ai Xin Liew
- Anna Bao
- Daphne Mei
- Suzie Yu
- Vincent Tsay
AABANY Labor & Employment Law Hosts Kick-Off Meeting at Littler Mendelson, P.C.
The Labor & Employment Law (“L&E”) Committee of AABANY held its kick-off meeting on the evening of June 8, 2023 in person at Littler Mendelson, P.C.’s New York City office. 20 people attended the kick-off meeting: practicing attorneys (including the L&E Committee chairs), law students, and recent law school graduates. At this kick-off meeting, the L&E Committee chairs and all attendees introduced themselves to the rest of the group; firm attorneys, in-house counsel, a mediator/arbitrator, and other legal professionals shared their respective experiences in the profession to provide some advice to the law students, recent graduates, and junior attorneys in the room. Following this initial portion of the kick-off event, all attendees networked and conversed over light refreshments for the rest of the evening.
The L&E Committee will be creating more networking opportunities by hosting more meetings, informational panels or sessions, and social events throughout the rest of the year. The next event is currently being planned. Once the details for the next L&E Committee event are finalized, we will update the AABANY calendar and send email updates. If you are interested in attending our future L&E Committee events (which are sometimes also co-hosted by other AABANY committees), please check AABANY’s calendar and update your email preference in your account to receive the L&E Committee’s emails.
For more information on the L&E Committee, click here. Additionally, if you have any ideas or suggestions for an event through the L&E Committee, please fill out AABANY’s “Contact Us” form.
Thank You to Our Volunteers at the Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic in June
On June 3rd, 2023, AABANY held its Brooklyn Pro Bono Legal Clinic at Homecrest Community Services Bensonhurst Center where dedicated volunteers came together to provide free legal services to the community. Our volunteers met with 14 clients and discussed issues relating to identity theft, insurance benefits, fraud, divorce, and government benefits.
In partnership with Homecrest and other community partners, the Clinic provided a haven for community members with limited English proficiency to better understand the legal process, discuss potential legal solutions, and help clients understand their rights.
The Clinic was made possible by volunteers who generously donated their time and expertise to help those in need. It provides vital support to those who may face linguistic or cultural barriers in attempting to gain access to legal services. The volunteers’ dedication to pro bono work, aiding in both Mandarin and Cantonese, is emblematic of the Committee’s commitment to serving all members of the community.
The Pro Bono Clinic is organized by AABANY’s Pro Bono & Community Service Committee. To learn more about the Committee’s work visit here. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the dedicated volunteers who made the Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic such a success:
Volunteer Attorneys:
- Andrew Wu
- Ashley Shan
- Francis Chin
- Kwok Kei Ng
- May Wong
- Ming Chu (Judy) Lee
- Ye Qing
Interpreters & Shadowers:
- Anna Bao
- Vincent Tsay
Please come and join our upcoming Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic on 6/21, starting at 6:30pm at e new location, Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE), 111 Norfolk Street, New York, NY. You can sign up to volunteer by completing this form by 6/16 at 12:00 PM.
AABANY Co-Sponsors Inaugural Hon. Randall T. Eng Award Program
AABANY co-sponsored the Inaugural Hon. Randall T. Eng Award Program on May 31, 2023, organized by and held at the Appellate Division, Second Department of the Supreme Court of the State of New York.
Congratulations to Hon. Randall T. Eng, Retired Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division, Second Department for this award named in recognition of his tremendous and trailblazing career and impact on the AAPI community.
Congratulations to Congresswoman Grace Meng, 6th Congressional District. As the first and only Asian American Member of Congress from New York State, it is only fitting that she is the first recipient of the Hon. Randall T. Eng award. Congresswoman Meng’s advocacy for the AAPI community is impactful and far-reaching and AABANY applauds her tremendous work and service, including her work towards the creation of a national museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture.
Congratulations to Presiding Justice Hector D. LaSalle and the Appellate Division, Second Department with the successful launch of the Hon. Randall T. Eng Award Program.
The Program included remarks from:
Hon. Lara J. Genovesi, Associate Justice, Appellate Division, Second Department
Hon. Hector D. LaSalle, Presiding Justice, Appellate Division, Second Department
Letitia James, New York State Attorney General
Melinda Katz, District Attorney of Queens
Hon. Lillian Wan, Associate Justice, Appellate Division, Second Department
Karen Kim, President, AABANY
Chief Judge Hon. Rowan D. Wilson was also in attendance, as well as the distinguished judges of the Appellate Division, Second Department, and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. We would also like to extend our appreciation to the Associate Judges of the Court of Appeals, Hon. Madeline Singas, Michael Garcia, and Anthony Cannataro, for their attendance.
It was a privilege to collaborate with the Hon. Lillian Wan and the co-sponsoring bar associations: KALAGNY, FALANY, SABANY, MUBANY, and SAICBAQ. This event provided a meaningful and memorable way to celebrate and close out AAPI Heritage Month.
Franklin H. Williams Presents: “Empowered Asian American Leadership” AAPI Heritage Month Program at 60 Centre Street
On May 18, 2023, the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission presented “Empowered Asian American Leadership” at the New York County Supreme Court at 60 Centre Street, in celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The program was co-sponsored by AABANY, the New York State Unified Court Systems Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the Asian American Judges Association of New York, and the Asian Jade Society of the New York State Courts.
AABANY member Hon. Jeffrey Oing, Associate Justice, Appellate Division, First Department; Commissioner, Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission, introduced the Keynote Address, “The Model Minority Victim,” delivered by AABANY member and former Chair of the AABANY: Anti-Asian Violence Task Force, Professor Elaine M. Chiu of St. John’s University School of Law.
Pre-recorded remarks by Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson commenced the program.
Welcome Remarks were provided by:
Hon. Shahabuddeen A. Ally, Supervising Judge, New York County Civil Court and Acting Justice of the New York Supreme Court; President of AAJANY; Commissioner, Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission, and AABANY member
Hon. Troy K. Webber, Associate Justice, Appellate Division, First Department; Co-Chair, Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission
Hon. Richard Rivera, Acting Supreme Court Justice and Supervising Judge of the Family Courts, Third Judicial District; Co-Chair, Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission
Karen Kim, Senior Counsel at QBE North America; President, AABANY
The program also included CLE presentations, introduced by AABANY member Rina Gurung, Judge, Housing Part, New York City Civil Court; Commissioner, Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission.
“The Path to Success and Overcoming Obstacles” was moderated by the Hon. Austin D’Souza, Judge, Civil Court of the City of New York Kings County and AABANY member. Panelists were:
Hon. Zainab A. Chaudhry – Judge, New York State Court of Claims, and AABANY member
Lieutenant Henry Chen– New York County Civil Court, Co-Founder and President, NYSC
Asian Jade Society; Commissioner, Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission
Hon. Raja Rajeswari – Chair, NYC Criminal Court Equal Justice Committee; Chair,
NYS Unified Court System Advisory Committee on Language Access
Hon. Toko Serita– Statewide Coordinating Judge for Problem-Solving Courts, NYS Unified
Court System, and AABANY member
“Positive Action to Combat the Perpetual Foreigner Syndrome and Empowering the Community” was moderated by the AABANY member Hon. Doris Ling-Cohan, former Associate Justice, Appellate Division, First Department; Commissioner, Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission. Panelists were:
Joseb “Joe” Gim, Esq. – Chief, Criminal Court Unit, Kings County District Attorney’s Office
Christina Seid – Community Activist, Entrepreneur, Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, and AABANY member
President Frank H. Wu – President, Queens College, The City University of New York (CUNY)
Tony Walters, Director, New York State Unified Court System’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion provided Closing Remarks.
AABANY was privileged and honored to co-sponsor this event and thanks the Franklin H. Williams Commission for organizing it. AABANY thanks the speakers for sharing their knowledge and insights on important issues affecting the AAPI community. For more information about the Williams Commission visit their website at https://ww2.nycourts.gov/ip/ethnic-fairness/index.shtml
Thank You to Our Volunteers at the May 17 Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic
On May 17, 2023, AABANY held its Manhattan Pro Bono Legal Clinic at the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. Our volunteers met with 17 clients and discussed issues relating to housing, fraud, and government benefits.
Some positive client responses: “I appreciate it so much.” “Good service. I will keep coming monthly.”
The Pro Bono Clinic is organized by AABANY’s Pro Bono & Community Service Committee. To learn more about the Committee’s work visit here. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the dedicated volunteers who made this Pro Bono Clinic a success:
Volunteer Attorneys:
- Beatrice Leong
- Francis Chin
- Gary Yeung
- Kwok Ng
- Suzie Wang
- May Wong
- Nicholas Loh
- Tiange Chen
- Yaoyu (Jasmine) Liu
- Yan Sin
- Yuanyuan Li
- Anna Wang
- Yen-Yi Anderson
Interpreters & Shadowers:
- I-Kai Lee
- Jameson Xu
- Justin Lee
For upcoming clinics, please check AABANY’s calendar and update your email preference in your account to receive our emails.