All Rise! An Appeal for Moot Court Judges

The ABA Law Student Division would like to invite you to judge the National Appellate Advocacy Competition (NAAC) in Brooklyn on February 22-24, 2024, at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Register Here

You be the judge, literally!
Spend a few hours as a Supreme Court Justice without the confirmation hearings! All rounds take place in a courtroom and robes are provided for all competition judges.

Give back and mentor law students
This opportunity will fulfill your need to impart wisdom onto the next generation of lawyers. We are looking for lawyers and judges to sit on the Supreme Court to hear oral arguments and provide feedback on the advocacy skills of each team.

CLE Information
Attorneys acting as judges in moot court competitions may self-report their participation to claim CLE credit. Rules, calculations, and limits vary by state.

Make a day of it. Sign up for one, two, or more rounds. Or invite your colleagues and register as a group. Register Here

The rounds are scheduled as follows:
Round 1: Thursday, February 22 (3:30 pm-7:45 pm)
Round 2: Friday, February 23 (3:30 pm-7:45 pm)
Round 3: Saturday, February 24 (8:30 am-12:45 pm)
Round 4: Saturday, February 24 (1:00 pm-3:30 pm)
Round 5: Saturday, February 24 (3:30 pm-6:00 pm)

For your colleagues across the country, there are also regionals in Boston, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco!

Direct any questions to:

Erica M. Zepeda
American Bar Association
Program Manager, Early Career Strategy
Law Student Division
321 N. Clark, Chicago, IL  60654
T: 312.988.5671
[email protected]

AABANY’s Litigation and Judiciary Committees Host Luncheon and Courtroom Tour with EDNY Magistrate Judge James Cho

On Friday, December 1, AABANY’s Litigation Committee and Judiciary Committee hosted an exclusive luncheon with EDNY Magistrate Judge James Cho at the EDNY courthouse in Brooklyn. The event was popular with AABANY members – it reached capacity within hours of the registration link being sent out! Eighteen attendees from AABANY’s membership and AABANY Executive Director were presented with an amazing opportunity to socialize with Judge Cho and each other. It was also a unique educational opportunity for the litigators in the group. It included a tour of Judge Cho’s courtroom and an exclusive Q&A with Judge Cho regarding practicing in his court. Thanks to Judge Cho and to all the AABANY members who attended.

To learn more about the Litigation Committee go to this page and the Judiciary Committee go to this page.

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 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.

Thank You to Our Volunteers at the Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic in February

On February 25th, 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.  In partnership with Homecrest and other community partners, the Clinic provided an opportunity for individuals to meet with attorneys to discuss legal issues related to housing, criminal law, and immigration.  The volunteers were able to offer guidance on 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. These volunteers included attorneys, law students, and our community partners who worked together to make a difference in their community.  The Clinic provides vital support to those who may not have the resources to access legal services, and the volunteers’ dedication to pro bono work demonstrates the importance of giving back to those in need.

Please consider joining us at our upcoming clinics:

Manhattan Clinic – March 18, 2023 from 12:30pm – 3:30pm at VNS Health, Chinatown Community Center, 7 Mott Street, New York, NY 10013.  

Brooklyn Clinic – April 8, 2023 from 12:30pm – 3:30pm at Homecrest Community Services, Inc., 6915 15th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11228.

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:

Andrew WuYu Bai^
Francis ChinYixuan Lian^
Gary YeungHyewon (Chloe) Byeon^
Jackson Chin* 
Ming Chu (Judy) Lee 
Kwok Kei Ng 
May Wong 
Victoria Cheng 

^ = non-attorney volunteers

*= virtual

Thank You to Our Volunteers at the Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic in February

Thank you AABANY, Pro Bono and Community Service (PBCS) Committee, VNS Chinatown Community Center, and our dedicated volunteers for volunteering on February 18, 2023 at the Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic! We met 24 clients and discussed issues relating to housing, divorces, and guardianships. 

Clients’ surveys included the following feedback: 

These services are much in need for the non-English speaking community.”  

“Very happy thx services I got.” 

“The lawyers were very nice and professional! Thank you!”

Please consider joining us at our upcoming clinics:

Manhattan Clinic – March 18, 2023 from 12:30pm – 3:30pm at VNS Health, Chinatown Community Center, 7 Mott Street, New York, NY 10013.  

Brooklyn Clinic – April 8, 2023 from 12:30pm – 3:30pm at Homecrest Community Services, Inc., 6915 15th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11228.

To learn more about the PBCS Committee and it work, visit here.

Volunteers:

Ailsa ChauAlexandra Lao*Tingyi* VNS
Beatrice LeongCandice Wu*Lammi* VNS
Chenyun MaCecilia Yang*
Darley MawChristina Kuan Tsu*
Eugene KimJameson Xu*
Francis ChinJustin Lee*
Gary YeungSue Yu*
Jackson ChinXiaoli Qin*
Johnny ThachYixuan Lian*
May WongYu Bai*
Shirley LuongPatrick Cha*
Yen-Yi Anderson 

*Non-attorneys

Thank You to Our 10/15 Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic Volunteers!

On October 15, 2022, AABANY’s Pro Bono & Community Service (PBCS) Committee held a Pro Bono Clinic at the United Chinese Association of Brooklyn from 12:00-3:30 PM. 

In all, we met with 22 clients who had questions about contracts, fraud, housing, wills, trusts, and estates. Our volunteers are constantly learning and teaching one another. Many of this clinic’s volunteer force were law students or recent law school graduates, who put their memory of basic skills such as issue-spotting through the IRAC (Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion) method to real-world use. We were also able to refer many clients to not-for-profit legal services to further help their case beyond the time constraints of our clinic session. Last, but not least, our volunteers demonstrated exceptional professionalism with the 4 C’s in mind: competency, confidentiality, conflict of interest, and compassion. 

AABANY Legal Interns Daniel Kang and Connor Li recounted their experiences at the clinic. Daniel said, “Many clients came in with issues regarding estate and housing law. It was great having the chance to shadow attorneys like Kwok, May, and Johnny, and to see how their legal knowledge can be used to help people in their everyday lives. I sat in on a session where one client did not come with a particular issue, but with an information request regarding the drafting of a will—and the benefits of creating one. Attorney May Wong carefully explained the concept of a will, the legal challenges which might be confronted and avoided through the creation of one, and helped the client walk away with knowledge of a legal concept that will undoubtedly impact their family.”

Connor had a similar experience when sitting in on the consultations. He said, “I sat in on a session where attorney Johnny Thach was able to help a couple find the available resources to resolve their landlord-tenant issues. Especially for non-English speakers, and even for those of us that speak English as our native language, legal terminology can be confusing. For this couple, the resources we found online were filled with legal jargon, so it was great to see Johnny clearly articulate the issues and next steps in words that even I was able to understand.” 

Thank you to all the volunteers who helped out this past Saturday. Your extra help was truly appreciated! 

Volunteer AttorneysInterpreters & ShadowersAAFE Staff
Jackson ChinConnor LiAnsen Tang
Jennifer ParkDaniel KangHayley Liang
Johnny ThachHyewon ByeonLori Huang
Kwok Kei NgJoon Choe 
May WongYiru (Lea) Jiang 
Ming Chu (Judy) LeeYuichi Hayashi 
Victoria ChengYuwen Long 
Yvette AdiguzelZixuan Luo 

Please join us at our upcoming Pro Bono Clinics! 

October 29 – registration closed at noon on 10/26 [remote option not available]

Manhattan Location – 33 Bowery, Community Room at Confucius Plaza, New York, NY 10002

November 19 – please register by 12pm, 11/16 [remote option available for NYS admitted attorneys only]

Queens Location – AAFE One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355

AABANY’s Membership Committee Hosts Inter-Bar Association Summer Family Day

On June 4, 2022, AABANY’s Membership Committee hosted an Inter-Bar Association Summer Family Day with the Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York (KALAGNY) and the South Asian Bar Association of New York (SABANY). Over fifty members and their friends and families gathered at the Major R. Owens Health & Wellness Community Center in Brooklyn to participate in spirited sports games and enjoy snacks and refreshments. 

Three full courts were available for AABANY, KALAGNY, and SABANY to utilize, as well as many seating areas on the courts, and an upstairs conference room overlooking the courts. With the AC on high, it was a great way to escape the heat and socialize with other members.

The teams kicked off the afternoon of fun with an engaging game of half-court basketball, before some members pivoted to a lively game of volleyball. In both sports, new alliances were formed, and very quickly, the games went from competitive in nature to collaborative and centered in team building for all those involved, even spectators. Following volleyball, a rallying game of dodgeball ensued, before the afternoon wrapped up with prizes and raffles. Throughout the afternoon, AABANY, KALAGNY, and SABANY members also enjoyed sandwiches, chips, and beverages while networking in the upstairs conference room featuring a full-glass wall overlooking the exciting sports games below. What a truly spectacular way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

Shoutout to the Membership Committee for organizing such a fun social event and to our sister bar associations KALAGNY and SABANY for co-sponsoring. Make sure to sign up for upcoming AABANY events at aabany.org/events.

AABANY Goes to Brooklyn for AAIFF Comedy Night, August 13

The 44th Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) rolled into town on August 11, billed as “the nation’s first and longest running festival dedicated to celebrating independent Asian, Asian diaspora, and Pacific Islander cinema.” Because we are not yet entirely out of the pandemic, AAIFF is being presented as a hybrid event with some screenings held in person and others made available on demand. One of the in-person programs took place on the third night, August 13, an evening featuring AAPI comics performing stand-up, fittingly called “Comedy Night.”

In a part of Brooklyn that the current generation calls Gowanus, nearly two dozen AABANY members joined a standing room crowd at Littlefield, a performance space that once was a warehouse (probably back in the days when this part of town was still known as Park Slope). The show was produced and hosted by Claire Yoo, an Events Coordinator for AAIFF who also happens to be President of Harvard College Stand Up Comic Society. Before you can say, “What? Harvard Students know how to laugh?” Claire took to the stage and launched into a profanity-laced opening monologue that filled the room with appreciative laughter, getting the entire audience properly riled up for the hilarity to come. (And don’t worry, Claire, we won’t tell your dad — who was in the audience — about your foul mouth.)

The line-up featured an assortment of top comedy talent, including award-winning writers from popular shows such as “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” “Patriot Act with Hasan Minaj,” and NPR’s “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me.” The diversity of the comedians reflected East Asian, South Asian, and HAPA voices as well as LGBTQ+ perspectives that we rarely hear from in mainstream media. As one of our attendees, Lauren Kim of Fordham Law School, deftly summarized, “It was excellent, tons of fun, and every single comic was hilarious.” Indeed, they were! None of our performers bombed on stage. If anything, the level and quality of the comedy seemed to go higher and higher from one comic to the next. (Apologies to Moss Perricone, the first comic to go. We don’t mean to say you weren’t funny or that the other comics were funnier than you. Oh, wait … maybe we are saying the second part.)

By the way, we should mention that our host, Claire, was an AABANY intern during Fall 2020. During her internship she learned that AABANY is a community partner of AAIFF and asked how she could get involved with Asian CineVision, the non-profit that organizes AAIFF each year. We hooked her up, and just a few months later … she is the producer and host of the largest comedy show she has ever put together. Congrats, Claire! Great job! (And Asian Cinevision, you are welcome!)

Thanks to all the AABANY members and friends, including President Terry Shen and his wife, Stella, who joined us. We hope everyone will support AAIFF and its mission to promote and spotlight AAPI artists, writers, performers, producers, and filmmakers. Read about the AAIFF films we are co-sponsoring this year here.

Thank You to Our January Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic Volunteers!

AABANY’s Pro Bono Committee held its third Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic on Thursday, January 16, 2020, at A Plus Academy located at 6802 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. The clinic brought out 18 volunteers who volunteered their time to help 10 clients.

The Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic has allowed AABANY’s Pro Bono Committee to service a new community in need of pro bono legal services and indicates our efforts to grow and expand these services to more New Yorkers in need.

We are asking every member to actively support AABANY’s Monthly Pro Bono Clinics by making donations that are vital to its continuing operation. In a few short years, with the tireless and generous assistance of our volunteers, we have helped hundreds of low-income clients with free legal advice and referrals to high-quality, culturally sensitive, and linguistically competent legal services. Together we have helped expand access to justice for underserved Asian American New Yorkers.

To make it easier for our members and our community to donate to the Pro Bono Clinic, we have set up a page on Give Lively where you can make a donation by texting APAPROBONO  to 44321. It takes seconds to donate, and we hope you will take a moment today to support the Pro Bono Clinic and help it meet its fundraising goals. Please donate today!

If you know family members, friends, or businesses, such as your firm, who would like to support the Clinic, please help us connect with them by contacting Karen Yau at [email protected].

Or please urge them to make a donation directly. They can visit the website of Asian American Law Fund of New York (AALFNY), AABANY’s 501(c)(3) affiliate: https://www.asianamericanlawfund.org/donate/

AALFNY is accepting charitable donations on the Clinic’s behalf and can issue any donor a tax receipt. Any contribution, large or small, would help. Please be sure to indicate in the memo field that the donation is intended for the Pro Bono Clinic.

Thank you to all of the January Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic Volunteers!

Lawyers: 

Tina Y. Song
Yifei He
May Kay Wong
Francis Chin
Veronica Louie

Interpreters: 

Teri Chou
Go-eun Son
Ru Hochen
Alicia Chan
Jonathan Wong
Jing Chu

Special thanks to Coordinator Xinyi Shen, Coordinator Roger Chen, Vice Chair Kwok Kei Ng for coordinating the clinic, and the Pro Bono and Community Service Committee Co-Chairs Pauline Yeung-Ha, Judy Lee, Karen Kithan Yau, and Asako Aiba for their leadership. We also thank our “On-Call Expert” Beatrice Leong for offering advice by phone. The Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic will be a bi-monthly clinic occurring on the fourth Thursday of every other month. The next clinic will be held on Thursday, March 26, 2020, from 6:30 pm to 8:30pm. If you are interested in volunteering at future Pro Bono Clinics, please contact Asako Aiba at [email protected].