Press Release and Public Notice: United States Magistrate Judge Vacancies

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Chief Judge Margo K. Brodie announced today [July 24] that the Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York have appointed a Merit Selection Panel composed of attorneys and residents of the district. (See Administrative Order No. 2024-14 here.) The Panel will consider candidates for three United States Magistrate Judge vacancies in Brooklyn, New York, for eight (8)-year terms, to be created by the retirement of U.S. Magistrate Judges Lois Bloom and Cheryl L. Pollak, effective May 17, 2025 and August 1, 2025, respectively, and by the appointment of U.S. Magistrate Judge Sanket J. Bulsara as United States District Judge, effective on the date of the signing of the Presidential Commission in December of 2024.

All applications for the magistrate judge vacancies must be received by October 23, 2024. The application form can be accessed online at the district’s website:
https://www.nyed.uscourts.gov/forms/application-us-magistrate-judge-vacancy-docx. Please see the below public notice for instructions on how to submit applications for the magistrate judge vacancies.

Within one hundred and fifty (150) days from its appointment on July 24, 2024, the Panel must report to the Court its recommended slate of candidates for consideration for the magistrate judge vacancies.

PUBLIC NOTICE

THREE FULL-TIME FEDERAL MAGISTRATE JUDGE VACANCIES

There are three (3) upcoming full-time United States Magistrate Judge vacancies at the Brooklyn Courthouse of the Eastern District of New York at 225 Cadman Plaza, Brooklyn, New York, effective on a date to be determined in December 2024, on May 17, 2025, and August 1, 2025, respectively. The duties of the position are demanding and wide-ranging, and will include: (1) conduct of preliminary proceedings in criminal cases; (2) trial and disposition of misdemeanor cases; (3) conduct of various pretrial matters and evidentiary proceedings on delegation from the judges of the district court; (4) trial and disposition of civil cases upon consent of the litigants; and (5) assignment of additional duties not inconsistent with the Constitution and laws of the United States.

The jurisdiction of a United States Magistrate Judge is specified in 28 U.S.C. § 636. To be qualified for appointment, an applicant must: (a) be a member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands for at least five years; (b) have been engaged in the active practice of law for a period of at least five years (with some substitutions authorized); (c) be competent to perform all the duties of the office, of good moral character, emotionally stable and mature, committed to equal justice under the law, in good health, patient and courteous, and capable of deliberation and decisiveness; (d) be less than 70 years old; and (e) not be related to a judge of the district court. An applicant should have federal court experience and be knowledgeable in federal civil and criminal practices and procedures.

A Merit Selection Panel (appointed by Administrative Order 2024-14) composed of attorneys and residents of the district will review all applications and recommend in confidence to the judges of the district court the five persons whom it considers best qualified for each vacancy. The Court will make the appointments following FBI and IRS investigations of the appointees. An affirmative effort will be made to give due consideration to all qualified candidates, including women and members of minority groups. The salary of the position is, as of this notice, $223,836.00 per annum. The term of office is eight years.

Please note that the application form can be accessed online at the district’s website:
https://www.nyed.uscourts.gov/forms/application-us-magistrate-judge-vacancy-docx.
Applications must be personally prepared by the applicant and must be received no later than October 23, 2024. Applications should be electronically submitted at
https://edny.app.box.com/f/89d572dd4ab644979ed53683c7005545. Instructions are available on the district’s website.

THE DISTRICT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Thank You to the Volunteers at July 13th Pro Bono Clinic

Thank you to the CPC, the offices of Council Members Alexa Avilés and Justin Brannan, State Senator Iwen Chu, all of our Brooklyn community partners, and AABANY volunteers for joining us at the Brooklyn Pro Bono Legal Clinic held at CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Ave, on July 13, 2024.

During the clinic, we met 18 clients who had questions about housing, immigration, and special education law matters. 

In addition to having law students shadowing us, we had Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) high school students from CPC who helped clients complete their client intake forms and client satisfaction surveys. For any who may want to participate or know of someone who would, SYEP connects New York City kids between the ages of 14 and 24 with career opportunities and paid work experiences each summer.

Pro bono clinics function to address a wide array of problems and questions. At this clinic we had parents asking about how to apply for special education needs for their children. Many NYC children are not receiving adequate and immediate special education services, and if the child is denied special education needs, there is a limited time period for the parents to appeal the Department of Education’s decision. For further help please visit Advocates for Children of NYC (https://advocatesforchildren.org/) who can provide know-your-rights brochures and legal representation.

The day’s work was praised by clients in attendance. For example, one client stated, “This is the best service for people who can’t afford legal services.”

Thank you again to everyone, including volunteer attorneys:

  • Anna Chen
  • Daobo Wang
  • Francis Chin
  • Gary Yeung
  • Kwok Kei Ng
  • May Wong
  • Willow Liu
  • Yan Sin
  • Yichun Liu

Thanks also to the non-attorney volunteers:

  • Athena Zhang
  • Lingjun Chen
  • Nandar Win Kerr
  • Ruo Yang
  • Wendy Zeng

Please join us at the next exciting events:

July 24th – AABANY Pro Bono Clinic Fundraiser – https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1858155

Queens Pro Bono Clinic on August 7th, 2024 at AAFE One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355. Sign up here – https://forms.gle/5PjG8A73EE1XENyV9

To learn more about AABANY Pro Bono & Community Service Committee contact probono@aabany.org or click here

AABANY’s Labor & Employment Law Committee Hosts Summer Sichuan Night at CHILI

On Tuesday, June 25, 2024, AABANY’s Labor & Employment Law Committee hosted their Summer Sichuan Night at the restaurant CHILI in Midtown Manhattan.

The dinner at CHILI proved to be a cozy and inviting experience and brought new and old members together to mingle over a spicy family-style Sichuan meal. Attendees networked and mingled throughout the evening, learning about each other’s backgrounds, careers, and professional experiences. The Labor & Employment Law Committee collected a group of individuals from far and wide, a reflection of AABANY’s diverse membership, with attendees hailing from as close as Brooklyn, to as far as Shenzhen, China.

Thank you to the Labor & Employment Law Committee for planning and hosting Sichuan Night as well as everyone who attended and enjoyed conversing over delicious Sichuan cuisine on a hot summer day. The Labor and Employment Law Committee continues to welcome new members and hopes to see many old and new faces at future events!

To find out more about the Labor & Employment Law Committee, please click here

Thank You to the Volunteers at the March Pro Bono Clinic in Brooklyn

On March 9, 2024, the AABANY Pro Bono & Community Service (PBCS) Committee held its Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic at the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) Brooklyn Community Services Center, the first Brooklyn clinic of the year. Beginning at 12:30, attorneys, interpreters, and other volunteers met with community members who presented legal issues pertaining to immigration, criminal, divorce, and housing law. 

Thanks to the efforts of volunteer interpreters, the majority of whom were law students and recent JD graduates, the Pro Bono Clinic was able to meet with Spanish and Mandarin-speaking clients with limited English proficiency. This unique aspect of the clinic allowed our volunteers to overcome language barriers, enabling clients to express and understand their matters with greater ease. They also had the assistance of a volunteer attorney with criminal law experience providing legal advice on the two criminal cases presented. One client traveled from Warwick, NY to seek legal advice. Clients whose matters required the retention of an attorney were referred to AABANY’s Legal Referral and Information Service (LRIS), which connects clients to qualified lawyers within AABANY’s panel of attorneys. 

The PBSC Committee would like to thank the CPC, Councilmember Alexa Avilés, State Senator Senator Iwen Chu, Councilmember Justin Brannan, and all of their Brooklyn community partners and volunteers for joining them at the Brooklyn Pro Bono Legal Clinic. 

Please consider joining the Pro Bono and Community Service Committee at the Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic on April 17th, 2024 at AAAFE Community Center 111 Norfolk St New York, New York 10002. Although volunteer registration is closed, you can email probono@aabany.org if you are still interested in volunteering at the clinic on 4/17. 

Feel free to check out www.probono.aabany.org for more information about upcoming legal clinics. 

Thank you, everyone! 

Volunteer AttorneysInterpreters & Shadowers
Andrew WuKaila Chen
Anna ChenJialin Zhu
Beatrice LeongJuliet Romero
Francis ChinLucy Liu
Kwok Kei NgNandar Win Kerr
Johnny ThachYiming (Roselyn) Chen
May WongWillow Liu
Megan GaoYiyang (Leo) Shen
Victoria ChengLi Zhi Lin – CPC
Yan SinJenny Lin – CPC
Maver Monclez – CPC

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
erica.zepeda@americanbar.org

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