From our friends at the SABANY Pro Bono Clearinghouse, here is a great pro bono volunteering opportunity coming up:
SABANY Pro Bono Clearinghouse will be partnering with the Office of the NYC Public Advocate for an upcoming immigration legal clinic. Without amazing PBC volunteers, we would not have the capacity to reach our community and serve them, so thank you so much.
What: Immigration Legal Clinic for South Asians
When: August 9, 2014
Time: 12-4pm (can volunteer for 2 hour slots)
Where: PS 69 located at 77-02 37 Ave. Queens, NY (Near the E,F,M,R, and 7 trains).
Need: Immigration and Criminal Law Attorneys (please let us
know if you speak a South Asian language though not required)
A bit of an overview, the workshop is a session for members of the South Asian community to learn the basics of current immigration laws, available public services, interacting with law enforcement, and understanding their civil rights. Our attorney volunteers will be giving a quick 10-15 minute consultations over a 4 hour period. The program will begin with a short overview of the following:
Criminal
- Your rights regardless of their immigration status.
- How to speak to the FBI/DHS/NYPD/Joint Task force
- Your rights at the border
- Trigger language to use if stopped by the NYPD or JTF unit
- Home/work visits
- Immigration consequences of your criminal convictions
Immigration
- Requirements of filing for US citizenship
- Immigration options if you are out of status
- Agencies that will serve you regardless of status
- Current City legislative priorities or laws that related to immigrants (undocumented and documented)
It would be fantastic to have 6-10 attorneys on hand to help. Please reach out if you are interested in volunteering at sabany.clearinghouse@gmail.com with your name, phone number, practice area and language background.
NAPABA Press Release: Manish Shah Nominated to Serve as District Court Judge
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
1612 K Street NW, Suite 1400
Washington, DC 20006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 19, 2013
Contact: Emily Chatterjee
(202) 775-9555
MANISH SHAH NOMINATED TO SERVE AS DISTRICT COURT JUDGE
WASHINGTON – Today, President Obama nominated Manish Suresh Shah to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. If confirmed, Shah will be the first person of South Asian descent to serve as an Article III judge in the state of Illinois.
“We applaud Manish Shah’s historic nomination to the federal bench,” said Wendy C. Shiba, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “Mr. Shah has devoted his career to public service in the U.S. Attorney’s office, and his deep experience in criminal law will be an asset to the Northern District of Illinois. We hope that the Senate votes to confirm him swiftly.”
Since 2001, Shah has worked at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois. Since July 2012, he has served as Chief of the Criminal Division, and previously served as Chief of Criminal Appeals. During his time as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, he has also worked in the General Crimes, Narcotics & Gangs, and Public Corruption units. Shah attended the University of Chicago Law School and Stanford University, and went on to clerk for Judge James B. Zagel of the Northern District of Illinois.
NAPABA commends President Obama for nominating Mr. Shah to the bench and Senators Kirk and Durbin of Illinois for their support of his nomination.
SDNY NOTICE: CJA Mentoring Program Seeks Candidates
COURT NOTICE TO THE BAR
CONTACT: Peter Quijano, 212-686-0666; Anthony L. Ricco, 212-791-3919
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK SEEKING CANDIDATES
FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACT MENTORING PROGRAM
FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACT MENTORING PROGRAM
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York is seeking candidates for its Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Mentoring Program. Ideal candidates are attorneys with five or more years of experience litigating in state court, with fifteen felony trials to verdict as lead counsel or comparable in-court experience under their belt. Under the supervision of a member of the CJA Panel, CJA Mentees would represent defendants in federal court who qualify for appointed representation under the Criminal Justice Act.
For more information about the CJA Mentoring Program and how to apply, please see the attached PDF file.
NYLJ: Rajaratnam Team Urges Circuit to Suppress Wiretap Evidence
NYLJ: Rajaratnam Team Urges Circuit to Suppress Wiretap Evidence
Board member Vinoo Varghese, whose amici brief in the Rajaratnam case was quoted in the New York Times on October 23, was quoted in an article about the same case in the New York Law Journal on October 26.
Also submitting an amicus in Rajaratnam on behalf of the National Legal Aid & Defender Association and the Bronx Defenders was Vinoo Varghese of Varghese & Associates.
Varghese wrote the government’s “lack of candor, which the lower court found to be reckless at best, cannot be tolerated” and, if allowed to stand would “gut the Fourth Amendment and Title III protections in wiretap cases going forward.”
Congrats again to Vinoo on the recognition of his excellent work! To read the full brief go to http://bit.ly/rajaratnam_vpv.