Official blog of the Asian American Bar Association of New York
Business Law Fellows | Business Law Section
The American Bar Association’s Business Law Section Fellows program has 20 fellowships available for diverse bar leaders. This is a great leadership development opportunity at the ABA and is geared towards young lawyers. For more details, follow the link in the title. Application deadline: May 1, 2017. Thanks to Sylvia Chin for letting us know about this program.
Dorsey Future Leaders Program | News & Resources | Dorsey
Dorsey & Whitney LLP is proud to announce its Future Leaders Program. A handful of talented, diverse young people will have the opportunity to work alongside attorneys, managers and staff in our New York office as interns. The week-long program will offer our Future Leaders internship in the Legal group or the Management/Administration group.
Those interested should have a high level of maturity and demonstrate an interest in leadership in your community. Applicants will be asked to indicate their preference in either the Legal group or the Management/Administration group, provide two references and a short essay. Applicants should be high school seniors in the upcoming 2016-2017 school year or currently enrolled in a college degree program. In exceptional cases, we will consider law students.
The week-long program will occur on August 21 – August 25, 2017. In addition to receiving mentoring and attending social events, participants will receive a stipend and commuting expenses.
Applications, including reference letters and essays should be sent no later than April 28, 2017 to: [email protected].
For more information, please visit the link in the title.
Many thanks to Litigation Committee Co-Chair Dai Wai Chin Feman for sharing this opportunity with us.
Ronald H. Brown Law School Prep Program for College Students | St. John’s University
The deadline for Prep Program Foundations has been extended to March 31, 2017. Foundations applications are considered on a rolling basis so submit your application as soon as possible.
Ronald H. Brown Law School Prep Program for College Students furthers the Ron Brown Center’s mission of engaging in legal studies, research, and outreach on issues affecting the lives of disadvantaged and underrepresented people; increasing racial and socioeconomic diversity in the legal profession; and educating law students to be leaders on issues of racial, economic, and social justice. To help raise the number of diverse, disadvantaged students in law schools, the Ron Brown Prep Program identifies these students in their college years and offers them early exposure to the study and practice of law.
The Ron Brown Prep Program prepares students for the challenges of law school and for the law school application process. Participants gain an edge in courses taught by Law School faculty; through internships with judges and lawyers; in a customized LSAT prep course; and with advising on all aspects of the admission process.
Click on the link in the title for more information.
WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and the South Asian Bar Association of North America (SABA) condemn President Trump’s new executive order that includes many of the discriminatory provisions of his earlier order, which also sought to stop refugees from entering the United States and halt immigration from several Muslim-majority countries. These orders, which are based on the misguided idea that certain religious and ethnic populations are more prone to violence, are incompatible with American values, and will not make our communities safer or our nation stronger. Notably, the order, continues to 1) suspend refugee admission for 120 days, 2) reduce and limit the number of refugee admissions, and 3) targets individuals from six Muslim-majority countries, suspending entry of individuals for 90 days, with some exceptions.
“The executive order is a continuation of the same policy that discriminates against and devalues refugees and members of the Muslim community,” said NAPABA President Cyndie Chang. “We must refuse to act out of fear and intolerance. We must not return to the dark chapters of our history where we judged people by the color of their skin, how they prayed, or where their family came from. We must stand up for our values of equity, justice, and opportunity.”
“The President’s Executive Action does nothing more than advance an anti-Muslim agenda espoused during the campaign under the guise of National Security,” said SABA President Vichal Kumar. “A refugee, by definition, is a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster. The supposed justification for this Executive Action punishes this person for the very same war and persecution that is causing them to leave in the first place.”
The new executive order clarifies it is not applicable to certain individuals, such as valid visa holders whose documents were issued on or before Jan. 27, 2017, lawful permanent residents, and dual-national passport holders. The order will take effect on March 16, 2017.
The executive order continues to require regular reports be published on suspected criminal activity committed by foreign nationals and refugees. When combined with reporting requirements under other immigration related executive orders, these reports will generate greater mistrust and fear of immigrant communities.
Both NAPABA and SABA joined litigation against the executive order enacted on Jan. 27, 2017. Our members have been at the airports assisting families, in the field educating communities about their rights, and in the courts supporting local and national pro bono efforts. Read our original statement here.
NAPABA and SABA join our fellow attorneys, the Asian Pacific American community, and Americans of all backgrounds in reiterating our commitment to diversity and justice. We remain committed to ensuring that all are free from discrimination and racial and religious profiling.
For more information, contact:
NAPABA is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 50,000 attorneys and over 75 national, state, and local bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government. NAPABA engages in legislative and policy advocacy, promotes APA political leadership and political appointments, and builds coalitions within the legal profession and the community at large. NAPABA also serves as a resource for government agencies, members of Congress, and public service organizations about APAs in the legal profession, civil rights, and diversity in the courts.
SABA North America (formerly NASABA/North American South Asian Bar Association) is a voluntary bar organization and serves as an umbrella organization to 26 chapters in the United States and Canada. SABA North America is a recognized forum for professional growth and advancement for South Asian attorneys in North America and seeks to protect the rights and liberties of the South Asian community across the continent. Learn more at www.sabanorthamerica.com.
NYC Bar 2015 Diversity Benchmarking Report
The New York City Bar Office for Diversity and Inclusion is pleased to release the 2015 Diversity Benchmarking Report. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the successes and challenges of the law firms that have signed onto the City Bar’s Statement of Diversity Principles face in their respective diversity and inclusion efforts, as well as recommendations for enhancing the career opportunities of women and minority attorneys.
The results of this survey are an integral part of how the City Bar establishes goals and priorities to best support our signatory firms through our Office and our diversity committees, and we are grateful to the firms that participate in the survey each year and help us to provide this resource.
Please feel free to reach out to Gabrielle Lyse Brown directly with any questions or feedback regarding the findings.
WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) has named White & Case LLP as the 2016 Law Firm Diversity Award recipient. NAPABA created the Law Firm Diversity Award to recognize law firms that actively, affirmatively, consistently, and enthusiastically recruit, retain, and promote Asian Pacific American lawyers to equity partnership and firm leadership.
The award will be presented at the NAPABA Anniversary Gala at the 2016 NAPABA Convention in San Diego, California, on Nov. 5, 2016.
“White & Case is a distinguished industry leader when it comes to workplace diversity,” said NAPABA President Jin Y. Hwang. “To be regularly lauded by your peers as one of the nation’s leaders in diversity practices is extraordinary, and NAPABA celebrates White & Case’s constant devotion to diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.”
White & Case is regularly recognized as a leader in diversity by various prominent benchmarking surveys. The Law360 Diversity Snapshot has ranked White & Case as the most diverse law firm with respect to lawyers of color in the United States in 2016, as well as ranking 3rd among the 10 best law firms for Asian Pacific American attorneys. The firm also currently holds, for the third consecutive year, the No. 1 position on The American Lawyer Diversity Scorecard as the most diverse firm in the U.S. in a 2016 survey of over 220 of the largest and highest-grossing law firms in the country.
Additionally, White & Case scored an eighth consecutive perfect score of 100 percent on the 2016 Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index that measures employers’ commitment to LGBTQ workplace issues. The LGBTQ-related policies and practices evaluated by the survey include non-discrimination policies, domestic partner benefits, and diversity training.
For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, at202-775-9555 or [email protected].
Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission – Newsletter June 2016
Check out the June 2016 Franklin H.Williams Judicial Commission Newsletter, particularly the following articles:
June 26-28, 2016 – Seattle, Washington
NAPABA is currently seeking applicants for the fourth annual Collaborative Bar Leadership Academy (CBLA) in Seattle, Washington, from June 26-28, 2016 (Sunday afternoon through Tuesday morning).
The CBLA is intended for up-and-coming bar leaders who have been in practice for 5-15 years and have served as officers of a NAPABA affiliate and/or co-chair of a NAPABA committee. It is a collaborative effort among the American Bar Association, Hispanic National Bar Association, National Bar Association, National Native American Bar Association, and NAPABA. Beginning this year, the National LGBT Bar Association has joined as a collaborative partner. The purpose of CBLA is to strengthen the pipeline of diverse bar association leaders through leadership training and professional development programs. This is an excellent opportunity to foster collaborative relationships across national bar associations at the local or regional level, share best practices, and develop potential business opportunities and friendships.
If you have attended a previous CBLA, please consider joining us at CBLA this year for robust alumni programming.
Application Deadline | Friday, May 13
More information about the program can be found on the CBLA website. Please contact CBLA Steering Committee member Daniel Sakaguchi with any questions at dsakaguchi@ArmstrongTeasdale or at 314-342-4178.
On January 25, the New York State Bar Association will hold their 2016 Celebrating Diversity Reception and Trailblazer Award Ceremony at the New York Hilton Midtown (1335 Avenue of the Americas) honoring Christopher S. Auguste. We are proud to co-sponsor this special event to explore opportunities for professional development and enrichment through the New York State Bar.
REGISTER NOW at www.nysba.org/2016DIV. Deadline to RSVP is January 20, 2016.
Click on the link in the title for more information about the event.
From AABANY Board Member Pauline Yeung-Ha:
The Elder Law and Special Needs Section’s Diversity Committee of New York State Bar Association is seeking law students with an interest in elder law to apply for free registration and attendance at the Section’s Annual Meeting held in January 2016 in New York City. We will provide a limited number of paid registrations to attend the Diversity Reception on January 25th, our meeting on January 26th and a reception afterwards.
We are looking for students from ethnically diverse backgrounds who are considering a practice in the dynamic and growing fields of Elder Law and Special Needs. The deadline for a response is January 12, 2016. Assistance with arranging for travel and lodging may be available.
All selections will be made at the discretion of the Committee.
All interested students should contact:
Elizabeth Valentin [email protected]
Deepankar Mukerji [email protected]
Pauline Yeung-Ha [email protected]
Veronica Escobar [email protected]