Thanks to the Volunteers at the April Queens Pro Bono Clinic in Flushing 

On Wednesday, April 10th, AABANY Pro Bono & Community Service (PBCS) Committee hosted their Queens Pro Bono Clinic at the Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) Community Center in Flushing. With the help of AABANY, PBCS, and AAFE staff and volunteers, 22 clients were assisted with housing, immigration, and employment issues.   

One of the clients paid $300 to an attorney to help her write a letter to management regarding a bed bug infestation matter. For someone with young children and a large family, the legal expense of $300 is financially burdensome. A housing attorney volunteer referred her to free legal services and advised her to document the situation and mobilize neighboring tenants to seek relief from the landlord. She was extremely grateful that the PBCS Committee, through the Pro Bono Clinic, offers free legal consultation and referral services. 

In another case, a client came to discuss student loans and consumer debt and thought that her only option was bankruptcy. After discussing the NYS Exempt Income Protection Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and specific student loan forgiveness options, she felt relieved that she had more choices and greatly appreciated the information she received. 

Here are some clients’ responses: 

“Perfect management. Impressive lawyers.”

“Excellent! Thumbs up for Ms. May Wong.” 

Please join us at the Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic on May 15, 2024, at AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk St, New York, NY 10002. Sign up here by May 10 to volunteer:  https://forms.gle/SD2VMY8X6yE4vsxW9.

If you are interested in speaking at an upcoming  Bring-Your-Own-Lunch (BYOL) Sidebar Meeting to discuss updates on the law, common issues asked at the Pro Bono Clinics, and other miscellaneous topics, please contact [email protected].  

Thank you to the volunteers and community partners for supporting the Queens Pro Bono Clinics!

Volunteer AttorneysInterpreters & Shadowers
Beatrice LeongJennifer Shi
Eugene KimJing Liang
Gary YeungJuliet Romero
Kevin HsiShi Tang
Lina LeeYuhan Chen
May WongNuala Naranjo (AAFE)
Richard InInaki Herrera (AAFE)
Shirley LuongGabriel Hisugan (AAFE)
Willow Liu

AABANY Immigration Law Committee Presents “Immigration Changes Under the Biden Administration: A Look Back and Overview” on April 20

On April 20, Immigration Law Committee Co-Chairs Annie Wang, Poonam Gupta, and Zhixian (Jessie) Liu held a webinar titled “Immigration Changes Under the Biden Administration: A Look Back and Overview.” The co-chairs provided updates to the immigration policies under the Biden administration and compared it to the plans President Biden had outlined when he first took office.

In the webinar, the Immigration Law Committee provided updates to the status of the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 and the American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, and discussed how passage of the bills could affect the pathway to citizenship. The co-chairs also covered employment-based immigration changes including the withdrawal of the H-4 EAD (Employment Authorization Document) rule, the repeal of the BAHA (Buy American and Hire American) Executive Order, and the changes to the H-1B Visa Program for fiscal year 2022. Co-Chair Annie Wang discussed the national dialogue surrounding asylum and refugee resettlement, and gave an update on the status of current DACA litigation. The co-chairs concluded the webinar by providing a quick overview of the rescission of the Public Charge Rule.

The Immigration Law Committee plans to continue hosting quarterly webinars to provide the AABANY community with immigration updates under the Biden administration. To learn more about the Immigration Law Committee’s upcoming events, please contact the committee co-chairs at https://www.aabany.org/page/129

Working Together to Serve Diverse Communities: A Virtual Resource Fair

Nine federal agencies will share information concerning their missions and available programs and resources. This information-packed event offers a roadmap to access federal services, to build stronger relationships, and to explore ways that we can work together to better serve Black, Latino, and other communities of color. 

No registration is required. The resource fair will take place over the course of two days — Wednesday, August 5th from 10:00AM to 4:00PM CT and Thursday, August 6th from 10:00AM to 4:00PM CT. Additional information, including an agenda and speaker biographies, is available from the Federal Trade Commission at this link

Email questions or suggestions to: [email protected].

From St John’s and NYU Law Schools: Title VII at 50 Symposium

St. John's University

Title VII at 50 Symposium

The year 2014 marks the 50th anniversary of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, landmark legislation prohibiting employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. By its enactment, notions of equality were more deeply embedded in United States public law. 

The Law Schools of St. John’s University and New York University are very proud to present the collaborative effort assessing the past, present and future of Title VII.

This two-day symposium will include the following topics:

  • The historical origins of Title VII and its current effectiveness
  • Reforms or amendments of Title VII in terms of its scope, implementation or interpretation
  • Important cultural, sociological, and societal changes wrought by Title VII

Visit our website for a full list of presenters.

Dates

Friday, April 4, 2014

St. John’s School of Law

10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Belson Moot Court Room
2nd Floor
8000 Utopia Parkway
Queens, NY 11439

Saturday, April 5, 2014

10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

New York University School of Law

Vanderbilt Hall, Room 210
2nd Floor
40 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012

Hosts
The Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights and Economic Development
St. John’s Center for Labor and Employment Law
St. John’s Center for International and Comparative Law
NYU Center for Labor and Employment Law
St. John’s Law Review
Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development
St. John’s Journal of International and Comparative Law

Sponsors
American Arbitration Association
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
LatinoJustice/PRLDEF
New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU)
Society of American Law Teachers (SALT)

Registration for Continuing Legal Education (CLE)
The two-day Symposium qualifies for 9 non-transitional practice area CLE credit hours4 credits on Friday, 5 credits on Saturday. The CLE fee for each day is $150 or $225 for both days.

Payment
Complete and return the Continuing Legal Education form by April 1, 2014.

For credit card payment, e-mail the completed form to [email protected] or fax it to 718-990-5998. To pay by mail, send checks payable to St. John’s School of Law with the completed CLE form to:

Office of Continuing Legal Education
St. John’s University School of Law
8000 Utopia Parkway
Queens, NY 11439

Hardship Guidelines
Hardship tuition reduction is available in special circumstances. Please refer to the form.

For more information, please contact: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE: Accepting Applications for Second Circuit’s Pro Bono Panel

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT

Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse
40 Centre Street
New York, New York 10007

ROBERT A. KATZMANN
CHIEF JUDGE

CATHERINE O’HAGAN WOLFE SALLY PRITCHARD 
CLERK OF COURT DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF LEGAL AFFAIRS

March 3, 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Criminal Justice Act/Pro Bono Committee is accepting applications for the Second Circuit’s Pro Bono Panel. The deadline is Friday, May 2, 2014.

Pro Bono Panel members will, at the Court’s invitation or on an appellant’s motion for appointment of counsel, represent pro se litigants in civil appeals that present issues of first impression, complex issues of law or fact, or raise potentially meritorious claims warranting further briefing and oral argument. Pro bono representation will be provided to litigants who would otherwise be unable to pay for counsel and are ineligible for the appointment of counsel pursuant to the Criminal Justice Act.

Cases in which pro bono counsel will be appointed cover a broad range of legal issues. A significant percentage of the cases are prisoner civil rights appeals; others may involve labor and employment, discrimination, social security, immigration and tax law.

Applicants must be admitted to and members in good standing of the Bar of the Second Circuit, or have an application pending before this Court, and have at least three years of appellate experience. Pro Bono Panel members will serve for a term not to exceed three years.

Pro Bono Panel Members who were appointed by the Court in 2011 for a three-year term must submit a new application if they wish to remain on the Panel. A completed application package contains a resume, a written application (available on the Court’s website at http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov) and three writing samples, preferably appellate briefs on which the applicant was the primary author. These materials must be submitted to Sally Pritchard, Director of Legal Affairs, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 40 Foley Square, New York, NY 10007, by Friday, May 2, 2014.

USCIS E-Verify Connection: New FORM I-9 Special Edition

E-Verify Connection
A publication of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
March 2013 Issue XII

Note this issue now contains a correction! 

Welcome to E-Verify Connection, an e-newsletter from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for U.S. employers and workers. Each issue will bring you updates about E-Verify’s advances and activities, as well as other useful information related to employment eligibility verification. 

If you wish to regularly receive this newsletter or other USCIS messages via our subscription management system, please visit Govdelivery.

A PDF version of E-Verify Connection is available online

 

From USCIS: Employment Verification (E-Verify) Webinar, March 2013

All U.S. employers are required to verify the identity and employment eligibility of everyone they hire. Please join the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Office of Special Counsel for Immigration Related Unfair Employment Practices, for a webinar that can help you to be INFORMED and to KNOW YOUR RIGHTS regarding employment and hiring practices.

Click on the image below for a copy of the flyer.

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