Tag: get involved

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AABANY and AALDEF Present Webinar on TPS in Transition, Offering Options to Assist Affected Immigrants

On August 27, 2026, almost 20 attendees joined AABANY and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) for a critical webinar on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) terminations. The panelists—Nicole Fink (Ogletree Deakins, AABANY Immigration Law Committee Chair ), Vishal Chander (The Chander Law Firm, AABANY Issues Committee Co-Chair, AABANY Board Director), and Dinesh McCoy (AALDEF)—walked participants through relief pathways for the 1.3 million people losing status: family-based sponsorship, employment-based green cards (EB-2, EB-3), asylum, withholding of removal, cancellation of removal, and special immigrant categories.

The comprehensive panel discussion went beyond individual legal remedies to examine broader systemic impacts. Presenters addressed the severe operational challenges facing employers who must navigate complex workforce transitions as valued employees risk losing their authorization. Furthermore, the speakers explored active federal litigation challenging the administration’s TPS termination decisions, highlighting ongoing legal battles aimed at protecting impacted populations. 

Throughout the webinar, the experts underscored a critical tactical takeaway: affected individuals must proactively file for alternative relief options prior to their official status termination date. Doing so is essential to preserving uninterrupted work authorization while their legal petitions undergo administrative processing. With multiple country designations already terminated or approaching imminent expiration deadlines, the panel warned that time is of the essence and the window to take corrective legal action is rapidly closing.

To mitigate these urgent challenges, attendees were strongly encouraged to get involved directly in community defense efforts. AALDEF is actively recruiting legal volunteers and community advocates for its Rapid Response Task Force. This initiative is designed to provide robust, on-the-ground assistance to vulnerable populations through comprehensive screening clinics, direct legal case representation, individual consultations, and broad community outreach. In parallel, AABANY’s Immigration Law and Issues Committees are expanding their collaborative initiatives by coordinating substantive community education webinars, legal advice clinics, and specialized professional development programs scheduled for later this year.

Whether you are an experienced attorney, a paralegal, a law student, or a dedicated community advocate, your skills are urgently needed. Regardless of whether you can commit one hour a month or ten, there is a vital role for you to make a meaningful difference in the lives of impacted individuals. We invite you to reach out and volunteer your time today to support our ongoing advocacy efforts. Please consider becoming a member of AABANY to support our work in support of vulnerable communities.

–Written by Nicole Fink, Chair of AABANY’s Immigration Law Committee

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AABANY Immigration Law Committee Holds its First Virtual Monthly Meeting on 6/16/2026

On June 16th, 2026, the  Immigration Law Committee of the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) held its first meeting of the year on Zoom. Nicole Fink, Chair of the Immigration Law Committee, used this occasion as an opportunity to reconnect with fellow immigration attorneys and to gauge interest in potential events later this year. 

At the start of the meeting, Yang Chen, the Executive Director of AABANY, sought applications for  AABANY’s Legal Referral and Information Services (LRIS) program. Currently, the LRIS program is looking for experienced lawyers to join its panel due to high demand for qualified immigration lawyers.

Next, the meeting focused on plans for the Immigration Law Committee’s growth and potential topics of interest for the near future. Nicole Fink made a request for more participation in AABANY’s Pro Bono Clinics, especially from immigration lawyers. The Pro Bono Clinics take place in community settings, to create a more welcoming environment for those seeking legal advice. Lawyers serving in the Clinic provide limited scope representation and would only give brief advice and refer clients to legal resources, and are thus not committed to representing any client after the consultation at the Clinic ends. As an  incentive, Fink offered to buy a free meal for any lawyers on the call who volunteered at the Clinic. 

The meeting also covered  continued legal education (CLE) programs. After AABANY’s well received training on habeas corpus on June 4th, meeting attendees expressed interest in more CLE opportunities on immigration-related issues and other topics, such as AI usage in the legal field. The discussion also focused on overlapping areas such as matrimonial law and legal issues affecting juveniles. The group talked about the need to connect lawyers with different areas of expertise, and who may be able, for example, to aid conditional residence cases or special immigrant juvenile status cases.  

The meeting concluded with a reminder about the 2026 Fall Conference on Saturday, September 26th, in which the Immigration Law Committee is presenting a panel on AI and data analytics in the immigration field, “Beyond Forms & Filings: How Tomorrow’s Immigration Attorneys Build Power Through Tech, Data, and Storytelling.” The meeting attendees also brainstormed on possible wellness opportunities for immigration lawyers, to combat the tough legal environment they operate in by offering more relaxing options to connect and refresh. Committee members were encouraged to reach out in the weeks ahead with additional ideas or interest in getting involved with Pro Bono Clinics, wellness opportunities, or networking across practice areas.

To learn more about the Committee and get involved, please visit the Immigration Law Committee page. 

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Get Involved with AABANY’s New Trusts & Estates Committee

AABANY is pleased to announce the launch of the Trusts & Estates Committee. This new committee serves as a professional and community network for AABANY members and non-members interested in the practice of Trusts & Estates law, which spans trusts, estates, and tax planning to Surrogate’s Court practice and litigation. The Committee is dedicated to providing a platform for networking, mentoring, and professional development, as well as opportunities for public service.

Pang-Mei Natasha Chang, Co-Chair of the Committee, is a member of Dunnington Bartholow & Miller LLP’s estates, trusts and private clients practice group, as well as its international France desk, and charitable, not-for-profit and religious institutions practice groups. She counsels both domestic and international individuals, businesses and charitable organizations in estate and trusts planning, and wealth transfer planning. She represents clients of all ages, and advises in insurance planning, IRA/retirement benefit planning and the use of trusts for not only estate planning but asset protection. She also serves on the Trusts, Estates and Surrogate’s Court Committee of the New York City Bar Association, where she has participated as a writer and presenter. 

Yi W. Stewart, the other Co-Chair of the Committee, works at the firm Farrell Fritz as a trusts and estates litigation associate. She performs pretrial discovery, conducts legal research, and prepares motions and memoranda of law for litigated Surrogate’s Court proceedings. Prior to joining Farrell Fritz, Yi served as associate law clerk to the Hon. Rita Mella for three years in New York County Surrogate’s Court, where she assisted the Surrogate with decisions on typical contested probate and accounting matters, complex issues of will construction and reformation, as well as novel issues such as a fiduciary’s authority to administer digital assets stored in Google and Apple accounts.

To contact the Committee Chairs for this Committee, click “Contact Us” at the top of the AABANY website and fill out the form, and tell us in the Comment field what in particular you would like to know about the Committee and its activities.

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