Tag: Honorable Denny Chin

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AABANY’s Judiciary Committee Honors 17 AAPI Jurists at the 2025 Annual Judges’ Reception

On Tuesday, April 8, 2025, the Judiciary Committee of the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) hosted its 2025 Annual Judges’ Reception at Fordham Law School. About 70 attendees gathered for this annual celebration of newly elected/appointed, elevated, and retired Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) judges across New York. It was an evening filled with reflection, gratitude, and hope for the future of AAPI representation in the judiciary.

This year’s event was co-sponsored by Fordham Law School’s Center on Asian Americans and the Law, and featured a panel discussion, an inspiring awards ceremony, and a lively light dinner reception.

The reception began at 5:30 PM with the “Art of Judging” panel, moderated by Referee Vanessa Kong (Kings County Family Court) and featuring distinguished panelists: 

  • Hon. Lillian Wan, Appellate Division, Second Department
  • Hon. Jeffrey Oing (ret.), Appellate Division, First Department 
  • Hon. Denny Chin, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • Hon. Melissa De Jesus, New York State Court of Claims

The judges spoke about the heavy responsibilities they carry and the importance of listening with an open mind of applying no personal agenda but rather approaching each case on its merits. Judge De Jesus, who presides over a drug treatment part in Kings County, reflected on managing a busy courtroom while ensuring each party feels heard and making sure to take the extra time if needed to make the best decision with all the information. 

When asked what qualities are most undervalued in a judge, all panelists agreed on the importance of patience and humility. Justice Wan reminded the audience that judges “wear a robe, not a crown,” emphasizing the human side of the role and the need to treat litigants and practitioners with compassion and dignity. Justice Wan shared a powerful anecdote: she issued her decision in court, then proceeded to go home where she continued to think about her decision, and the next day returned and recalled the parties and attorneys because she came to the conclusion that she wanted to change her decision. It served as a reminder that judges are not only thoughtful but also human, capable of growth and change even after issuing a decision.

Judge Chin emphasized the need to think about the different audiences a judge must consider when writing a decision. Judge Oing described a particularly moving case where he dismissed fraud charges and took special care to write a decision that cleared the defendant, who had hugely suffered from the accusations.

The panel concluded on a hopeful note. Justice Wan shared how she cherishes attorney swearing-in ceremonies, making it a point to connect with young AAPI attorneys. Judge Chin spoke on the privilege of presiding over naturalization ceremonies, including one where his son attended with his granddaughter, who waved a small American flag in the audience.

Justice Oing concluded with a powerful reflection on the need for continued progress. He noted the absence of any AAPI judges currently sitting in the First Department, Appellate Division, and echoed Judge Chin’s remark that no person of AAPI heritage has ever served on the New York Court of Appeals or the United States Supreme Court. Despite the joyful atmosphere, the panel reminded us all of the ongoing work required to achieve full representation.

At 6:30 PM, the awards ceremony commenced, featuring opening remarks from David Mou, Co-Chair of the AABANY Judiciary Committee, followed by speeches from: 

  • Ben Hsing, AABANY President
  • Professor Thomas Lee, Center on Asian Americans and the Law
  • Hon. Biju Koshy, President, Asian American Judges Association of New York (AAJANY)

This year’s honorees included:

  • Hon. Shahabuddeen Ally
  • Hon. Giyang An
  • Hon. Christopher Chin
  • Hon. L. Austin D’Souza
  • Hon. Melissa De Jesus
  • Hon. Amish Doshi
  • Hon. Jeffrey Gershuny
  • Hon. Phillip Hom
  • Hon. Melissa T. Lewis
  • Hon. Masateru Marubashi
  • Hon. Jeffrey K. Oing (ret.)
  • Hon. Kyu Young (Mike) Paek
  • Hon. E. Grace Park
  • Hon. Hemalee Patel
  • Hon. Christine Perumal
  • Hon. Alice Tam Tien
  • Hon. Meredith Vacca

Following the presentation of awards, Justice Jeffrey Oing delivered remarks on behalf of all honorees, reflecting on the evolving presence of AAPI judges and calling attention to the collective responsibility of continuing to pave the way for the next generation.

At 7:30 PM, guests gathered for a light dinner reception, where laughter and conversations flowed. Judges, attorneys, law students, and guests had the opportunity to connect and share stories.

We thank the Judiciary Committee for organizing such an impactful and meaningful event, and our co-sponsor, the Center on Asian Americans and the Law, for their partnership. We also thank all the attendees who helped make the night special. 

Congratulations once again to our honorees. Your leadership, integrity, and perseverance continue to inspire us all. 

To learn more about AABANY’s Judiciary Committee, click here. To see more photos from the event, click here.

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AABANY Hosts 2024 Annual Dinner at Cipriani Wall Street to Celebrate our 35th Anniversary

On Wednesday, May 22, 2024, AABANY hosted its 2024 Annual Dinner with the theme “Building a Strong Foundation for a Brighter Future” at Cipriani Wall Street. Celebrating the 35th Anniversary of AABANY, the event was hosted again during Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Month with over 700 attorneys, judges, prosecutors, in-house counsel, government officials, and dignitaries who came out to celebrate with us at the Annual Dinner.

The event began with an invite-only General Counsel Reception which was attended by 40 General Counsels and numerous sponsor guests. We thank our General Counsel Reception sponsor, Groombridge, Wu, Baughman & Stone for helping us start off the night strong! To see the full list of General Counsels who accepted AABANY’s invitation, please click here.

The General Counsel Reception occurred simultaneously with a Cocktail Reception in the West Ballroom where numerous guests mingled, caught up with each other, made new connections, and took photos at the step-and-repeat.

After the Cocktail Reception, the dinner and program began with CeFaan Kim as the night’s excellent host and charismatic Master of Ceremonies. First course was already plated as CeFaan kicked off the program. He invited to the stage Karen Kim, Immediate Past President, to deliver her remarks as the outgoing President. She was followed by our first honoree, Iris Lan, Esq., recipient of AABANY’s Public Service Award.

Iris began her speech by praising AABANY for its work in preventing AAPI Hate, as well as its support for the AAPI legal community. To close out, Iris told a story attributed to United States Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson. The story was centered around three stone basins: “Each stone basin represents a judge or a lawyer,” Iris stated. “Some see their work as merely a way to earn a living. Others perhaps view their work as applying legal precedent molding their decision.” Iris then described the third stone basin as one that builds a “cathedral,” representing the building of a path for others to walk through. She thanked AABANY, as an embodiment of this third basin, for “building the cathedral of the future.”

After Iris received her reward, a short video was shown, celebrating 35 years of AABANY. It discussed the birth of AABANY as an organization established to support the community of AAPI legal professionals and the wider AAPI community. It then chronicled AABANY’s growth from a small group that would host social events to an organization with a wide-reaching mission and membership. It also delved into how AABANY contended with the COVID-19 pandemic and the uptick in anti-Asian hate, and the birth of the anti-Asian Violence Task Force. 

Following the 35th anniversary video, White & Case LLP was presented with the Law Firm Diversity Award for its dedication to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal field. Sylvia Chin accepted the award on behalf of the firm. Congratulations to White & Case on this well-deserved honor. To read more about the award, read the press release here.

After a brief time for guests to continue networking, AABANY was proud to honor the Honorable Denny Chin, United States Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, with AABANY’s Impact Leadership Award

Judge Chin delivered a powerful speech on the importance of resilience and highlighted some of his most memorable career moments, such as sentencing Bernie Madoff in 2009.   

In addition, we presented the 2024 class of Don H. Liu Scholars: Felicia Hou, Grace Koh and Yangji Sherpa. Read more about the program here. Before this year’s class of DHL Scholars was presented, a short film celebrated the tenth anniversary of this program and its many accomplished and worthy recipients.

The dinner ended with a short trailer for the documentary, Voices Against Anti-Asian Hate, produced by the AABANY Anti-Asian Violence Task Force. The film featured numerous victims and survivors of anti-Asian hate, including Justin Go, father of Michelle Go, who spoke eloquently about her murder in January 2022. After the trailer played, CeFaan Kim stated, “Do not be afraid, and make sure you are heard.”

Next, AABANY President Joseph Eng made closing remarks, celebrating community leaders, former presidents of AABANY, and founders in attendance, as well as discussing the “next 35 years” of AABANY, expressing the hope that the paths those leaders and founders had forged would become familiar ones for success. He envisioned a future where “exceptional is the norm,” where AAPI voices are strong and heard throughout the legal community and beyond, and where young AAPIs are encouraged and inspired to enter the profession. He finished by again congratulating the night’s award winners, thanking the sponsors, and finally thanking his wife, Alejandra. 

After the dinner, attendees who wished to extend the celebration went up to the Mezzanine for the afterparty, which continued until midnight.

We thank the AABANY 2024 Annual Dinner Planning Committee and volunteers for their hours of hard work to organize this annual dinner and making it a celebration to remember. Thank you to AABANY 2024 President Joseph Eng for his leadership of the 2024 Annual Dinner Planning Committee.

We gratefully acknowledge all our sponsors whose generous contributions allow us to continue our work of supporting the AANHPI legal community and the AANHPI community as a whole. Thank you to our top sponsors: 

Lastly, we thank everyone who attended the 2024 Annual Dinner for making our 35th anniversary so special and memorable. You can view the photo albums and videos from the 2024 Annual Dinner here. 

Please save the date for the 2025 Annual Dinner taking place on May 29, 2025. 

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