Tag: Housing

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Thank You to the Volunteers at the March Pro Bono Clinic in Brooklyn

On March 9, 2024, the AABANY Pro Bono & Community Service (PBCS) Committee held its Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic at the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) Brooklyn Community Services Center, the first Brooklyn clinic of the year. Beginning at 12:30, attorneys, interpreters, and other volunteers met with community members who presented legal issues pertaining to immigration, criminal, divorce, and housing law. 

Thanks to the efforts of volunteer interpreters, the majority of whom were law students and recent JD graduates, the Pro Bono Clinic was able to meet with Spanish and Mandarin-speaking clients with limited English proficiency. This unique aspect of the clinic allowed our volunteers to overcome language barriers, enabling clients to express and understand their matters with greater ease. They also had the assistance of a volunteer attorney with criminal law experience providing legal advice on the two criminal cases presented. One client traveled from Warwick, NY to seek legal advice. Clients whose matters required the retention of an attorney were referred to AABANY’s Legal Referral and Information Service (LRIS), which connects clients to qualified lawyers within AABANY’s panel of attorneys. 

The PBSC Committee would like to thank the CPC, Councilmember Alexa Avilés, State Senator Senator Iwen Chu, Councilmember Justin Brannan, and all of their Brooklyn community partners and volunteers for joining them at the Brooklyn Pro Bono Legal Clinic. 

Please consider joining the Pro Bono and Community Service Committee at the Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic on April 17th, 2024 at AAAFE Community Center 111 Norfolk St New York, New York 10002. Although volunteer registration is closed, you can email [email protected] if you are still interested in volunteering at the clinic on 4/17. 

Feel free to check out www.probono.aabany.org for more information about upcoming legal clinics. 

Thank you, everyone! 

Volunteer AttorneysInterpreters & Shadowers
Andrew WuKaila Chen
Anna ChenJialin Zhu
Beatrice LeongJuliet Romero
Francis ChinLucy Liu
Kwok Kei NgNandar Win Kerr
Johnny ThachYiming (Roselyn) Chen
May WongWillow Liu
Megan GaoYiyang (Leo) Shen
Victoria ChengLi Zhi Lin – CPC
Yan SinJenny Lin – CPC
Maver Monclez – CPC
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Thank You to Our Volunteers at the Queens Pro Bono Clinic in February

Thank you AABANY, AAFE, and our dedicated volunteers for joining us at the Queens Pro Bono Legal Clinic on February 7, 2024. This was our first Queens clinic of the year and we met with 16 clients who asked questions about criminal law, housing, and contracts.

Thanks to all our interpreters who helped us! We had a little mishap in ordering dinner for us that night. In case you were wondering why there were so many chicken feet, it was because we thought buldakbal meant “spicy chicken.” There you go, that’s why. This is also why it’s important to use human interpreters rather than entrusting AI Google translate.

And here’s what our clients have to say about our volunteers’ assistance –

“This is a wonderful service you provide the public. AAFE is making a difference for the community.”
“Extremely grateful to the lawyers and interpreter lady!”
“Service was great.”

Volunteer Attorneys:Interpreters & Shadowers:
Beatrice LeongDaniel Kang
Brandon WongKaila Chen
Forrest SungNandar Win Kerr
Gary YeungRuo Yang
Hazel F. ChinYiyang Shen
Johnny ThachWillow Liu
Lina LeeWoohyeong Cho
May Wong 
Shirley LuongAAFE:
Wenhsien (Wendy) ChengNuala Naranjo
Yan Lian Kuang-MaogaElton Ye
 Gabriel Hisugan

Thank you once again and we hope to see you soon!

To learn about upcoming Pro Bono clinics in Queens, Manhattan, or Brooklyn, visit probono.aabany.org.

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Thank You to Our Volunteers at the Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic in November

On November 15th, 2023, AABANY held its Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic at the AAFE (Asian Americans for Equality) Community Center, at 111 Norfolk Street. Our devoted volunteers gave up their Wednesday evening to give back to our community, providing free legal services and language assistance to all who came into the clinic. Volunteer interpreters and attorneys helped clients resolve a variety of issues, in the areas of housing, immigration, and civil practice.

Special thanks to the Student Outreach Committee for their postering campaign and passing out the lovely flyers which Mayer Brown printed for us! The majority of the 18 clients seen indicated in their intake forms that they came because of the flyers posted in stores, local libraries, and streets.  

Though AABANY attorneys assisted with a range of interesting cases, one notable situation involved a client who sought advice on how to deal with an unresponsive attorney representing his case for unpaid wages. The litigant was represented by counsel, and AABANY attorneys couldn’t provide a second opinion about the case. Nonetheless, the volunteers provided a listening ear, carefully evaluating the client’s situation before responding with helpful advice. The attorneys advised the client to consider reaching out to the NYS Dept of Labor to file a claim and seek assistance. Moreover, they suggested the client explore the Attorney Fee Dispute Resolution Program, which provides low-cost arbitration hearings as an alternative to protracted court battles. Ultimately, this case demonstrates AABANY attorneys’ commitment to empowering clients with accessible avenues for justice. The client departed the clinic content, having obtained valuable and satisfactory advice. 

As always, AABANY thanks our Pro Bono & Community Service (PBCS) Committee, AAFE, our community partners, and our dedicated team of volunteers for their continued efforts and support. We would like to recognize the following individuals, for supporting AABANY at Wednesday’s clinic:

Volunteer Attorneys:

  • Casey M. Lee
  • Francis Chin
  • May Wong
  • Yan Sin
  • Yen-Yi Anderson

Interpreters and Shadowers:

  • Angela Zhao
  • Daniel Kang
  • I-Kai Lee
  • Jieman Tan
  • Wendy Xia
  • Wei Huang
  • Yiming (Roselyn) Chen
  • Yuchen Zheng

AAFE:

  • Jiwon Youn
  • Elton Ye
  • Ling Ren

For any volunteers that were unable to make it on Nov. 18th, we hope that you will be able to join us at the next Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic, taking place on December 2, 2023 at CPC Brooklyn Community Services. For more information, please click here.

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Thank You to Our Volunteers at the Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic in October

On October 18th, 2023, AABANY held its Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic at the AAFE (Asian Americans for Equality) Community Center, at 111 Norfolk Street. Our dedicated volunteers gathered on Wednesday evening to provide invaluable, free legal services to the community. The clinic was met with a large number of volunteers, eager to give back to the New York AAPI community. Volunteer interpreters and attorneys met with clients, discussing a range of issues, encompassing family, immigration, and employment law.

AABANY would like to thank our Pro Bono & Community Service (PBCS) Committee, AAFE, our community partners, and our hard-working volunteers for giving us their time and energy. Our success could not be possible without your support. AABANY hopes to continue making a positive impact on the community and providing much-needed legal services to those in need. We extend our sincere gratitude towards the following individuals:

Volunteer Attorneys:

  • Anna Wang
  • Beatrice Leong
  • Helen Lee
  • Hongye Mao
  • Francis Chin
  • Menglong (Anthony) Zhu
  • Osamu Watanabe
  • Tiange (Tim) Chen
  • Wenhsien Cheng
  • Xue Luan
  • Yan Lian Kuang-Maoga
  • Yan Sin
  • Yang Xu
  • Yi Stewart

Interpreters and Shadowers:

  • Cecilia Yang
  • Gaohany Guo
  • I-Kai Lee
  • Jieman Tan
  • Justin Lee
  • Ruo Yang
  • Shi Tang
  • Suzie Yu
  • Yiming (Roselyn) Chen
  • Yu-Syuan Huang
  • Yuwen Long

AAFE:

  • Elton Ye
  • Ling Ren

Once again, AABANY thanks all the volunteers, AAFE, community partners, and the PBCS Committee who made this Pro Bono Clinic possible. Please join the next Queens Pro Bono Clinic taking place on November 1st at One Flushing Community Center. For more information, please click here.

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Thank You to Our Volunteers at the Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic in August

On August 5th, 2023, AABANY held its Brooklyn Pro Bono Legal Clinic at the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) Brooklyn Community Services Center. The clinic met with 25 clients, coming in with questions about housing, immigration, and family law issues. Volunteer attorneys and interpreters patiently addressed client concerns, answering questions and connecting them to lawyers through AABANY’s Legal Referral and Information Service (LRIS).

We thank the Pro Bono & Community Service (PBCS) Committee and the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) for organizing and hosting the event. Established in 1965, CPC is a social services organization dedicated to helping Asian American, immigrant, and economically disadvantaged communities within New York City to obtain equitable access to essential resources and opportunities, thus fostering Asian American success.

The next Pro Bono Clinic will be on September 6th, from 6:30pm – 8:30pm, and located at AAFE One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave 2nd Floor, Queens, NY 11355. You can sign up here to volunteer. To add the date and time for this clinic to your calendar, click here. For upcoming clinics, please check AABANY’s calendar and update your email preference in your account to receive our emails.

Thank you to our volunteers for supporting the clinic. Your time and dedication is essential for delivering crucial assistance to individuals seeking legal guidance. We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to:

Volunteer Attorneys:

Amber Lee
Ashley Shan
Gary Yeung
Kwok Kei Ng
May Wong

Interpreters and Observers:

I-Kai Lee
Jihyon Kim
Ruo Yang
Yini Lai

To learn more about the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, click here.

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Thank You to Our Volunteers at the Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic in July

On Wednesday, July 19th, 2023, AABANY hosted a highly successful Manhattan Pro Bono Legal Clinic at the AAFE (Asian American for Equality) Community Center, at 111 Norfolk Street, where compassionate volunteers offered their time and expertise to provide invaluable free legal services to the community. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to the Pro Bono & Community Service (PBCS) Committee, AAFE, our community partners, and our dedicated volunteers! Throughout the evening, we had the privilege of meeting with 22 clients, engaging in discussions of various legal issues, including immigration, housing, and family law. This was a vast increase from last month’s clinic when we had 8 clients.

In partnership with AAFE Community Center and other community partners, we recognize that the success of the Pro Bono Clinic would not be possible without our volunteers’ unwavering dedication to serving the community. By offering services in both Mandarin and Cantonese, we aim to continue to provide support for those who may face linguistic or cultural barriers when seeking access to legal services. Together, we continue to make a difference in the lives of our community members. 

Volunteer Attorneys:

  • Beatrice Leong
  • Pang-Mei (P.M.) Natasha Chang
  • Tiffany Ngeo
  • Yen-Yi Anderson
  • David Mou
  • Menglong (Anthony) Zhu
  • Yan Sin
  • Yuanyuan Li

Interpreters and Shadowers:

  • Daphne Mei
  • Anna Bao
  • Ruo Yang
  • Wendy Zeng
  • MengXi (Claire) Xiong
  • I-Kai Lee
  • Doh Yun (John) 
  • Suzie Yu
  • Alex Hwang

AAFE:

  • Ling

Thanks to all the volunteers, AAFE, community partners, and PBCS Committee who made this Pro Bono Clinic possible. Please join the next Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic taking place on August 16th at AAFE Community Center. To volunteer, please register here by August 11th. For more information, please click here.

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Thank You to Our Volunteers at the Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic in June

On June 21st, 2023, AABANY held its Manhattan Pro Bono Legal Clinic at AAFE (Asian Americans for Equality) Community Center where dedicated volunteers came together to provide free legal services to the community. Thank you to the Pro Bono & Community Service (PBCS) Committee, AAFE, our community partners, and our volunteers! We met with 8 clients and discussed issues relating to immigration, housing, and contracts.

In partnership with AAFE Community Center and other community partners, the Pro Bono Clinic would not be possible without the volunteers’ dedication to serving all members of the community, in both Mandarin and Cantonese. It provides indispensable support to those who may face linguistic or cultural barriers in attempting to gain access to legal services.

The next Manhattan clinic will be on July 19th located at AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002. You can sign up here to volunteer for our next Pro Bono clinic. For upcoming clinics, please check AABANY’s calendar and update your email preference in your account to receive our emails.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the volunteers who made this Pro Bono Clinic a success:

Volunteer Attorneys:

  • Ashley Shan
  • Beatrice Leong
  • Chenyi Wang
  • Francis Chin
  • Gary Yeung
  • I-Kai Lee
  • Jessie Liu
  • Karen Kim
  • Kevin Hsi
  • Leslie Kan
  • Lina Lee
  • Shang Zhai
  • Susan Song
  • Nicholas Loh
  • Pang-Mei (P.M.) Natasha Chang

Interpreters & Shadowers:

  • Ai Xin Liew
  • Anna Bao
  • Daphne Mei
  • Suzie Yu
  • Vincent Tsay
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AABANY Members: Pro Bono Opportunity – Help Close Civil Justice Gap through New York State Attorney Emeritus Program (AEP)

AABANY encourages its members to become involved in the New York State Attorney Emeritus Program (AEP) this year. The AEP is an initiative of the New York State Unified Court System to promote pro bono civil legal service by senior attorneys. AEP, endorsed by Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson, presents a substantive opportunity for AABANY members to give back and look out for its New York community.

AABANY recognizes the importance of pro bono legal services to ensure fairness in our courts and assist individuals who cannot afford lawyers. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, New York’s civil justice gap has grown significantly, leading to increased demand for civil legal services in areas such as housing, consumer debt, unemployment benefits, and family law. Through the AEP, senior attorneys who volunteer will provide vital access to justice for New Yorkers facing essential life challenges. 

To volunteer, AEP seeks lawyers aged fifty-five or older, retired or still in practice, in good standing, and with ten years experience. Attorney Emeritus volunteers commit to performing 60 hours of pro bono work with an approved legal services organization or court program over the two-year attorney registration period. 

Attorney Emeritus volunteers also receive benefits including up to 15 CLE credits and special recognition from Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson and Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Edwina G. Richardson-Mendelson.

More information on the AEP or to volunteer, it can be found at https://feerickcenterfordham.galaxydigital.com/

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Thank You to Our Volunteers at the May 17 Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic

On May 17, 2023, AABANY held its Manhattan Pro Bono Legal Clinic at the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. Our volunteers met with 17 clients and discussed issues relating to housing, fraud, and government benefits. 

Some positive client responses: “I appreciate it so much.” “Good service. I will keep coming monthly.”

The Pro Bono Clinic is organized by AABANY’s Pro Bono & Community Service Committee. To learn more about the Committee’s work visit here. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the dedicated volunteers who made this Pro Bono Clinic a success:

Volunteer Attorneys:

  • Beatrice Leong
  • Francis Chin
  • Gary Yeung
  • Kwok Ng
  • Suzie Wang
  • May Wong
  • Nicholas Loh
  • Tiange Chen
  • Yaoyu (Jasmine) Liu
  • Yan Sin
  • Yuanyuan Li
  • Anna Wang
  • Yen-Yi Anderson

Interpreters & Shadowers:

  • I-Kai Lee
  • Jameson Xu
  • Justin Lee

Our next Clinic will be in Brooklyn on June 3, 2023, from 12:30pm – 3:30pm at Homecrest Community Services, Inc., 6915 15th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11228.

For upcoming clinics, please check AABANY’s calendar and update your email preference in your account to receive our emails. 

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Thank You to Our Volunteers at the Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic in February

On February 25th, 2023, AABANY held its Brooklyn Pro Bono Legal Clinic at Homecrest Community Services Bensonhurst Center where dedicated volunteers came together to provide free legal services to the community.  In partnership with Homecrest and other community partners, the Clinic provided an opportunity for individuals to meet with attorneys to discuss legal issues related to housing, criminal law, and immigration.  The volunteers were able to offer guidance on the legal process, discuss potential legal solutions, and help clients understand their rights.

The Clinic was made possible by volunteers who generously donated their time and expertise to help those in need. These volunteers included attorneys, law students, and our community partners who worked together to make a difference in their community.  The Clinic provides vital support to those who may not have the resources to access legal services, and the volunteers’ dedication to pro bono work demonstrates the importance of giving back to those in need.

Please consider joining us at our upcoming clinics:

Manhattan Clinic – March 18, 2023 from 12:30pm – 3:30pm at VNS Health, Chinatown Community Center, 7 Mott Street, New York, NY 10013.  

Brooklyn Clinic – April 8, 2023 from 12:30pm – 3:30pm at Homecrest Community Services, Inc., 6915 15th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11228.

The Pro Bono Clinic is organized by AABANY’s Pro Bono & Community Service Committee. To learn more about the Committee’s work visit here. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the dedicated volunteers who made the Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic such a success:

Andrew WuYu Bai^
Francis ChinYixuan Lian^
Gary YeungHyewon (Chloe) Byeon^
Jackson Chin* 
Ming Chu (Judy) Lee 
Kwok Kei Ng 
May Wong 
Victoria Cheng 

^ = non-attorney volunteers

*= virtual