AABANY’s Annual Picnic Returns to Central Park on August 13

On August 13, 2022, the Young Lawyers Committee (YLC) Co-Chairs, Jasmine Chean, Jimmy Kang, Jenny Park along with Vice Chair of Solo & Small Firm Practice Committee Yifeng Chen planned and organized AABANY’s Annual Picnic in Central Park. This was the first time in three years that AABANY held the picnic in Central Park. We could not have asked for better weather for this return: The temperature was in the low 80s with no humidity. The Spector Playground Lawn, where the picnic took place, had shade from the trees to keep the guests cool.

Over 55 guests attended, and AABANY members brought their children, siblings, spouses, and even their parents to enjoy the perfect picnic weather. YLC Co-Chairs ordered dumplings from Vanessa’s Dumplings and provided sandwiches and snacks for the guests to enjoy.

Board Members in attendance included Andy Yoo, the Board Liaison for the YLC, Vice President of Programs & Operations Beatrice Leong, and Board Director David Sohn. It was David’s 40th Birthday, and he made time to bike to the park to say ‘hi’ to members and guests!

Pro Bono and Community Service Committee Co-Chair May Wong sold kites and toys to fundraise for the Pro Bono Clinic.

We thank everyone who made it out on a beautiful Saturday to celebrate this annual event with us, and we thank the leaders from the YLC and the Solo & Small Firm Practice Committee for all their hard work to make it happen.

For more information about YLC, go to https://www.aabany.org/page/123. For more information about the Solo & Small Firm Practice Committee, go to https://www.aabany.org/page/111.

To see all the photos from the picnic, go to:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/wDsx62GrLhnK7ry16

In the News: AABANY Student Leader Jenny Park Featured in Columbia Law School’s Student Spotlight

AABANY Student Leader Jenny Park was recently featured in Columbia Law School’s May 27 article titled “Student Spotlight: Jenny Park ’21 on Community Advocacy, Corporate Law, and What’s Next.” In the article, Jenny shared her journey to law school, her extracurriculars as a law student, and her post-graduation plans.

Among the many extracurricular activities she participated in, Jenny partnered with AABANY twice to assist members of the Asian American community. First, she was a COVID-19 task force leader in the summer of 2020, where she helped provide pro bono resources to the community along with other task force members. As a 2020-2021 Davis Polk Leadership fellow, she partnered with AABANY again in 2021 through a spring break caravan. Jenny and other Columbia Law students updated and translated AABANY’s COVID-19 webpages; participated in client consultations with volunteer attorneys; and researched New York laws. Speaking about her post-graduation plans, Jenny said: “After graduation, I will (hopefully!) pass the bar and begin working at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in New York. Recently, I was also offered a vice chair position with AABANY’s Young Lawyers Committee. I hope to continue serving as a mentor and assisting young professionals as I grow in my career. As a 1L and throughout law school, I also worked with the Esports Bar Association, assisting to host an annual conference, drafting and distributing a diversity and inclusion toolkit, and more. I am currently serving on the diversity committee and plan to remain involved as esports continue to grow.”

To read the full article, click here. To read AABANY’s blog post on the CLS-AABANY Pro-Bono Caravan, click here.

Please join AABANY in congratulating Jenny on her graduation from Columbia Law School and thanking her for all the hard work she has done for AABANY! 

In the News: AABANY Remote Clinic and Spring Break Caravan Featured in Columbia Law School Article

In the April 26 article “Columbia Law Students Participate in 2021 Virtual Spring Break Caravans,” Columbia Law School highlighted a few of the remote spring break pro bono caravans students participated in this year. One of the virtual caravans featured was the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) Remote Clinic. During the spring break caravan, Columbia Law students helped update AABANY’s COVID-19 webpages, participated in client consultations with volunteer attorneys, and did research on consumer debt/foreclosure, immigration, housing, employment, and family law in New York. AABANY Student Leader Jenny Park (CLS’21) organized the caravan with AABANY “because it allowed students to become directly involved with COVID-19 relief efforts and address a specific need in a short period of time.”

To read more about participants’ experiences with the AABANY Spring Break Caravan and to read about other virtual caravans, click here. Thanks to Jenny Park for bringing AABANY and the Columbia Law School community together for this opportunity to provide pro bono resources for the community.