Prosecutors Committee Celebrates 16th Anniversary Reception at Appellate Division, First Department

The Prosecutors Committee of AABANY (Asian American Bar Association of New York) hosted its 16th Anniversary Reception on November 13, 2024, at the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department (27 Madison Avenue, Manhattan) from 5:30 to 9:00 PM. The Prosecutors Committee, founded in 2008, aims to support the advancement and professional development of Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) prosecutors, to build a network between current and former APIDA prosecutors, recruit APIDA law students into the field, and create trust and communication between the APIDA community and local prosecutors’ offices. Bridget G. Brennan, Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her outstanding public service, commitment to diversity, and staunch support of the Prosecutors Committee since its inception in 2008.

The Committee, co-chaired by Kin Ng and Diana Wang, represents a community that includes over 100 APIDA prosecutors currently serving in New York. The AABANY Prosecutors Committee’s growing membership is comprised of prosecutors of APIDA heritage from all five New York City District Attorney’s Offices and Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, as well as Assistant Attorney Generals from the New York State Attorney General’s Office, and federal prosecutors from the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.

Around 150 attendees, including members of the Prosecutors Committee, District Attorney Executives, state and federal judges, and community leaders, filled the Appellate Division courthouse to capacity for this celebratory event. The evening featured distinguished guests who delivered heartfelt congratulatory remarks to Ms. Brennan, who was appointed as New York City’s Special Narcotics Prosecutor in 1998 and is the first woman to hold that position. 

Ms. Brennan oversees a staff of 200 lawyers, investigators, and professional personnel for an office that prosecutes serious narcotics offenses and related crime throughout New York City’s five boroughs. Ms. Brennan has been an Assistant District Attorney since 1983, when she joined the New York County District Attorney’s Office. During her tenure there, she was designated both a homicide and sex crimes prosecutor. She became a deputy chief in a financial crimes bureau before joining the Special Narcotics Prosecutor’s Office in 1992. She first served as chief of the highly regarded Special Investigations Bureau, overseeing some of the nation’s most significant narcotics investigations, then as Chief Assistant from 1995 to 1997. Before her legal career, Ms. Brennan was a print, radio, and television reporter in her native Wisconsin, where she graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School with a Juris Doctor degree. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin.

The evening’s event, held in the stunning landmarked courtroom with its iconic stained-glass dome, began with welcome remarks from Hon. Dianne T. Renwick, Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division, First Department. Like Ms. Brennan, Justice Renwick is herself a trailblazer, as the first woman of color to serve as Presiding Justice of any Appellate Division in New York State, and only the second woman to lead the First Department since its creation in 1894. 

Thereafter, the speakers honoring Ms. Brennan included the following representatives from local prosecutors’ offices:

  • Hon. Michael E. McMahon, Richmond County District Attorney
  • Bronx County DA’s Office, Chief Assistant Derek Lynton
  • Kings County DA’s Office, Chief Assistant Nancy Hoppock
  • New York County DA’s Office, Chief Assistant Meg Reiss
  • Nassau County DA’s Office, Executive ADA Brian Lee
  • Queens County DA’s Office, Bureau Chief Rosemary Chao
  • Suffolk County DA’s Office, Bureau Chief Lucie Kwon
  • Special Narcotics Prosecutor’s Office, ADA Anju Malhotra, who introduced Ms. Brennan

AABANY thanks Prosecutors Committee Co-Chairs Kin Ng and Diana Wang, as well as Vice-Chairs Grace Vee, Sabeeha Madni and Chanterelle Sung, for organizing this memorable event. AABANY also thanks Justice Renwick and the Appellate Division, First Department, for providing the beautiful courthouse for this special celebration.

More photos from the event can be found here.

To learn more about the Prosecutors Committee, please click here.

AABANY Member Kin Ng Honored as a Community Leader at Chinese-American Planning Council’s Harvest Moon Benefit

On Wednesday, October 23, 2024, AABANY members attended the Chinese-American Planning Council’s (CPC) Harvest Moon Benefit in Brooklyn to celebrate longtime active AABANY member and co-founding member of AABANY’s Prosecutors Committee, Kin Ng, who was one of the Honorees this year. 

Kin has been a prosecutor at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office for over thirty years. In 2021, he was appointed to serve as the Bureau Chief of Trial Bureau II, Blue Zone. From 2017 to 2020, he was promoted to Bureau Chief of Trial Bureau I – Red Zone, and became the first AAPI bureau chief of a major trial bureau in the history of the office. Prior to that, Kin served in various management capacities in different trial bureaus and the Immigration Fraud Unit. He also served as the Chief of Legal Training, conducting office-wide trainings for all Brooklyn ADAs and staff. Kin continues to mentor prosecutors of all offices and experiences through AABANY as well as National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). In addition, he is a founding member and co-chair of the National Asian Pacific Islander Prosecutors Association (NAPIPA) and a member of its National Executive Board and the President of its New York Chapter. Notably, Kin received the Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award at the 2018 AABANY Fall Conference, in recognition of his leadership in the Asian American legal community.

In his acceptance speech, Kin mentioned and thanked Homecrest and CPC for providing many programs to the community, such as senior services, multi-social services and a wide range of youth and workforce activities. These programs, especially summer and after-school educational activities, provide working families with child care services and a safe environment for their children to learn and grow. 

On behalf of the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, we also want to thank CPC for hosting our Pro Bono Clinics at their Brooklyn location and our community partners for supporting our efforts in providing free legal consultations to low- to middle- income individuals and families. 

The next Pro Bono Clinic in Brooklyn is on November 9, 2024, from 12:30pm to 3:00pm, at CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232. Pre-registration can be made by phone (tel: (718) 492-0409). Walk-ins are welcome!

If you would like to volunteer, please sign up – https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1858131

Last but not least, thank you AABANY, AALFNY, the Prosecutors Committee, and Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, and our pro bono clinic volunteers for supporting AAPI not-for-profit organizations and their great causes!!!


For more information about the Prosecutors Committee, go here. For more information about the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee go here. Join the Prosecutors Committee for their 16th Anniversary Reception on Nov. 13. More details here.

AABANY Member Kin Ng Recognized as a Community Leader at United Chinese Association of Brooklyn’s 20th Anniversary Gala

On Thursday, October 27, 2022, AABANY members attended the United Chinese Association of Brooklyn’s 20th Anniversary Gala to celebrate longtime AABANY member and co-founding member of AABANY’s Prosecutors Committee, Kin Ng, who received UCA’s Community Leader of the Year Award.

Kin has been a prosecutor at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office for over thirty years, where he currently serves as the Bureau Chief of Trial Bureau II, Blue Zone. Kin made history in 2017 when he became the first AAPI prosecutor to be elevated to bureau chief of a major trial bureau in Brooklyn. Prior to that, Kin served in various management capacities in different trial bureaus and the Immigration Fraud Unit. He also served as the Chief of Legal Training, conducting office-wide trainings for all Brooklyn ADAs and staff. Kin continues to mentor prosecutors of all offices and experiences through AABANY as well as NAPABA (National Asian Pacific American Bar Association) and NAPIPA (National Asian Pacific Islander Prosecutors Association). Notably, Kin received the Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award at the 2018 AABANY Fall Conference, in recognition of his leadership in the Asian American legal community.

Please join us in congratulating Kin on receiving this well-deserved UCA of Brooklyn Community Leader of the Year Award.

AABANY Presents Pathways to Government Service and Public Interest Career Panel

On October 29, 2019, AABANY’s Government Service & Public Interest Committee, Career Placement Committee, Student Outreach Committee, and New York Law School’s APALSA teamed up to present Pathways to Government Service and Public Interest Career Panel.

Panelists included:

Mihea Kim, Staff Attorney, Homicide Defense Task Force, The Legal Aid Society;
Hon. Donald Leo,  New York City Criminal Court Judge, New York Supreme Court;
Nelson Mar, Senior Staff Attorney, Education Law Unit, Bronx Legal Services 
Kin Ng, Bureau Chief of the Red Zone Trial Bureau, Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office;
Won Shin, Assistant United States Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York

Moderator: Hon. Grace E. Lee, Administrative Law Judge, New York Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance

The panelists shared what experiences led them to their current position in the public interest/government sector. Fun tidbits were also revealed — two of the panelists litigated cases against each other, while two other panelists went to high school together. Attendees and panelists enjoyed friendly banter and discussion after the panel. 

We thank the Government Service & Public Interest , Career Placement, and Student Outreach Committee Committees for hosting this panel. To learn more about the GSPI Committee, go here. To learn more about the Career Placement Committee, go here. To learn more about the Student Outreach Committee, go here.

Chinatown’s Ghost Scam

Chinatown’s Ghost Scam

Press Release: Asian American Bar Association of New York Applauds Promotion of Kin Ng to Bureau Chief of Trial Bureau in Kings County District Attorney’s Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 10, 2017

Contact: Yang Chen, Executive Director
(212) 332-2478

NEW YORK – February 10, 2017 – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) congratulates Kin W. Ng on his recent promotion from Chief of the Immigrant Fraud Unit to Chief of the Red Zone Trial Bureau in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office. We believe Kin is the first Asian Pacific American to serve as Bureau Chief at a major trial bureau in a prosecutors’ office in New York City.

In his former role as Chief of the Immigrant Fraud Unit, Kin was a tireless defender of Brooklyn’s immigrant population, bringing to justice countless offenders who preyed on vulnerable immigrants through scams and theft. Prior to that, Kin served as Felony Deputy Chief of the Orange Zone Trial Bureau, and, from 2007-13, as Director of Training for the Office’s Assistant District Attorneys. As Director, he was responsible for pioneering the “Felony Boot Camp” program for Assistant District Attorneys, organizing his office’s internship programs and training police officers in public integrity and ethics. Kin has also previously undertaken other prominent positions at the District Attorney’s Office, such as Deputy Bureau Chief in the Early Case Assessment Bureau, Deputy Bureau Chief in Criminal Court, and Bureau Chief of the Domestic Violence Bureau. In his 25+ years of service at the King’s County District Attorney’s Office, during which he has tried countless serious felonies, Kin has provided an excellent example of an individual committed to justice and public service.

Outside of prosecution, Kin has also been an active educator, lecturing on and raising awareness of topics related to the criminal justice system, public service, diversity, immigrant community issues, and leadership in government. From 2013-14, Kin served as Adjunct Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where he lectured on the American Judiciary and Criminal Law in New York.

Kin is a co-founder of AABANY’s Prosecutors’ Committee which has grown to be among one of AABANY’s most active and vibrant committees. The Committee was honored in 2016 with an Event of the Year Award for their 7th Annual Reception in which they honored Deputy United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Joon Kim and the family of fallen detective Wenjian Liu.

Kin also serves as the President of the New York Chapter of the National Asian Pacific Islander Prosecutors Association (NAPIPA), a national organization dedicated to representing and advancing the interests of prosecutors of Asian Pacific Islander heritage.

“AABANY is proud of Kin’s historic elevation to be a Bureau Chief of a major trial bureau in New York City,” states Susan Shin, President of AABANY. “He has proven himself to be a leader in the profession and the community, and we commend Acting District Attorney Eric Gonzalez for this appointment, which not only promotes a veteran member of the Kings County District Attorney’s Office to an important role but recognizes the value of diversity in one of the leading prosecutors’ offices in the country. We applaud this promotion and congratulate Kin on his achievement.”

For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (212) 332-2478, or direct any inquiries to [email protected].

The Asian American Bar Association of New York is a professional membership organization of attorneys concerned with issues affecting the Asian Pacific American community. Incorporated in 1989, AABANY seeks not only to encourage the professional growth of its members but also to advocate for the Asian Pacific American community as a whole. AABANY is the New York regional affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).


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Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez Announces Promotions to Key Leadership Positions – The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez Announces Promotions to Key Leadership Positions – The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office