Tag: new york city bar

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AABANY Co-Sponsors Virtual Fireside Chat with Prominent Asian American Judges on January 26, 2021

On January 26, 2021, AABANY co-sponsored a virtual fireside chat hosted by the New York City Bar entitled, “Our Story: Asian American Judges Share Their Path to the Bench, and Thoughts on Diversity and of the Future.” Prominent speakers included:

  • Hon. Shahabudeen Ally, Supervising Judge, New York County Civil Court;
  • Hon. Jeffrey K. Oing, New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department and AABANY member;
  • Hon. Ushir Pandit-Durant, New York State Supreme Court, Queens County; and
  • Hon. Lillian Wan, New York State Supreme Court, Kings County and AABANY member.

Serving as moderator, Judge Ally led the discussion on each jurist’s path to the bench, challenges faced in their paths regarding issues of diversity and inclusion, and their thoughts on the inclusion of more Asian Americans in the future of the court system. 

For Justices Oing, Pandit-Durant, and Wan, they did not anticipate becoming jurists when they were in law school. Justice Pandit-Durant had previously served at the Queens Assistant District Attorneys Office for over 20 years, and Justice Wan had been a litigator at the Administration for Children’s Services for 9 years and later as a court attorney referee at Surrogates Court. They became interested in joining the bench after their experiences of appearing before judges everyday and learning more about the judicial appointment process. Speaking about the path to the bench, the speakers emphasized the importance of getting outside their own comfort zone and attending events to get their names out there. You want people to recognize you as someone who would be able to do the job, said Justice Pandit-Durant. “They’re not going to know you until they want to know you.”

Speaking on diversity in the court system, the speakers agreed that compared to the past, we are moving in the right direction. There are now many more women and diverse women on the bench. In the state of New York, there are currently 39 judges of Asian American descent. Justice Wan said, “There is more respect and acceptance of the outcome if we have a bench that looks like the community they serve. Diversity matters.”

In the final segment of the fireside chat, Judge Ally asked the speakers: “What can we do as a population to engage the next generation?” Justice Wan spoke about the importance of mentorships. Many people do not realize that practically anyone with the right qualifications can become a judge, and it is necessary for mentors to help demystify the process. Speakers also discussed how students can be inspired by looking at the diversity of the bench and the progress that has already been made. The jurists praised the 80+ audience members for joining their chat and asking great questions, and concluded with the hope that the number of judges of Asian American descent in New York will continue to increase.

AABANY’s Judiciary Committee has a mission to do just that: increase the number of judges of Asian American and Pacific Islander descent in New York. To learn more about the Judiciary Committee, read this blog post about the March 19 membership mixer featuring that Committee or visit this page on the AABANY website.

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City Bar’s Annual Diversity & Inclusion Celebration Dinner | New York Law Journal

City Bar’s Annual Diversity & Inclusion Celebration Dinner | New York Law Journal

The New York City Bar Association held its annual Diversity & Inclusion Celebration Dinner on June 27 and honored three attorneys with the Diversity Champion Award. The award recognizes extraordinary individuals whose actions and activities within the legal profession, particularly in New York City, embody the Statement of Diversity Principles by facilitating “diversity in the hiring, retention and promotion of attorneys and in the elevation of attorneys to leadership positions within our respective organizations.”

Congratulations once again to AABANY Past President Susan L. Shin for receiving the New York City Bar Association’s Diversity and Inclusion Champion Award on June 27. She and her co-honorees Sheila Kearney Davidson and John Mbiti appeared in a New York Law Journal article about their achievement on July 3. For the full article and photo, follow the link in the title. 

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ENSURING LANGUAGE ACCESS IN NEW YORK COURTS

Judge
Raja Rajeswari made history as the first South Asian woman to be appointed to
Criminal Court in the history of New York by Mayor Bill de Blasio in April of
2015. She is a proud member of AABANY and we were pleased to support
her during her history making appointment process in 2015. Being an immigrant herself who is multi-lingual, she fully
understands the special challenges that individuals with limited English
proficiency face and her goal in becoming a judge was to provide access to
justice for every individual who encounters our court system regardless of the
language they speak. She was appointed to the Advisory Committee on Court
Interpreting in November of 2015 and is currently chairing the subcommittee for
courthouse environment.

On
Tuesday, March 28, 2017, Judge Raja Rajeswari will be joining a panel of speakers
at the New York City Bar Stimson Room at an event titled “We All Speak Justice
Here! Ensuring Language Access in New York Courts” at 6:30PM
at 42 West 44th
Street, New York NY 10036.  The
increasing linguistic diversity of our city and state poses challenges as the
court system provides access to justice for New Yorkers with limited spoken
English proficiency. The event is free and open to the public. If interested in
attending, please RSVP to [email protected]

Judge Rajeswari has requested that we publish the information
below from
the Office of Court Administration to all our members and wants to encourage everyone to pass this
information along to anyone who is bilingual or multi lingual and may be interested in becoming a language interpreter
in New York.

The Written English Proficiency Exam (LANGUAGES OTHER
THAN SPANISH) will be held on June 17, 2017. The deadline to submit applications
is on April 7, 2017. To apply Download the Per-Diem
Application Form. For more information about these exams please see the Written
and Oral Exam Guide. All applicants must successfully pass both
the Written and Oral Exams in order to provide court interpreting services in
the New York State Unified Court System. Exam
schedules are posted on the court system’s website: http://nycourts.gov/careers/exams.shtml  Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and scheduled exam
dates will be posted online. Applicants will be notified by mail of the
exam date and location.

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NYC Bar Office for Diversity and Inclusion: Call for Speakers/Faculty

The New York City Bar seeks recommendations for potential speakers and faculty members for our annual programming (e.g. Committee programs, CLE, etc.) We encourage you to share this form with your colleagues who may be interested in speaking at future events.

The form can be found at the following link: http://bit.ly/1arrXuz (or for those who have trouble accessing the online form, you can submit the attached PDF to Monica Parks at [email protected]).

Once you have completed the form, please submit a CV/bio to [email protected] with the subject “Call for Speakers.” Questions can be directed to Monica Parks at [email protected].

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Verizon 1L Summer Internship: Reference PALS/City Bar When Applying

Verizon’s Legal Intern Program (“VLIP”) is a diversity pipeline initiative intended to create a significant and lasting impact on the legal profession by developing prospective talent through exposure to the practice of law in a corporate legal setting.The program introduces interns to the global and complex nature of in-house legal practice at Verizon -a global leader in delivering innovations in communications, information and entertainment. Verizon hosts 1Ls for 8 weeks at the following locations: Arlington, VA; Basking Ridge, NJ; Chicago, IL; Irving, TX; and San Francisco, CA.

While VLIP is open to all 1Ls, we strongly encourage women and students from ethnically diverse backgrounds that are traditionally underrepresented in corporate law departments to apply. All applicants regardless of age, race, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or disability must be exceptional, eager and ready to thrive in a competitive corporate environment.

VLIP Description: Under the supervision of Verizon attorneys, selected interns will have the opportunity to: support negotiations with large enterprise customers by drafting contract amendments; review and/or draft provisions for Verizon’s technology and software sourcing contracts; participate in business, sales and marketing meetings; research and summarize legal developments and/or case law in practice areas such as IP, tax and privacy; and contribute to projects that relate to state and/or federal regulatory issues affecting the communications industry.Interns will have the opportunity to produce written work product subject to Verizon confidentiality restrictions.

Please submit a cover letter, official transcript, and writing sample per the requirements below:

  • Cover Letters – Must include: Applicant’s full name; name of law school; and a brief description of how you would be an asset to the VLIP program and how VLIP would help you achieve your career goals.
  • Transcript – Only official law school transcripts sent to Verizon directly by the applicant’s law school will be accepted. Transcripts should be sent to: Verizon Legal Intern Program Arlington Coordinator – 1320 North Courthouse Road Arlington, VA 22201
  • Writing Sample – One

Submit Applications to: http://www.verizon.com/campus
 

COMPENSATION

Approximately: $1000.00 Per Week

PROGRAM INFO

8 Weeks, Commencing June 2014


INTERVIEWS

Candidates invited to interview will be required to submit three (3) references

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, please apply at sooner rather than later.

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About Verizon:

Verizon is a global leader in delivering innovation in communications, information and entertainment. We offer consumers, businesses and government-voice, data and video services over superior wireless, broadband and global IP networks that meet customer demand for speed, mobility, security and control. As we deliver the benefits of these advanced technologies, we grow our company and drive our industry forward, which in turn creates value for shareowners, customers and the communities we serve and makes Verizon a great place to work.