The American Arbitration Association® (AAA®) is now accepting applications to the 2024 Diverse Student ADR Summit in New York City on November 9-10, 2024. This program provides an in-depth look at careers in arbitration and mediation.
Presenters will include experienced ADR professionals, litigators, and in-house counsel from various backgrounds who will outline a successful career path as an arbitrator or mediator and discuss how to avoid potential pitfalls along the way. Attendees will learn the importance of focusing on a specific industry, networking, connecting with mentors, gaining relevant experience, and building a good reputation in the field.
The program is open to 2nd and 3rd-year law students who identify as members of groups historically underrepresented in the ADR field. Accepted students will receive a scholarship of up to $2,000 to cover round-trip travel to and hotel expenses in New York.
TO APPLY, click here to submit the following items:
Resume
Statement of Interest
One faculty or professional recommendation
An essay on the future of ADR (350-500 words)
Application Deadline: September 25, 2024
Location American Arbitration Association 150 East 42nd Street, 17th Floor New York, NY 10017
To learn more about the program, please click here. Should any questions arise, feel free to contact the organizer at [email protected].
On September 5, 2024, the ”Building Belonging” podcast, hosted by the Office for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at the New York City Bar Association, released their interview with Christina Chelliah, a member of AABANY. The series considers the perspectives of marginalized voices within the legal industry, and in an episode entitled “A Seat at the Table for Foreign-Trained Attorneys,” Chelliah shared her experiences getting admitted and practicing as a foreign-born attorney in New York City.
Originally from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Chelliah explained that her path to becoming an attorney was much different than her counterparts in the United States. In Malaysia, students do not need an undergraduate degree to attend law school, so Chelliah graduated from law school when she was just twenty-two years old. After studying for the bar for a year and then completing a year-long pupillage, she worked as a corporate attorney in mergers and acquisitions at one of Malaysia’s leading firms. After applying for and receiving a Diversity Visa, she moved from Malaysia to the United States, whereupon she was faced with several challenges because of her background.
Chelliah described the major obstacles that most foreign-trained attorneys face. First, because foreign attorneys do not have a J.D. from an American university, they only have the opportunity to sit for the bar in just two states – New York and California. Second, regardless of any professional experience they might already have, they likely would have to go back to school and receive an LLM degree. Chelliah’s story, however, was different as she came to the US already with an extensive common law background and a British law degree, thus exempting her from having to complete an LLM program. Though she initially was grateful for this – as it meant she wouldn’t have to pay for additional schooling – it made getting jobs all the more difficult for Chelliah as she neither had a JD or LLM. She commented, “When I tell [recruiters] that I am neither [a JD or LLM], people are confused … I come under this third, unseen category.”
Chelliah explained that a lack of understanding around how foreign-born attorneys are trained is commonplace among recruiters. Said Chelliah, “There is this divide … between how you get qualified to sit for the Bar in New York and what happens after you pass the Bar and how you are perceived. It’s [due to] that lack of understanding of what foreign credentials mean … we have been left out of the process of inclusion or consideration for positions because of that first part of our resume.” This problem, Chelliah stated, is widespread and institutionalized. “The system is not set up to provide means and ways … for people who are not the traditional type of lawyers to get into the profession.”
Chelliah identified several crucial ways that the legal system could better handle these issues moving forward. First, she noted that it is imperative to keep having conversations like these. She proposed that the Board of Law Examiners and bar associations work together to share more resources for foreign-trained attorneys. Bar associations, for example, could set up sections on their websites or a committee to support these individuals. Second, Chelliah called for a reform to technology and application services to account for the fact that not all attorneys have an undergraduate degree. Third, she asked HR departments and recruiters to revise their training practices and place a greater emphasis on understanding the different trajectories beyond a traditional American education for attorneys. And finally, she implored listeners “[to] be willing to understand that what you think you know about the extent of DEI within the legal profession is an ever-evolving topic.”
Thank you to the CPC, the offices of Council Members Alexa Avilés and Justin Brannan, State Senator Iwen Chu, all of our Brooklyn community partners, and AABANY volunteers for joining us at the Brooklyn Pro Bono Legal Clinic held at CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Ave, on July 13, 2024.
During the clinic, we met 18 clients who had questions about housing, immigration, and special education law matters.
In addition to having law students shadowing us, we had Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) high school students from CPC who helped clients complete their client intake forms and client satisfaction surveys. For any who may want to participate or know of someone who would, SYEP connects New York City kids between the ages of 14 and 24 with career opportunities and paid work experiences each summer.
Pro bono clinics function to address a wide array of problems and questions. At this clinic we had parents asking about how to apply for special education needs for their children. Many NYC children are not receiving adequate and immediate special education services, and if the child is denied special education needs, there is a limited time period for the parents to appeal the Department of Education’s decision. For further help please visit Advocates for Children of NYC (https://advocatesforchildren.org/) who can provide know-your-rights brochures and legal representation.
The day’s work was praised by clients in attendance. For example, one client stated, “This is the best service for people who can’t afford legal services.”
Thank you again to everyone, including volunteer attorneys:
Queens Pro Bono Clinic on August 7th, 2024 at AAFE One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355. Sign up here – https://forms.gle/5PjG8A73EE1XENyV9
To learn more about AABANY Pro Bono & Community Service Committee contact [email protected] or click here.
On Thursday, July 20th, 2023, the AABANY Membership Committee held the first event of the Meet the Board Series this year, at which attendees heard from AABANY President Karen Kim and AABANY Board Director Won Shin about their respective careers. The event was hosted by FTI Consulting in Midtown Manhattan, and co-sponsored by AABANY’s Women’s, Government Service & Public Interest, and Prosecutors’ Committees.
At the beginning of the night, attendees chatted and mingled over dinner before sitting down to participate in a Q&A session with Karen Kim and Won Shin moderated by Membership Director Christopher Bae. Christopher started by asking how the two became involved with AABANY, their most memorable cases, and how working with AABANY has changed their careers.
Won talked about his early career, starting with his work as a litigation associate at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz for six years, his position as Assistant Solicitor General at the New York State Attorney General’s office and his stint in complex frauds and cybercrime in the United States Attorney’s Office. Finally, Won described his entrance into his office’s appeals unit, where he now serves as Chief of Appeals of the Criminal Division.
Karen spoke about her work at a small firm doing mainly litigation, residential real estate, and construction law, before serving as Vice President of Operations and Strategic Development at Minority Corporate Counsel Association in D.C. and finally landing a position at QBE Insurance through former AABANY president Linda Lin. Karen believes her experience at the small firm she first worked at prepared her for her presidency at AABANY, because she worked on “a hodgepodge of everything” in both positions.
Christopher turned to the guests for one last question before taking inquiries from the audience. “So how do mentees make themselves stand out so that you would want to mentor them? What can younger attorneys be doing to find more than a mentorship in name and instead build an actual relationship with you?”
Karen paused to think of an answer. “Well, I like chocolate.”
After around half an hour of audience questions, Christopher concluded with a round of rapid fire questions for Karen and Won. We learned that Won’s favorite legal show is “Jury Duty,” and Karen’s favorite judge, past or present, is Judge Judy (the TV judge, not Hon. Judy Kim). The evening wrapped up with more mingling and enjoying food and drinks in FTI’s stylish and modern space.
Thank you to Karen Kim and Won Shin for sharing your experience and wisdom with us, and Christopher Bae for moderating an insightful conversation. We look forward to hosting more Board Members in the Meet the Board Series. To learn more about the Membership Committee, go here.
On June 10, 2022, CUNY’s Asian American/Asian Research Institute (AAARI)hosted a discussion to address the Endless Tide report published by AABANY on May 31. The discussion was co-led by AABANY’s Board Director and Issues Committee Chair, Chris Kwok, and Megan Gao, Vice Chair of the Pro Bono and Community Service Committee. Chris is also a Co-Executive Editor of the report and Megan is an Associate Editor. As the report continues to gain media attention and publicity, various AAPI community groups have referred to Endless Tide and AABANY’s Anti-Asian Violence Task Force (AAVTF) to bring their issues and concerns to government officials in New York City.
In publishing the Endless Tide report, Megan mentioned that lawyers can make a unique contribution by using the criminal justice system as a way to analyze how anti-Asian hate crimes have been prosecuted in New York City. By tracking the number of complaints and arrests that the New York Police Department made, the authors of Endless Tide were able to offer a legal analysis that details how the system has affected and impacted our AAPI neighborhoods and communities. In their research, they found that publicly available data does not track a hate incident from initial report to final resolution. In fact, the AAVTF learned about the disposition of outstanding cases by meeting directly with various District Attorney’s offices.
At the event, they invited David Kim, a survivor of an anti-Asian attack featured in the report. David’s case was an example of the indifference he encountered in getting a District Attorney’s Office to pursue a hate crimes prosecution. David and his friends were harassed and physically threatened after a vehicle collision at the intersection of 149th Street and 34th Avenue on June 4, 2020. They were taunted by the alleged perpetrators and called racist epithets, forcing them to stay in their car until a 911 call was made – to which the police took time to respond to. With the incident happening at the peak of the pandemic, the victims were also yelled at and blamed for causing COVID-19. After the incident, Kim wanted to file a report to the precinct and pursue a case against his perpetrators. However, after meeting with the District Attorney’s office, with the assistance of counsel, they were told that the District Attorney’s office decided that no charges, including hate crime charges, would be brought. To date, no explanation has been given for this decision.
Hearing David’s story, Chris and Megan highlighted how the title Endless Tide reflects the ongoing racial discrimination towards Asians and Asian Americans. In an effort to address and assist the members of the community that have experienced bias incidents or hate crimes, AABANY created the Hate Eradication Active Response Team (HEART). David and his attorneys came to HEART after their requests to the District Attorney’s Office to pursue hate crimes prosecutions proved futile. Ultimately, the Endless Tide report and the AAVTF seek to encourage discussion with government officials and other organizations to take a closer look at how we can address the hate, violence, and discrimination faced by the AAPI community in New York City.
To watch the recording of the event, please click here or on the image above. To contact AABANY’s Anti-Asian Violence Task Force, send an email to [email protected].
As soon as AABANY Co-VP of Programs and Operations Beatrice Leong learned about this inaugural event, she leaped into action to make sure that AABANY members and friends can march up Sixth Ave to represent our bar association. Several email blasts and social media posts went out inviting people to join us at the parade line-up on Sunday morning.
The day started with foggy conditions, and AABANY was among the first groups on West 44th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenue. We found a good spot to gather on the street, right between the Iroquois Hotel and the New York City Bar Association building. Over the next two hours, the block filled with numerous groups and associations representing a wide array of AAPI organizations and cultures. On our left were brightly colored floats, and on our right were fancy buggies that transported VIPs. Everyone was growing impatient to start marching. Shortly after 12 noon, we started to see floats moving forward onto Sixth Avenue, followed by the community groups and organizations. When AABANY turned down the Avenue of Americas, the sun came out and shined brightly.
Everyone was happy to be part of this historic parade, which we hope will grow as big as the Thanksgiving Day parade in the future.
After the parade, members enjoyed a sumptuous meal at Tang Pavilion.
We thank member Lord Chester So for helping us obtain a banner on short notice!
We thank the following AABANY Members for joining and marching with us!
Founder, Rocky Chin Hon. Vidya Pappachan Executer Director Yang Chen Co- Vice President of Programming and Operations, Beatrice Leong Board Director Chris Kwok Pro Bono Committee Co-Chairs: Eugene Kim and May Wong Pro Bono Committee Vice Chair: Johnny Thach GSPI Committee Chair: Kevin Hsi Women’s Committee Co-Chair: Wen Zhang Susan Shin, past AABANY President (2016) and her husband Rob Lord Chester So Priya Vanessa Outar Jennifer Park Grace Vee Gary Yeung Amelia Rusli Xuanyou Chen Marjorie Tsang
We were pleased to be joined by our friends at SABANY including SABANY President Austin D’Souza. Thanks to everyone who helped make history with AABANY at this first Annual AAPI Heritage and Culture Parade!
On December 31st, 2021 former AABANY Board Member Kevin Kim was selected as the first Korean American to hold the position of Commissioner of New York City Small Businesses where he will be responsible for running a dynamic City agency focused on connecting New Yorkers to good jobs, creating stronger businesses, and building a thriving economy. Kevin also was selected on December 20th, 2021 to be a Commissioner to President Biden’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders which has been tasked with advancing equity, justice, and opportunity for AANHPI communities.
Kevin is a graduate of Stanford University and Columbia Law School where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and a Senior Editor of the Columbia Law Review. After graduating law school Kevin began his legal career as a law clerk for then United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York, Hon. Denny Chin. He then worked as an Associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell where he practiced corporate law.
Kevin has devoted his career to public service and specifically promoting greater Asian representation in positions of power. He serves on the Board of Trustees for the City University of New York and was elected to the national Board of Directors for the Stanford Asian Pacific American Alumni Club. His past board service includes the American Red Cross in Queens, Friends of Thirteen (public media provider featuring PBS series), Korean American Association of Greater New York, and the Korean American Community Foundation. From 2014-2016, Kevin was the Commissioner of the New York State Liquor Authority, becoming the first Asian American appointed to this position. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed Kevin as a Trustee of the City University of New York, making him only the third Asian American and the first Korean American to serve on the CUNY Board of Trustees. In that position, he chaired the Audit Committee and is a member of the Subcommittee on Investments.
Kevin has received countless awards including the Ellis Island Medal of Honor; Columbia Law School APALSA Hong Yen Chang Award for inspiring civic engagement; KAAGNY, Man of the Year; and City Hall News (“40 Under 40”).
Please join AABANY in congratulating Kevin on his appointments to these important positions.
On July 22, 2021, the Membership Committee held a mixer at City Winery, Rockefeller Center. 30 attendees gathered for a casual meet and greet. In attendance to greet new and long-time members were President Terry Shen and Director David Sohn. Many of the attendees were students who were summer associates and interns from around the country, in New York City for the summer. Please keep an eye out for future Membership Committee events on the AABANY calendar. Save the date for Yankees Games, a Membership Cruise on the Hudson, and Arcades and Billiards Night. To learn more about the Membership Committee, click here. Not a member? Join here.
Now, more than ever, students at New York City’s public schools are grappling with questions of inequality and whether the law is the same as justice. Legal Outreach’s Mentoring Program allows attorneys and law school graduates to directly impact high school students from traditionally under-represented backgrounds by guiding them through high school and modeling what it means to be an attorney and to engage with the law – and allows attorneys to consider these questions, too! You and the members of Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) are invited to apply now to volunteer to be a Mentor, starting the 2021-22 academic year! Attorneys meet with their students once a month to get to know each other and discuss any issues and obstacles students are facing. Mentors, with materials provided by Legal Outreach, also help students through Legal Outreach’s Constitutional Law Debate Program. In Debate, students learn and apply Supreme Court precedent to issues directly affecting the country, such as qualified immunity, political apparel at polling sites, education rights for undocumented students, gerrymandering and voting rights, discrimination in housing developments, and more. To be a Mentor, a volunteer needs just their JD and the ability to commit to 4-6 hours a month to meet and communicate with their student. It is a low-time, high-impact program that will help shape the course of a young person’s life and make the legal profession a more inclusive one. It is so important for our students to be able to see a model of what they can do with a law degree and see themselves represented in the profession. Apply here by August 15, 2021 to be a Mentor starting the 2021-22 academic year!
AABANY’s Manhattan DA Candidates’ Forum held on June 15 and 16 was recently covered in a June 21 Law360 article titled “Manhattan DA Candidates Split Over Hate Crime Strategy.” In the run up to the primary election on June 22, AABANY posed questions to seven Democratic candidates (Tahanie Aboushi, Alvin Bragg, Liz Crotty, Tali Farhadian Weinstein, Diana Florence, Lucy Lang, and Eliza Orlins) and one Republican candidate (Thomas Kenniff) on issues important to the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, specifically related to how they would address the surge in anti-Asian violence in New York City. Most of the candidates stated that they would use enhancements to charge perpetrators of hate crimes. In addition, most of the candidates supported creating a hate crimes unit in the DA’s Office, which is one of the proposals offered in AABANY and Paul, Weiss’ report on anti-Asian violence. Only Tahanie Aboushi and Eliza Orlins pledged they would cut the district attorney’s office budget in half. By decreasing the prosecution of low-level offenses, Aboushi and Orlins said the office would be able to focus on more serious crimes, including hate crimes that involve violence. The Law360 article also incorporated Democratic DA Candidate Dan Quart’s stances on the questions posed at the Forum as he was not able to participate due to a prior engagement.
To read the full article, click here. To view the recordings of AABANY’s Manhattan DA Candidates’ Forum, click here for day 1 (Lucy Lang, Alvin Bragg, Tali Farhadian Weinstein, and Tahanie Aboushi) and here for day 2 (Diana Florence, Thomas Kenniff, Eliza Orlins, and Liz Crotty).
