Official blog of the Asian American Bar Association of New York
Remembering Sheila Abdus-Salaam’s ‘Joyous Dance Through Life’ as Her Portrait Is Unveiled
We can start by acknowledging that Sheila Abdus-Salaam had a storied career, but it did not come easy. The laurels which she so richly deserved were hard-earned after many challenges and difficulties.
Written for the New York Law Journal, Feb. 15. 2018, by Hon. Peter Tom, New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department. Follow the link to read the full article (subscription required).
A Tribute to a Chinatown Icon | New York Law Journal
Justice Peter Tom paid tribute to Asian American trailblazer and community leader Norman Lau Kee in the December 13 edition of the New York Law Journal:
Recently a prominent Chinese American attorney in New York City quietly passed away at the age of 90, receiving little attention outside the Asian community. However, the passing of Norman Lau Kee represents a significant historic milestone and was a major news event in the city’s Chinese community.
Norman Lau Kee was one of the pioneers of the legal profession in Chinatown. He was a grandson of Chinese immigrants, a successful academic, a World War II veteran and most significantly, was part of a very small vanguard of Asian lawyers who first provided legal representation for Chinatown residents beginning in the 1950s. However, these accomplishments only tell part of the story of the lifelong achievements of Norman Lau Kee and his well-accomplished family.
Read the full article by clicking on the linked title above. (Subscription required.)
NYLJ Distinguished Leaders 2017: Andrew T. Hahn Sr.
Congratulations to Andy Hahn, Partner, Duane Morris, and former AABANY, KALAGNY and NAPABA President, on being named one of the New York Law Journal’s Distinguished Leaders of 2017.
Q: What does it mean to be a leader?
A: Being an effective leader means self-sacrifice. It means that the leader places the needs of his or her constituents and/or organization over personal, self-interest. While the leader can delegate duties and responsibilities, he or she must also lead by example. This will entail the expenditure of much time and effort for the greater good. A good leader also must possess wisdom and judgment to do the right thing.
To read more of the Q&A with Andy Hahn, click the link in the title. Please join us in congratulating Andy on this spectacular and well-deserved recognition.
In an interview with Bloomberg last week, former AABANY President Andy Hahn examined the obstacles that face Asian Americans in the law, from high attrition rates and underrepresentation to pervasive stereotypes and biases. On the heels of Justice Goodwin Liu’s study, “A Portrait of Asian Americans in the Law,” the interview explored Andy Hahn’s own experiences, from his time as an army lawyer to his tenures as president of both AABANY and NAPABA, and how those roles have made Andy intimately familiar with the challenges of Asian Americans in the law. Despite large growth since the 1990s, the Asian American legal community faces gross underrepresentation today, from clerkships and judgeships to partner and management roles. This has led Andy to his own “crusade” to galvanize Asian Americans into participating in the law. Follow the link in the title to read the full article published in Bloomberg Law.
Andy’s work as a leader in the legal profession has not gone unnoticed, as the New York Law Journal recently honored him with the 2017 Distinguished Leadership Award. To read the press release congratulating him for this achievement, click here.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 27, 2017
NEW YORK – July 27, 2017 – The Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York (“KALAGNY”) and the Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) congratulate Andrew T. Hahn, Sr. on being named a 2017 Distinguished Leadership honoree by the New York Law Journal, the most circulated legal periodical in the U.S. This honor is a part of the New York Law Journal’s Professional Excellence Awards event, which recognizes outstanding attorneys and judges every year. The Distinguished Leadership award honors lawyers whose leadership skills have proven to be exceptional in their effectiveness and the inspiration they provide to others. Mr. Hahn and the other Distinguished Leadership honorees will be featured in a special section of the New York Law Journal and honored at a dinner at Tribeca Rooftop on October 17, 2017.
A partner at Duane Morris LLP, Mr. Hahn is an experienced litigator who has been named a Top Attorney in the New York Metro Area and is “top-rated” by Super Lawyers. Focusing on commercial litigation matters involving contract disputes, franchising, insurance and software licensing matters, Mr. Hahn has also provided his expertise in class actions relating to products liability and toxic torts, securities, antitrust, bankruptcy and banking. Over the years, Mr. Hahn has served as President of the National Asian and Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and as Chairman of KALAGNY, and has also served as AABANY’s Judiciary Committee Chair, Board Director, and in 2004, served as AABANY’s President. Mr. Hahn has previously been recognized as a “Top 100 Under 50” Diverse Executive Leader by Diversity MBA Magazine, and received KALAGNY’s Trailblazer Award in 2008.
As a Korean-American who has practiced in the legal profession for over 30 years, including within the military and in private practice, Mr. Hahn has witnessed various forms of open and implicit discrimination in the workplace and in the Courts. Throughout his career, he has promoted diversity at every opportunity, working to dismantle stereotypes and eradicate glass ceilings on the way to the ultimate goal of fair treatment of each individual.
“KALAGNY takes great pride in its nomination of Andy Hahn for the New York Law Journal’s Distinguished Leadership Award,” states KALAGNY President Karen Kim, “and we welcome this opportunity to celebrate Andy’s extraordinary ability to lead and inspire. Andy has been involved with KALAGNY since its inception and continues to share his time, expertise and guidance with our organization. We congratulate him whole-heartedly on being a Distinguished Leadership honoree and thank him for his devotion to the legal profession, KALAGNY and the greater community.”
“AABANY is proud of Andy Hahn for this well-deserved recognition,” states AABANY President Dwight Yoo. “AABANY, its members and the community have all benefited from Andy’s leadership over the years, and we are excited and pleased that the New York Law Journal has recognized his contributions as a leader in the profession with the Distinguished Leadership Award.”
For more information, please contact Karen Kim, KALAGNY President, at (212) 545-1900, or direct any inquiries to [email protected]. You may also contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (212) 332-2478, or direct any inquiries to [email protected].
About KALAGNY
The Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York (KALAGNY) is a professional membership organization of attorneys and law students concerned about issues affecting the Korean American community in greater New York. Incorporated in 1986, KALAGNY seeks to encourage the professional growth of its members as well as provide legal support for the Korean American community.
To achieve these goals, KALAGNY provides its members with training and resources useful for professional advancement; expands access by Korean Americans in greater New York to legal services and education; and provides a forum for the expression of opinions concerning social, political, economic, legal and other issues of concern to our members. KALAGNY is a New York regional affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).
Additional information about KALAGNY is available at http://www.kalagny.org/
Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kalagny
Find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/kalagny/
Find us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/kalagny
About AABANY
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 a New York regional affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).
Additional information about AABANY is available at www.aabany.org
Follow our blog at www.blog.aabany.org
Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aabany
Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aabany
NYLJ: ‘Moving Forward After the Election’
Last week, on December 8, AABANY co-sponsored with SABANY and MuBANY a panel discussion on moving forward post-election, hosted by Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. The New York Law Journal ran an article about it (follow the link in the title; subscription may be required). Our Issues Committee Co-Chair, Chris Kwok, was among the distinguished panelists in this timely, topical and important conversation.
From the article:
From left [referring to the photo in the article], Lisa Khandhar, director of the South Asian bar; Sania Khan, assistant state attorney general in the Civil Rights Bureau; Sharaf Mowjood, Huffington Post senior reporter; Ali Alsarraf, an associate at Gibson Dunn; Merium Malik, director of the Muslim bar; Arun Venugopal, WNYC reporter; Amol Sinha, vice president of public relations for the South Asian bar; Christopher Kwok, supervisory ADR coordinator at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Asian American bar issues committee chairman; and South Asian bar president Rippi Gill, a senior associate at Lazare Potter & Giacovas.
First Korean American Elected to Bench in NY
As many know, AABANY is tremendously proud of our new Judge Judy Kim, the first Korean American elected to a judicial position in New York. She is a wonderful role model. Her appointment made the front page of the New York Law Journal on November 10, 2016.
She stated,
“Being the ‘first,’ I feel a tremendous responsibility to be the best judge I can be, because I know that I will be serving as a role model to many younger attorneys in the Korean American community,” she said in an email. “I hope that my election serves as an inspiration to other attorneys like me.”
AABANY President Susan Shin was also quoted in the article.
Asian American bar president Susan Shin issued a statement saying Kim’s election “brings us one step closer to a bench that reflects the diversity of New York City.”
Click on the link above to see the full article.
Meet the Affinity Bar Group Presidents
AABANY President Susan Shin was featured in The New York Law Journal:
Susan Shin, 43, is a partner at Arnold & Porter practicing complex business litigation. She is a 2001 graduate of Columbia Law School. Prior to joining Arnold & Porter she clerked for Eastern District Judge Raymond J. Dearie.
Shin’s term began on April 1.
Additional officers are president-elect Dwight Yoo; immediate past president William Wang; vice president of programs and operations Marianne Chow; vice president of finance and development William Ng; treasurer Amy Ngai; and secretary Ligee Gu.
During her term, Shin plans to work with other officers, the board of the association and committee chairs to invigorate and actively engage the association’s roughly 1,100 members to take part in the association’s theme for 2016: “Speak up, Rise up, and Lift up,” which calls on members to work together, help each other advance and succeed, be vocal in affecting positive change at firms, companies and organizations at which we work and devote time to mentor and train young Asian American lawyers.
5 Receive City Bar Legal Service Awards
Congratulations to Donna Chiu, AABANY Member and attorney at Asian Americans for Equality, on her recent honor from the New York City Bar Association. One of five recipients, Donna was honored at the City Bar’s 27th Annual Legal Services Awards recognizing those who provide full-time outstanding civil legal assistance to New York’s poor.
Click on the link above to see New York Law Journal’s article.