AABANY Mentioned in Law360 Article on Bar Associations in New York Condemning Violence at the U.S. Capitol

The Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) was recently mentioned in a Law360 article on New York state bar associations’ reactions to the violence that occurred at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. The article states: “The Asian American Bar Association of New York, one of the state’s most vocal attorneys group, endorsed a
statement published by its parent organization, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, decrying the storming of the Capitol as the act of militants.”

NY Lawyers Condemn Storming Of US Capitol By Mob
By Marco Poggio

Law360 (January 7, 2021, 4:34 PM EST) — Prominent New York state bar associations have condemned the violence that unfolded in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, in which a mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters broke into the U.S. Capitol as the Electoral College vote certification was in progress, resulting in the deaths of four people. Read more here (subscription is required).

The New York City Bar Association Releases Report “The Diversity Gap: Black and Latinx Representation Disparities in the Legal Pipeline” and Follow-Up Program

The New York City Bar Association announced that their report The Diversity Gap: Black and Latinx Representation Disparities in the Legal Pipeline has been released with overwhelming support from the legal community. To determine the effectiveness of pipeline programs for Black and Latinx students who seek to enter the legal profession, they polled over 800 students from the 15 New York State Law Schools. They thank Ashley Bernal, Professor, York College and author of the report, and The New York Community Trust for funding this important work.

You can read their press release here.

Additionally, they will be hosting a two-part panel presentation entitled, “The Diversity Gap: Black and Latinx Representation Disparities in the Legal Pipeline.”  Details below:

Part I: Pipeline Leaders

Part II: Pipeline Participants

To register for any of the events, please click on the registration link (you will need to create a free account if you are not a city bar member) or email Customer Relations at [email protected]. The series is free for everyone.

New York State Courts Press Release: Update on Virtual Courts

A week ago, there was a statewide rollout of virtual court operations via Skype and teleconferencing for essential and emergency proceedings amid the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 13, 2020, Chief Judge Janet DiFiore and Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks announced that this temporary “virtual court” model is being expanded beyond the limited category of essential and emergency matters.

Over the past two weeks, the New York State Courts’ trial court efforts have centered on arraignments, bail applications, orders of protection and other essential and emergency criminal, family and civil matters. Following a successful transition to a virtual court system for the handling of essential and emergency matters statewide, the court system is extending its focus to include pending tort, asbestos, commercial, matrimonial, trusts and estates, felony, family and other cases, which make up the vast bulk of trial court caseloads. The existing ban on the filing of new “non-essential” matters will remain in effect.

For more information, please visit: https://www.nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFS/press/PDFs/PR20_15virtualcourtstortsetc.pdf

New York State Courts Press Release: Virtual Courts Up and Running Statewide

The New York State court system continues to institute a variety of temporary emergency measures to deliver essential justice services during these extraordinary times, with Chief Judge Janet DiFiore and Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks today reporting that virtual court operations−allowing essential and emergency court proceedings to be conducted remotely−are now in effect statewide. The “virtual court” model, which is being implemented on a temporary basis and was introduced in New York City’s Criminal Court and Family Court on March 25, 2020 and March 26, 2020, respectively, has been rapidly expanded in response to the fast- evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information, please visit https://www.nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFS/press/PDFs/PR20_14virtualcourtsstatewide.pdf.

CPC: Housing Know Your Rights

Due to the ongoing pandemic, community members have been struggling with answers to rent, housing and bill payments during this period of unstable income and job security.

New York State has implemented an eviction moratorium for 90 days, which applies to residential and commercial tenants. The Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) calls upon the New York State legislature to cancel rent for New Yorkers who have been impacted by COVID-19. To support this bill, you can visit the website here at Housing Justice For All.

Info sheets on housing rights are included below in English and Chinese (simplified and traditional).