Thank You for Joining AABANY at our 15th Annual Fall Conference: “Building a Strong Foundation for a Brighter Future”

On Saturday, October 12, 2024, AABANY hosted its 15th Annual Fall Conference, “Building a Strong Foundation for a Brighter Future,” at Fordham University of Law. The Conference was co-sponsored by Fordham Law School’s Center on Asian Americans and the Law, and AABANY greatly appreciates Fordham’s support of this event.

The conference began with a buffet-style breakfast. Attendees chatted over pastries, coffee, bagels, and other assorted breakfast items, reconnecting with colleagues, while also introducing themselves to unfamiliar faces. 

The first part of the morning programs began at 9:00am and ran until 10:30am, presenting upon a diversity of topics, including: 

This year’s conference theme was “Building a Strong Foundation for a Brighter Future,” and the morning programs explored this topic in great detail. “Problem-Solving Courts and Person-Centered Justice,” for example, discussed the emergence and proliferation of problem-solving courts within the New York judiciary, their impacts on recidivism, and the judiciary’s vision to further expand the breadth of problem-solving courts within New York. Another program, “Artificial Intelligence in the Legal Profession: Transforming Practices and Future Trends,” considered the impact of AI and Generative AI on the legal profession. By promoting innovation, adaptability, and responsible use of AI, the program sought to foster a forward-thinking legal community.

After a 15 minute break, the second part of the morning programs, scheduled between 10:45am and 12:15pm, commenced, exploring the following topics:

The third and final installation of AABANY’s “Pathways to the Bench” series, coordinated by the Young Lawyers Committee, Judiciary Committee, and Government Service and Public Interest Committee, was also held during the latter half of the morning session. While the first two segments of the series had focused on showing how someone can become a federal clerk or state court attorney and explaining the nuances of landing on the bench, this capstone program, titled “Pathways to the Bench: Steps to the Federal Judiciary,” centered around four AAPI judges, who each shared their particular pathways to the bench, hoping to inspire others to follow in their footsteps and to give them the tools to do so.

To see photos from the morning session please click here.

Opening at 10:30am, the Fall Conference offered its annual Diversity Career Fair, organized by the Career Advancement Committee, featuring public sector, corporate, and law firm employers, each hosting informational sessions, meet-and-greets, and more. Participating employers included the Law Firm of Hugh H. Mo, P.C., the Office of the New York State Attorney General, Rupp Pfalzgraf LLC, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and several District Attorneys’ offices. Employers and prospective employees conversed extensively, exchanging questions and learning more about one another. Some employers also collected resumes and conducted on-site first round interviews, allowing candidates to express their interest in working for participating employers. To see photos from the Diversity Career Fair, please click here.

Throughout the day, AABANY also hosted Link-Up Sessions, organized by the In-House Counsel Committee and Corporate Law Committee, which provided an opportunity for participants to engage in live meetings with in-house counsel who had indicated a current or future need for outside legal services. Applicants were pre-screened by in-house counsel based on their needs, and selected participants were then invited to join one or more Link-Up Sessions at the Fall Conference. These sessions facilitated connections between corporate law firm attorneys and in-house counsel.

After the morning programs concluded, attendees grabbed lunch boxes and headed to the Costantino Room, where the Plenary Lunch Session began at 12:30pm. The program, titled “Organizing to be Heard: The Importance of Redistricting and Coalition Building in the NYC Asian American Community,” featured five speakers: 

  • Hon. Marilyn D. Go (Ret.), Commissioner, New York City Districting Commission
  • Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Assemblymember, New York State Assembly
  • Elizabeth R. OuYang, Coordinator, APA VOICE Redistricting Task Force
  • Grace Pyun, Acting Executive Director and General Counsel, New York City Districting Commission
  • John Park, Executive Director, MinKwon Center

Vishal Chander, Managing Attorney, the Chander Law Firm PC, moderated this timely and important discussion.

Attendees listened attentively as the panelists discussed the impacts of congressional, state, and local district lines on communities, ranging from their influence on election results to the distribution of government funds. They then discussed the 2020 Redistricting Cycle and how it brought into attention the importance of redistricting due to the significant growth of Asians in New York, laying out the legal framework of districting and the impacts of voting rights laws on redistricting. Being that many of the panelists played influential roles within the 2020 Redistricting Cycle, they also shared personal anecdotes and experiences from that time. With preparations for the 2030 Redistricting Cycle beginning soon, the speakers emphasized the importance of continuing to educate the community on this topic and how the AAPI community can be heard in that process. To see photos from the Plenary Lunch Session, please click here.

The afternoon session began at 2:30pm, running in two segments. The first segment went from 2:30pm to 4pm and included the following programs: 

The second segment then took place from 4:15pm to 5:45pm, including the following programs:

Topics covered included diversity, equity, and inclusion within the legal profession, how to interview clients, and how to understand implicit biases in the workplace. These programs exemplified the diversity of discourse that the Fall Conference sought to facilitate, providing crucial insights and exposing attendees to a broad range of ideas and perspectives. To see photos from the afternoon session, please click here.

After a packed day of learning, the Fall Conference concluded with a Cocktail Reception, sponsored by Falconeri, held in the Soden Lounge and Bateman Room. Attendees networked with one another, connecting over drinks and hors d’oeuvres.

During the Cocktail Reception, AABANY honored Hugh H. Mo with the 2024 Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award, bestowed annually to “an individual who has carved a path for others to follow, served the community as a mentor and role model, and made a lasting impact on the AAPI community through his or her dedication and commitment.” Hugh H. Mo, Founder and Principal of Mo Law and a co-founder of AABANY, perfectly exemplifies the award’s mission, having been a leader in the AAPI community and legal profession for nearly five decades. To read the full press release about Mr. Mo receiving this honor, please click here.

To see photos from the Cocktail Reception, go here and here.

AABANY thanks several groups for making the Fall Conference possible. First, we would like to thank the approximately 40 student volunteers who ensured that the CLE programs ran smoothly and without delay. They hailed from schools all across New York City and the northeast region, including:

  • Brooklyn Law School
  • Cardozo School of Law
  • Columbia Law School
  • CUNY School of Law
  • Fordham College at Lincoln Center
  • Fordham School of Law 
  • Hunter College
  • New York Law School
  • Northern Highlands Regional High School
  • Rutgers Law School
  • Seton Hall Law School
  • St. John’s University School of Law
  • Syracuse University College of Law
  • Tufts University

The volunteers assisted with registration, handled inquiries, and checked-in and checked-out attendees for CLE credits. Their support was instrumental in making the Fall Conference a success, and AABANY extends our heartfelt appreciation. We also thank Catherine Tran and Joon Choe, co-chairs of the Student Outreach Committee, for their efforts in recruiting and coordinating these volunteers.

AABANY also thanks our generous sponsors, without whom the Fall Conference would not have been possible:

  • Falconeri (Cocktail Reception Sponsor)
  • Broadridge Financial Solutions (Elite Sponsor)
  • Jackson Lewis PC (Elite Sponsor)
  • Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP (Gold Sponsor)
  • The Law Firm of Hugh H. Mo, P.C. (Gold Sponsor)
  • Anytime AI (Silver Sponsor)
  • Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (Silver Sponsor)
  • Cooley LLP (Silver Sponsor)
  • Fish & Richardson P.C. (Silver Sponsor)
  • Milbank LLP (Silver Sponsor)
  • Anderson & Associates Law, P.C. (Bronze Sponsor)
  • Roundblock (Bronze Sponsor)
  • Rupp Pfalzgraf LLC (Bronze Sponsor)
  • Wilson Sonsini Goodrich Rosati (Bronze Sponsor)

To see some photos of our sponsors, go here.

We would also like to acknowledge our 2024 Annual Dinner Sponsors for their generous year-round support of AABANY. In particular, we would like to recognize Broadridge Financial Solutions, our Diamond Sponsor, and Groombridge, Wu, Baughman & Stone LLP, our General Counsel Reception Sponsor. For a full list of the 2024 Annual Dinner Sponsors, please click here. Thanks again for your continued support and commitment to AABANY; it empowers us to fulfill our mission and produce events like the Fall Conference.

Furthermore, AABANY thanks all of our esteemed moderators and panelists for their time and participation in this year’s Fall Conference. We also extend our gratitude to the Program Chairs for organizing such an excellent lineup of programs. And, finally, we sincerely appreciate all the attendees for making this such a special and enlightening experience for the entire AABANY community. We hope to see you at upcoming AABANY events. 

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.

Congratulations to AABANY Immediate Past President William Ng on Being Named to the City & State’s 2023 Asian 100 List 

On May 1, City & State published their 2023 list of the Power Asian 100 in New York. As stated in the article: 

City & State’s Power of Diversity: Asian 100 list features these elected officials and also highlights other power brokers who are managing government agencies, running businesses, advocating for policy changes – and ensuring Asian Americans have a voice at the table.

AABANY is pleased to announce that our Immediate Past President William Ng has been named one of City & State’s Power Asian 100 at 56 on the list.

Please join AABANY in congratulating William Ng along with the following attorneys connected to AABANY (numbers in parentheses indicate ranking): 

Sandra Ung, New York City Council Member and Former AABANY Treasurer. (10)

Kevin Kim, Commissioner, New York City Department of Small Business Services. Honored by AABANY with the Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award at the 2022 Fall Conference, and past AABANY Board Officer. (10)

Frank Wu, Queens College’s first President of Asian descent. AABANY honored Frank Wu with the AABANY Impact Award at our 2021 Virtual Gala: Uniting for Justice and Equity. (22)

Faiza Saeed, Presiding Partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, a Sponsor of AABANY for many years. (40)

Asim Rehman, Commissioner and Chief Administrative Law Judge, New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. Longtime AABANY Member. (46)

Preet Bharara, Partner, WilmerHale. AABANY honored Preet Bharara, when he was the United States Attorney of the Southern District of New York, at the Annual Dinner in 2015. (48)

Anna Mercado Clark, Partner, Phillips Lytle. Previously served as the Development Director of AABANY during FY2023 and currently President-elect of NAPABA. (78)

Tai Park, Partner, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, a long-time sponsor of AABANY. (91)

Vincent Chang, Partner, Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group, Wollmuth Maher & Deutsch. First Asian American President of the New York County Lawyers Association and past AABANY President 2007. (96)

AABANY congratulates all the accomplished individuals who appear in City & State’s 2023 Power Asian 100 List. 

To read the full article, please click here

Congratulations to Kevin Kim on Making the Top Ten in City & State’s Economic Development Power 100

On November 21, City & State New York, a leading multimedia news organization that covers New York City and State politics and policy, released its 2022 Economic Development Power 100. As stated in the article:

City & State’s Economic Development Power 100 identifies the top government officials, CEOs, heads of business groups and trade associations, advocates of small businesses and minority- and women-owned enterprises, and many other individuals who are aiming to answer these questions [on how to grow the economy] as they seek to drive job creation all across New York.

AABANY is proud to announce that Kevin Kim, the current Commissioner of the Department of Small Business Services in the Mayor’s Office, is listed as number 9 on the Power 100 list:

Kevin D. Kim is a former small-business entrepreneur and the son of immigrant small-business owners. Today he helps other New York City entrepreneurs get connected to needed resources as commissioner of the Department of Small Business Services. Kim played a key role launching a new initiative to help New Yorkers access cannabis retail licenses. The first phase of the initiative involves making sure that people who have been convicted of marijuana-related offenses receive guidance in applying for those licenses.

To read the full article with the complete list, click here.

Kevin was honored by AABANY with the Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award at the 2022 Fall Conference held at Fordham University School of Law on Oct. 8. Kevin was also a former Director on AABANY’s Board, in addition to numerous accolades earned over the course of his storied career in public service.

Please join AABANY in congratulating Kevin on this noteworthy achievement and well-deserved recognition.

Thank You for Joining AABANY for Our 2021 Fall Conference

AABANY’s twelfth annual Fall Conference, with the theme “Uniting for Justice and Equity,” took place on Oct. 22 and 23. We started on Friday afternoon, Oct. 22, with the GC Roundtable: The Evolving Role of General Counsels in Promoting Justice & DE&I in the Workplace, which ran concurrently with Pro Bono Crisis Lawyering: Challenges and Lessons Learned. After these two programs concluded, we held our Reception and Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award Presentation in person at King & Spalding, in hybrid format, with some attendees joining in person and others online via Remo. Those in attendance at King & Spalding got to meet and mingle in person with AABANY Board members and Committee Chairs, as well as the Trailblazer Award honoree Glenn Lau-Kee. To learn more about Glenn Lau-Kee and the Trailblazer Award, please see: https://conference2021.aabany.org/trailblazer/

Saturday kicked off with two concurrent programs, Fighting for Housing and Community Justice: The Role of Lawyers in the Movement and Measuring, Reporting and Improving Outside Counsel Diversity, followed by two more concurrent programs, Virtual Chat With Hon. Stacey L. Meisel, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge, D.N.J. and Achieving Justice and Equity Through Litigation. The Plenary Session, The Rising Tide of Anti-Asian Hate & Violence: Where Are We Now?, closed the Fall Conference.

We thank all the Program Chairs, Moderators, and Speakers for putting on important CLE programs on timely subjects that strongly reflected the Conference theme. We also thank our sponsors:

Gold

Broadridge
White & Case LLP

Bronze

New York State Bar Association Business Law Section

Finally, we thank everyone who joined us Friday afternoon and evening, and then again on Saturday morning into the early afternoon. We are processing your CLE certificates now and you should be receiving them soon. If you have any questions about CLE credits, please contact [email protected]. If you have any questions or comments about the Conference, please contact [email protected].

ASIAN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK HONORS RANDALL T. ENG WITH NORMAN LAU KEE TRAILBLAZER AWARD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK – Sept. 8, 2017 – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) is proud to announce that the Hon. Randall T. Eng, Presiding Justice, Appellate Division, Second Department, will be the recipient of the Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award at AABANY’s Eighth Annual Fall Conference on September 23, 2017, to be held at the Fordham University School of Law.

Named for Norman Lau Kee, a revered legal and community pillar of New York City’s Chinatown for decades, this Trailblazer Award honors an accomplished leader in the legal profession who is of Asian Pacific American (APA) descent or has demonstrated dedication to APA issues in the community. This award honors an individual who has carved a path for others to follow, served the community as a mentor and role model, and has made a lasting impact on the APA community through his or her dedication and commitment.

Hon. Randall T. Eng was a groundbreaker long before he was appointed by Governor Cuomo to be the first APA Presiding Justice of an Appellate Division in New York. A graduate of St. John’s University School of Law, Justice Eng served as New York’s first APA Assistant District Attorney in 1973. He later became the first APA judge in New York in 1983, when Mayor Edward Koch appointed him to the Criminal Court of the City of New York.

Justice Eng was elected to two terms as Justice of the New York Supreme Court in 1990 and 2004, and in 2007 became the first Asian American Administrative Judge of the Queens County Supreme Court, Criminal Term. A former colonel of the New York Army National Guard, adjunct professor of law at St. John’s University School of Law, and Inspector General of the New York City Correction Department, Justice Eng’s career shines brightly as an exemplar of both service and groundbreaking pioneering ability.

Born in China, Justice Eng moved to the United States with his family when he was just six months old. His father, an Air Force veteran of World War II, opened a laundry and cleaning store in Queens—one of the few options available for Asian and immigrant families during that time. Aware from an early age of the barriers that awaited him if he tried to pursue law, Justice Eng remained, in his own words, “undaunted…because that was the era of civil rights.” It is that undaunted spirit of Justice Eng’s that has made him a trailblazer and an inspiration for Asian Americans in the legal community and throughout the country.

Today, Justice Eng plays a key role in the development of jurisprudence and judicial policy in New York as Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division, Second Department. The ten counties under its purview make Justice Eng’s Appellate Division one of the nation’s busiest. From supervising the court’s various agencies to being the Second Department’s Chief Administrator, Justice Eng has significant responsibilities at one of the highest levels of the state’s judiciary system. All the while, he has helped to pave the way for generations of APA lawyers in government, and remains an uplifting example for the APA community.

“At a time when the obstacles that face APAs in the law seem innumerable, Justice Randall T. Eng through his career has blazed a trail toward a more promising future for APAs in the legal profession and inspired generations of lawyers,” states AABANY President Dwight Yoo. “AABANY is honored to present Justice Eng the Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award at its Eighth Annual Fall Conference.”                                    

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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The 2014 AABANY Fall Conference was held at the offices of Morgan Lewis in New York City on September 20, 2014. During this lunch session, AABANY honored U.S. Magistrate Judge Marilyn Dolan Go, recipient of the Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award; and Perkins Coie LLP, recipient of the Law Firm Diversity Award. Helen Wan, author of “The Partner Track” (now in paperback), spoke about her law firm experiences. 

To see more about our Fall Conference 2014: Empowering Unity and Progress, click here.

JUDGE MARILYN D. GO TO RECEIVE INAUGURAL NORMAN LAU KEE TRAILBLAZER AWARD FROM ASIAN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2014 

Contact: Yang Chen, Executive Director
(718) 228-7206 

NEW YORK – September 15, 2014 – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) is proud to announce that United States District Court Magistrate Judge Marilyn D. Go, Eastern District New York, will receive the inaugural Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award. Judge Go will be honored at AABANY’s Fifth Annual Fall Conference held at the law firm Morgan Lewis Bockius on September 20, 2014.

Named for Norman Lau Kee, a revered legal and community pillar of New York City’s Chinatown for decades, this Trailblazer Award honors an accomplished leader in the legal profession of Asian Pacific American (APA) descent or dedicated to APA issues who has carved a path for others to follow, served the community as a mentor and role model, and has made a lasting impact on the APA community through his or her dedication and commitment.

Marilyn D. Go, United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of New York, was the first Asian American woman to serve as a judge in a federal court.  After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1977, she clerked for the late Honorable William M. Marutani in Philadelphia, who was the only Asian American judge on the East Coast at the time. She then served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the EDNY and was later a partner at Baden Kramer Huffman Brodsky & Go, P.C.  Committed to promoting diversity and professionalism in the bar, Judge Go was a founding member, officer and director of the Asian American Bar Association of New York; chair of the Voting Rights Committee of NAPABA; Vice Chair of the Standing Committee on Minorities in the Judiciary of the American Bar Association; and a member of Governor Cuomo’s Task Force on Minority Representation on the Bench.

 “Judge Go is a true trailblazer in our community,” Yang Chen, AABANY’s Executive Director, states. “She rose to the top of the legal profession as an attorney and judge at a time when women leaders, particularly APA women, were few and far between. Through her achievements, accomplishments and leadership, she has paved the way for future generations of lawyers to succeed and attain prominence. As one of the founding Board members of AABANY, she helped to lay the foundation for future leaders to grow the organization into the great bar association it is today. Because of the trails she has blazed, Judge Go has made a real difference for APA attorneys and the legal profession. We are proud to count her as a leading member of our association and our community.”

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For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (718) 228-7206, 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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