Tag: press release

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PRESS RELEASE: ASIAN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK RECOGNIZES DAVIS POLK & WARDWELL LLP AS THE 2019 AABANY LAW FIRM DIVERSITY AWARD HONOREE

NEW YORK – Feb. 21, 2019 – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) is proud to announce that Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (“Davis Polk”) has been selected to receive the 2019 AABANY Law Firm Diversity Award.  Davis Polk will receive the award at AABANY’s Annual Dinner on February 27, 2019, at Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall Street, in New York City.

Since 2014, AABANY has selected a law firm to recognize for its commitment to improving diversity and inclusion within the legal profession. Applications are reviewed on four main criteria, which include a formal diversity plan committed to retention and promotion of women and minorities, an established diversity pipeline of talent, external participation in diversity programs with organizations such as AABANY, and the furtherance of AABANY’s mission, which includes the active and affirmative recruitment, retention, promotion, and development of Asian lawyers in New York City.

Davis Polk’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is rooted in its traditional emphasis on excellence and respect.

The firm is actively involved in fostering an inclusive environment and culture, from its recruitment efforts that target diverse student organizations and underserved communities, to generous parental leave and reintegration programs in support of new mothers in the workplace.

“AABANY congratulates Davis Polk on receiving the 2019 Law Firm Diversity Award,” states James Cho, AABANY’s President. “We applaud the commitment Davis Polk has shown in advancing diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, and AABANY looks forward to working with Davis Polk to continue promoting these important values in the years ahead.”

For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (212) 332- 2478, or direct any inquiries to main@aabany.org.  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 one of the most prominent and active minority bar associations in New York with more than 1,100 members, including practicing attorneys in the private and public sectors, in-house lawyers, judges, professors and law students. AABANY is the New York regional affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).

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Press Release: Asian American Bar Association of New York Applauds Promotion of James S. Lin to Bureau Chief of the Green Zone In Kings County District Attorney’s Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 11, 2019

Contact: Yang Chen, Executive Director
(212) 332-2478

NEW YORK – February 11, 2019 – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) congratulates James S. Lin on his recent promotion from Supreme Court Deputy for the Green Trial Zone to the position of Bureau Chief of the Green Zone in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office. We believe James is the second Asian Pacific American to serve as Bureau Chief at a major trial bureau in a prosecutors’ office in New York City.

In his former role as Supreme Court Deputy for the Green Trial Zone, he was responsible for overseeing felony trials and acted as DNA point person. He demonstrated a commitment to the principles of justice and the office’s intention to reduce incarcerations by focusing on the serious drivers of crime. Prior to that, James served as Deputy Bureau Chief for the Supreme Court in the Grey Zone, where he worked tirelessly on building relationships between his office and the community, by serving as one of several informal office ambassadors to Brooklyn’s growing Asian American community, as well as attending Precinct Council meetings, National Night Out Against Crime, and the West Indian Day Parade. He also fought to secure justice for victims of crimes in several significant cases, by supervising the investigation and grand jury presentations.

Before that, James served as an assistant district attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s Office. While there, he tried numerous cases to verdict, including homicides. He also held a number of supervisory positions, overseeing prosecutors handling misdemeanor and domestic violence cases. In addition, he honed his investigative skills as a member of the Asian Gang Unit and the Investigation Division Central Bureau investigating white collar crimes. With more than 28 years of public service in the prosecutors’ offices of New York City, James is an exemplar of an individual committed to justice and public service.

Outside of prosecution, James has also been an active member of the New York State Advisory Committee on Criminal Law and Procedure, which makes legislative recommendations to the Chief Administrative Judge of New York State. In addition, he also participates as a trainer and lecturer in the office’s New NYPD Officer Training program.

James helped found and is currently a co-chair of AABANY’s Prosecutors’ Committee, which has grown to be one of AABANY’s most active and vibrant committees. He also served as a member of AABANY’s Board of Directors from 2011 to 2015.

“James Lin’s dedication to public service and his record of leadership is well-known and appreciated by all of us at AABANY,” states AABANY President James Cho. “We commend the Kings County District Attorney’s Office for elevating him to the position of Bureau Chief in the Green Zone. We are proud of James’s achievements and expect that he will continue to serve the public and the community in his new role. We wish him every success in his future endeavors.”

For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (212) 332-2478, or direct any inquiries to main@aabany.org.

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

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PRESS RELEASE | Governor Cuomo Signs Landmark Legislation Modernizing New York’s Voting Laws

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed legislation that begins the process of bringing New York State’s voting laws into the 21st Century, a central goal of his 2019 Justice Agenda for the first 100 days of the new legislative session. These historic new laws will allow for eight days of early voting before an election, synchronize federal and state primary elections, allow voter preregistration for teenagers, provide voter registration portability within the state, and close the LLC loophole.

To read the rest of the press release, please click here.

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PRESS RELEASE | NEW YORK COUNTY LAWYERS ASSOCIATION HOSTS SECOND ANNUAL FRED KOREMATSU DAY CELEBRATION IN NEW YORK CITY, JOINED BY ASIAN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK, NEW YORK DAY OF REMEMBRANCE COMMITTEE AND COMMUNITY GROUPS

NEW YORK, January 25, 2019 – New York City will celebrate its 2nd annual Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution on Wednesday, January 30, 2019, hosted by the New York County Lawyers Association (NYCLA) at 14 Vesey Street from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm. This event marks Korematsu’s 100th birthday. The Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution is already officially recognized in four states and was first officially celebrated in New York City in 2018. Spearheaded by the Asian Practice Committee of NYCLA, the Asian American Bar Association of New York joins the New York Day of Remembrance Committee and numerous community groups to organize this historic event.

At the celebration, Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) members will perform “Fred Korematsu and His Fight for Justice,” a reenactment of legal proceedings in Korematsu v. United States. Judge Denny Chin, United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and Kathy Hirata Chin, Partner at Crowell & Moring, will narrate the reenactment.

“Why the Korematsu Case Still Matters Today,” a panel discussion, will follow the reenactment. The panelists are Prof. Rose Cuison Villazor of Rutgers Law School and Afaf Nasher, Executive Director for the New York Chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, and Chris Kwok, AABANY Board Director and Issues Committee Chair, will be the moderator.

Fred T. Korematsu was a national civil rights hero. In 1942, at the age of 23, he refused to go to the government’s incarceration camps for Japanese Americans. After he was arrested and convicted of defying the government’s order, he appealed his case all the way to the Supreme Court. In 1944, the Supreme Court ruled against him, arguing that the incarceration was justified by military necessity.

In 1983, in light of new evidence of government misconduct, Korematsu’s 40-year-old case was reopened. On November 10, 1983, Korematsu’s conviction was overturned in a federal court in San Francisco. It was a pivotal moment in civil rights history.

Korematsu remained an activist throughout his life. In 1998, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, from President Bill Clinton.

“AABANY is proud to help celebrate Fred Korematsu’s 100th birthday, on the occasion of the second annual Korematsu Day in New York City,” states Yang Chen, AABANY’s Executive Director. “AABANY was among the groups in New York that testified before the New York City Council in 2017 in support of commemorating January 30th each year as the Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution in New York City. We were there last year for the inaugural celebration, and we are honored to be able to present one of our trial reenactments to recount the story of Fred Korematsu and his struggle for justice. The only way we can ensure that we as Americans never again repeat the gross injustice Japanese Americans suffered during World War II is to tell his story and share its many lessons with the general public.”

For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (212) 332-2478, or main@aabany.org .

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).

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Additional information about AABANY is available at www.aabany.org

Follow our blog at www.blog.aabany.org

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ASIAN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK PARTNERS WITH VISITING NURSE SERVICE OF NEW YORK AND MANHATTAN LEGAL SERVICES ON AUGUST 1, 2018 KNOW-YOUR-RIGHTS CLINIC ON RENT OVERCHARGES

NEW YORK – July 17, 2018 – the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) is proud to partner with the Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY) and Manhattan Legal Services (MLS) to host a Know-Your-Rights Presentation and Clinic on rent overcharge on August 1, 2018 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at VNSNY Chinatown Community Service Center, 7 Mott Street. The event is free and open to any community member.

The Know-Your-Rights presentation will address whether units are entitled to rent protections, rent overcharges and the legal remedies that are available. After the presentation, attendees can meet one-on-one with an attorney to discuss their rent issues and review their rent histories. Therefore, attendees should obtain and bring their rent histories from the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) by calling (718) 739-6400 or going to 25 Beaver Street (or another DHCR office). Mandarin and Cantonese interpretation will be available. Due to the limited availability of individual appointments, those who are interested should call (646) 442-3119 immediately to schedule an appointment.

Through the Know-Your-Rights clinic, AABANY hopes to make important legal information more readily available to the public by partnering with VNSNY and MLS, two organizations that are committed to addressing the dire need for social and legal services for underprivileged communities in New York City. VNSNY has long served the area as the United States’ largest nonprofit home- and community-based health care organization, providing high quality health care programs. MLS, as a branch of the Legal Services NYC, has worked to protect the rights of low-income residents by providing legal services and engaging in social justice advocacy for over 50 years.

“AABANY is pleased to be able to work with VNSNY and MLS on this Know-Your-Rights clinic in Chinatown,” stated James Cho, AABANY President. “Our theme this year is ‘Serving Our Community, Advancing Our Professions,’ and we look forward to meeting this goal by engaging our members as volunteers to serve the community as pro bono attorneys while at the same time advancing the legal profession through community service.”

“Unscrupulous landlords are attempting to charge tenants too much for rent and not give tenants the protections from rent increases and evictions that the law provides,” asserted Amy Luo, Senior Staff Attorney at Manhattan Legal Services.  “Through this clinic and partnership, we can make sure that Chinatown tenants know and enforce their rights and protect our community.”

For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (212) 332-2478, or direct any inquiries to main@aabany.org.

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).

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Additional information about AABANY is available at www.aabany.org

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PRESS RELEASE | NAPABA Statement on the Nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court – National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

PRESS RELEASE | NAPABA Statement on the Nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court – National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

WASHINGTON — Last night, President Donald Trump announced the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to serve on the United States Supreme Court. The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) congratulates Judge Kavanaugh on his nomination.

To read the rest of the press release, please click the link above.

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ASIAN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION CONGRATULATES PAST PRESIDENT SUSAN L. SHIN ON RECEIVING THE NEW YORK CITY BAR ASSOCIATION DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION CHAMPION AWARD

NEW YORK – June 27, 2018 – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) congratulates Susan L. Shin, Partner at Arnold & Porter LLP and former AABANY President (2016-17), on being named one of three recipients of the New York City Bar Association’s prestigious 2018 Diversity and Inclusion Champion Award. This award, created in 2006, recognizes the efforts that attorneys dedicate to creating and sustaining a more inclusive environment within their organizations and the legal community at large. Susan and her fellow awardees will be honored at the New York City Bar Association’s Diversity and Inclusion Celebration Dinner on June 27, 2018.

A partner at Arnold & Porter, Susan is a talented lawyer and complex commercial litigator who represents a range of corporate clients including financial institutions and public companies in litigated disputes, class actions, and arbitrations. Since becoming partner at the firm in 2011 after working as a litigation associate, Susan has handled complex cases involving loan servicing, accounting, compliance, disclosure, derivatives, and mortgage and asset-backed securitizations, among other issues. Susan has also served as trial counsel in five trials to verdict in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, where she often served as lead trial counsel. In 2014, Arnold & Porter’s partnership elected Susan to the Policy Committee, the firm’s governing board.

Susan’s dedication to her community can be seen through her strong leadership and involvement in various committees and organizations. She served as the President of AABANY from 2016 to 2017 and is currently an active member of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s CLE Selection Committee. Her dedication is also reflected by her frequent CLE talks on legal ethics and her extensive pro bono experience representing New York City charter schools. Susan has won a number of awards that highlight both her impressive legal career and her unwavering efforts to promote inclusion and access to justice within her community, including the Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York’s  2018 Trailblazer Award.

Before beginning her legal career, Susan was an Associate at J.P. Morgan in the investment management division. While attending Columbia Law School she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. She served as a law clerk to the Honorable Raymond J. Dearie with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York from 2002 to 2003.

“We are extremely excited and pleased that Susan is receiving this prestigious honor from the New York City Bar Association,” stated James R. Cho, AABANY President. “Having known Susan for many years and having served with her on the AABANY Board, I have observed first-hand her dedication to enhancing diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. We commend the New York City Bar Association and the Selection Committee on recognizing Susan’s efforts and achievements with the Diversity and Inclusion Champion Award. We extend our congratulations to her and her co-honorees, Sheila Kearney Davidson, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, and General Counsel, New York Life Insurance Company; and John Mbiti, Director & Counsel, Credit Suisse Asset Management LLC.”

For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (212) 332-2478, or direct any inquiries to main@aabany.org.

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).

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Additional information about AABANY is available at www.aabany.org

Follow our blog at www.blog.aabany.org

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AABANY CONGRATULATES JUDGE LILLIAN WAN ON HER HISTORIC APPOINTMENT AS THE FIRST ASIAN AMERICAN WOMAN TO SERVE ON THE NEW YORK COURT OF CLAIMS

NEW YORK – June 25, 2018- The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”)
congratulates the Honorable Lillian Wan on being confirmed by the New York State Senate on
June 20, 2018, to sit as a judge on the New York Court of Claims, where she will rule on cases
involving claims against the state or its agencies. As Senator Jesse Hamilton (D-Brooklyn) stated
at the confirmation, Judge Wan will be “making history” by serving as the first Asian American
woman on the Court of Claims. 

Prior to her confirmation, Judge Wan served as a Judge on the Kings County Family Court after
being appointed in 2012 by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, where she heard a number of
complex cases pertaining to child custody, abuse, juvenile delinquency, and family offenses. She
also presided over “crossover youth” cases, which involve children who enter the juvenile justice
system after spending time in the state’s child welfare system or in foster care. 

Before being appointed to the bench, Judge Wan led a successful legal career as an experienced
trial attorney for the Administration for Children’s Services (“ACS”) in the Family Court Legal
Services Division, where she litigated cases on neglect and abuse. Judge Wan also served as a
Court Attorney-Referee in Kings County Surrogate’s Court, where she participated in settlement
conferences and held hearings related to guardianship, kinship, adoption, and estates. Judge Wan
received her B.A. from Binghamton University and her J.D. from Albany Law School, where she
served on the Albany Law Review and graduated within the top five of her class. 

Judge Wan is an active member of various organizations and committees dedicated to the
advancement of justice, including the Encourage Judicial Service Committee and the New York
State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics. She currently serves as a board member for the
Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association and the New York State Family Court Judges Association,
and has served as the former Co-Chair of the Government and Public Sector (now the
Government and Public Interest) Committee for AABANY. Judge Wan is active within her local
community, taking part in outreach programs such as the National Association of Women Judges
“Color of Justice” Program, which aims to introduce students to the legal profession. 

“AABANY is immensely proud of Judge Wan. Her experience in the courtroom, compassion,
and unwavering dedication make her an unparalleled candidate to serve as a judge on the Court
of Claims,” said James Cho, President of AABANY. “Judge Wan’s confirmation also reminds us
of the progress we have made in advancing diversity and inclusion on the bench; Asian Pacific
Americans and other minority communities continue to be underrepresented on the bench, but
we are gratified to see that New York is appointing minority judges like Judge Wan. Her
appointment marks a historic and significant step forward in making the judiciary more diverse
and inclusive.” 

For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (212) 332-
2478, or direct any inquiries to main@aabany.org. 

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). 

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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

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