Tag: press release

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AABANY CONGRATULATES THE HONORABLE DORIS LING-COHAN ON RECEIVING NAPABA 2017 WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP AWARD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK – September 18, 2017. The Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) congratulates the Honorable Doris Ling-Cohan on being honored with the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s (NAPABA) 2017 Women’s Leadership Award. The Women’s Leadership Award, which will be presented on November 4, 2017 at the 2017 NAPABA Convention in Washington, D.C, recognizes Justice Ling-Cohan’s barrier-breaking career, her commitment to the advancement of women and Asian Pacific Americans, and her role as a force for change and progress in the Asian Pacific American (APA) legal community.

A native New Yorker, Justice Ling-Cohan’s professional career is a narrative of service to the law, the community, and the disadvantaged. Justice Ling-Cohan served as a legal services attorney and Assistant Attorney General before joining the bench. Justice Ling-Cohan was the first APA public official to be elected in the Chinatown district in 1995, the first APA woman elected to the New York State Supreme Court in 2002, and the first APA woman appointed to an appellate court in New York State in 2014.

Justice Ling-Cohan is a pioneer, not only for women and APAs, but also for justice and social equality. In her 2005 ruling in Hernandez v Robles, Justice Ling-Cohan became the first trial judge in the state to rule in favor of marriage equality, a stand for social justice long before it entered popular favor. Justice Ling-Cohan’s commitment to fairness and to uplifting the vulnerable in our society make her leadership exemplary.

Inspired by the experiences of her youth, when her immigrant mother endured a confusing and upsetting Family Court hearing after being assaulted in Brooklyn, Justice Ling-Cohan has dedicated her professional life to promoting equal access to justice. Her efforts have been recognized by the National Law Journal, New York Post, and the New York State Dispute Resolution Association. One of the many ways that Justice Ling-Cohan gives to the community is through Womankind, an organization she helped to found, committed to serving APA women suffering from domestic violence. Justice Ling-Cohan makes it clear that inequalities and injustice can be effectively addressed, and inspires us to take up that fight.

“Justice Ling-Cohan is a Founding Board Member of AABANY and prior Vice President,” states AABANY President Dwight Yoo. “In the over 27 years since she helped to found the organization, AABANY has witnessed first-hand Justice Ling-Cohan’s commitment to women and the APA community. Justice Ling-Cohan’s historic rise to the bench as an APA woman, her dedication to women’s issues, her tireless pursuit of justice, and her support of the APA community make her an ideal candidate to receive NAPABA’s 2017 Women’s Leadership Award. We commend NAPABA on recognizing Justice Ling-Cohan with this prestigious and well-deserved honor.”

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 a New York regional affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).

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NAPABA Celebrates Confirmation of Jessie K. Liu to be United States Attorney for the District of Columbia

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For Immediate Release

Sept. 15, 2017

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Jessie K. Liu to serve as the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. Liu is the first Asian Pacific American and the second woman to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.

“We congratulate Jessie Liu on her historic confirmation,” said Cyndie M. Chang, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) president. “Ms. Liu’s confirmation reflects the important strides Asian Pacific Americans and women are making in the law.”

A longtime member of the Asian Pacific American legal community, Liu served as a co-chair of the 2012 NAPABA Convention in Washington, D.C. She is also a recipient of the NAPABA Best Under 40 Award.

A litigator with almost 20 years of experience, Liu has a history of federal government service. She served most recently as the Deputy General Counsel for the Department of the Treasury. She previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia for four years and in several senior positions in the U.S. Department of Justice for three years, including as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division, counsel to the Deputy Attorney General, and Deputy Chief of Staff for the National Security Division. She also was a partner at the law firms Morrison & Foerster LLP and Jenner & Block LLP.

Liu clerked for then-Chief Judge Carolyn Dineen King of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Houston, Texas. She received her A.B., summa cum laude, from Harvard University and her J.D. from Yale Law School.

NAPABA is proud to have supported Jessie Liu during her nomination. We thank President Trump for nominating her to the position.

For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, at 202-775-9555 or [email protected].

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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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NAPABA Applauds Nomination of Judge Karen Gren Scholer to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas

For Immediate Release
Sept. 7, 2017

WASHINGTON — Today, President Trump nominated Judge Karen Gren Scholer to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. If confirmed, Scholer will be the first Asian Pacific American to serve as a federal district court judge in Texas or any of the courts encompassed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit — which includes Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

“Judge Karen Gren Scholer has had a distinguished legal career and will serve admirably on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas,” said Cyndie M. Chang, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “She is an accomplished judge, lawyer, and community leader with a record of bipartisan support, and we urge the Senate to quickly confirm Judge Scholer to the bench.”

Judge Scholer is currently a partner at Carter Scholer Arnett Hamada Mockler PLLC, in Dallas, Texas. She is an experienced litigator and former judge who has presided over 100 trials. Her judicial experience includes eight years as a state district judge on the 95th Judicial District Court, Dallas County, Texas. She has also served as the presiding judge for Dallas County Civil District Court Judges. Judge Scholer has been a partner at a number of firms in Dallas, including Jones Day, Andrews & Kurth LLP, and Strasburger & Price LLP. Active in her community, Judge Scholer has served in leadership positions in the Dallas Bar Association and Asian Pacific American community organizations. The State Bar of Texas, the University of Texas at Austin, and Superlawyers have all recognized Judge Scholer for her legal excellence and achievement.

In March 2016, Judge Scholer was nominated by President Obama to serve as a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, with the support of Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz.

NAPABA commends President Trump for nominating Judge Karen Gren Scholer to the bench and thank Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz of Texas for recommending Judge Scholer to the White House.

For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, at202-775-9555 or [email protected].

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 50,000 attorneys and over 80 national, state, and local bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government.

NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of the federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional development of people of color in the legal profession.

To learn more about NAPABA, visit www.napaba.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter(@NAPABA).

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Asian American Bar Association of New York and South Asian Bar Association of New York Congratulate Sanket Bulsara on his Appointment as U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of New York

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 30, 2017

Contact: Yang Chen, Executive Director

(212) 332-2478

NEW YORK — August 30, 2017. The Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) and the South Asian Bar Association of New York (SABANY) applaud the Honorable Sanket J. Bulsara on his historic appointment to serve as a United States Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Asian Pacific Americans are significantly under-represented in the federal judiciary, including in New York.  Upon his appointment, Judge Bulsara became the first South Asian American to serve as a judge within the Second Circuit.

Judge Bulsara was born in the Bronx but has been a resident and an active community member of Queens, where his parents first lived upon immigrating to the United States from India.  He began his legal career by serving as a law clerk for the Honorable John G. Koeltl of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Judge Bulsara then worked as an associate at the law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olsen LLP in Los Angeles, California, before returning to New York in 2004, where he worked as a Manager of Planning and Data Analysis for the New York City Department of Education.

In 2005, Judge Bulsara joined the law firm of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP as an associate and was elevated to partner in 2012, becoming the first Asian Pacific American litigation partner in the firm’s New York office.  At WilmerHale, he developed a trial-centered practice, while also developing the firm’s pro bono practice.  His trial experience included a secondment from 2007 to 2008, when he worked as a Special Assistant District Attorney in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, for which he received an Outstanding Service Award.

Prior to his appointment, he worked at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, serving as the Acting General Counsel and the Deputy General Counsel for Appellate Litigation, Adjudication and Enforcement.

“AABANY congratulates Judge Bulsara on his appointment and commends the Eastern District of New York for not only appointing a highly qualified candidate to this important position but also recognizing a continuing commitment to a bench reflecting the diversity of the general population,” states AABANY President Dwight Yoo. “Judge Bulsara follows in the path blazed by Judge Go, Judge Kuo, Judge Matsumoto and Judge Chen in the EDNY and blazes his own trail by being the first South Asian judge in the Second Circuit. We are proud to count Judge Bulsara among the most distinguished of our members and look forward to continuing to work with him in his new role at the EDNY.”

“SABANY is proud to congratulate Judge Bulsara as he enters the judiciary,“ states SABANY President Mahesh Parlikad. "Judge Bulsara exemplifies what it means to be a public servant, and as the first South Asian judge in the Second Circuit, his appointment resonates with a growing South Asian population in New York and across the nation. He is a role model for SABANY members and beyond. We are excited by the significance of an increasingly diverse EDNY bench at this time, particularly when other federal judicial nominations are lacking in diversity, and we are eager to continue to work with Judge Bulsara to serve our communities.”

For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (212) 332-2478, or direct any inquiries to [email protected].

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NAPABA and AAABA Respond to the Pardon of Sheriff Joe Arpaio

For Immediate Release
Aug. 28, 2017

                                                   For More Information, Contact:
                                                   Brett Schuster, Communications Manager
                                                   [email protected], 202-775-9555

WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and the Arizona Asian American Bar Association (AAABA) are disappointed by the pardon of former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

“The Constitution affords the President wide latitude in the ability to issue a presidential pardon. While we respect this authority, we are concerned about the message the expedited pardon of former sheriff Joe Arpaio sends to the public in a political way that undermines the rule of law and the judicial system,” said NAPABA President Cyndie M. Chang. “As attorneys, we find it troubling that a law enforcement officer would be pardoned and absolved of responsibility for ignoring a federal court order in a civil rights case. Various organizations, leaders from both parties, and communities of color have expressed shock and concern over the effect of the pardon on the public’s trust in the judiciary and the ability to seek recourse for those whose rights are violated.”

The AAABA board of directors made the following statement: “The Arizona Asian American Bar Association condemns President Trump’s pardon of former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. AAABA’s mission is to ‘promote and advocate for justice, equity, equality, inclusion, and opportunity through the Arizona legal profession.’ Accordingly, AAABA is, and has been, against Arpaio’s policies of racial profiling and discrimination, which terrorized the Hispanic and minority communities for many years. Arpaio’s conviction after a five-day trial represented a just result of the systematic violation of civil rights and racial discrimination of the Hispanic and minority communities over many years committed under Arpaio’s guidance and supervision. Arpaio’s conviction finally brought some closure and justice to his victims. The rule of law was upheld, and his conviction clearly demonstrated that no one was above the rule of law. President Trump’s pardon of Arpaio sends the wrong message to minority communities and the rest of the country. By pardoning Arpaio, President Trump has validated and endorsed injustice, discrimination, intolerance, racism, and disregard for the rule of law. This pardon only further divides this country, and is nothing more than a transparent decision to choose politics over justice and the rule of law. AAABA unequivocally condemns the pardon.”

Arpaio was convicted of criminal contempt by Judge Susan Bolton of the U.S. District Court of Arizona in July. He was found guilty of violating a court order by continuing to engage in illegal racial profiling and targeting of immigrants, stemming from a federal civil rights suit.

NAPABA and AAABA join their fellow national and local bar associations, including the American Bar Association and other diverse bar associations, in expressing disappointment over the pardon. In the current political climate where racial tensions are high in this country, it is important for NAPABA and its members continue to stand for justice, equity, and inclusion to preserve civil rights and to combat anti-immigrant backlash.

For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, at 202-775-9555 or [email protected].

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of almost 50,000 attorneys and approximately 75 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government.

NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of the federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional development of people of color in the legal profession.

To learn more about NAPABA, visit www.napaba.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter (@NAPABA).

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association | 1612 K St. NW, Suite 510 | Washington, D.C. 20006 | www.napaba.org

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ACLU-NJ’s New Executive Director is Amol Sinha, Jersey-Raised Civil Rights Advocate

Sinha, an attorney who directed state campaigns at the Innocence Project
and led NYCLU’s Suffolk County Chapter, will head NJ’s ACLU affiliate

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Contact:
Allison Peltzman, Communications Director, 973-854-1711 (office), 201-253-9403 (cell)
Keerthi Potluri, Communications Strategist, 973-854-1702

The ACLU-NJ today announced that Amol Sinha has been named as executive director. The Jersey City resident, who most recently led state advocacy campaigns to address wrongful convictions nationwide at the Innocence Project, will start on September 1.

He knows exactly what he’ll do in his first 100 days: a lot of listening.

“In the first few months, my plan is to travel across the state, listen to the needs of people here, meet with as many organizations, community groups, and people as possible, and make the ACLU completely accessible,” Sinha said. “I want people across the state to know that we’re here as a partner, to collaborate together to make New Jersey better and more welcoming than it already is.”

For Sinha, who grew up in Lawrenceville, taking the helm is a homecoming, not just to his home state, but to an organization that has always anchored him. Sinha’s first role as a newly minted lawyer – after interning for the national ACLU while a student at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law – was as director of the Suffolk County Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union. He said the job posting had an unforgettably fluid yet empowering description: “Be the face of the NYCLU.”

Approaching the responsibility with great pride, he transformed the Suffolk County Chapter into an advocacy powerhouse, making inroads with unexpected allies like the Suffolk County Police Department and Sheriff’s Office. The chapter, working with partners, convinced Suffolk County to stop honoring Obama-era immigration detainers – although that policy has been rolled back, a reminder that no battle for liberty stays won, no matter the administration. Under Sinha’s leadership, the chapter successfully defeated unconstitutional policing and surveillance schemes and investigated public schools that prohibited immigrant students from enrolling. The ACLU-NJ has done similar investigations of public schools and taken legal action as a result.

“The Board of Trustees is thrilled to welcome Amol Sinha to the ACLU-NJ family as our new Executive Director,” said ACLU-NJ Board President Deb Guston. “We expect Amol will bring both his passion for civil liberties, civil rights, and social justice, and his knowledge as a longtime New Jersey resident, to continue to move the ACLU-NJ forward.”

Sinha takes the helm at a time of significant growth for the ACLU-NJ, which recently added an immigrants’ rights attorney, staff attorney, and several legal fellows. The ACLU-NJ plans to fill the role of public policy director soon after Sinha starts as executive director, and the organization is currently accepting applications. (Read the policy director job posting, as well as other open positions, at www.aclu-nj.org/careers.) This growth coincides with new challenges in today’s social and political climate that call for greater vigilance.

“One quality of the ACLU I most admire is its inexhaustible capacity to remain principled, yet evolve to confront the ever-changing threats to our liberties, as we have seen this year,” Sinha said. “Crucially, the struggles for racial justice and the principles of free speech – both so fundamental to New Jersey communities – can be reconciled, and in this climate, they must. It may be complicated, but the ACLU does not shy away from complexity. We’re in it for the long haul.”

The ACLU-NJ role merges what Sinha described as his two passions: advocating for constitutional rights and New Jersey.

Sinha’s childhood in the Garden State was integral to his passion for civil rights. The son of Indian immigrants who came to America in the early 1970s, Sinha vividly recalls a persistent feeling that he couldn’t quite articulate. He has always been proud of his roots, but as with many first-generation Americans, struggled to find the right balance of identities. While finding comfort in New Jersey’s growing diversity, he witnessed interactions growing up that indicated some people viewed him and his family differently because of their immigrant South Asian roots. Such incidents often rolled off his parents’ backs. But for him, it was an introduction to larger injustices faced by many groups.

“The issues South Asian communities face are emblematic of civil rights issues – immigrants’ rights, racial justice, religious freedom, economic injustice, language access, gender-based discrimination, LGBT issues, and biased policing all impact South Asian communities in significant ways,” Sinha said.

“New Jersey has the largest proportion of South Asian residents of any state, so it’s meaningful for a member of that community to lead our state’s ACLU,” Sinha added. “But, I truly believe in unity and breaking barriers across communities. I want every community and every person in New Jersey to know they can call on the ACLU as a resource.”

Sinha is the first person of color to lead the ACLU-NJ and one of the first South Asian executive directors of an ACLU affiliate. Maya Harris, who led the ACLU of Northern California from 2006 to 2009, was the first person of South Asian descent to lead a state ACLU affiliate.

“Working for the ACLU never actually feels like work,” Sinha said. “It is truly a privilege to defend the rights of the people, and it aligns perfectly with my own principles and moral compass. I’m excited to come back home and have people across the state fall in love with the ACLU, just like I did.”

AABANY congratulates Amol Sinha, SABANY President-Elect, on this new position. We look forward to hearing great things from him as executive director of ACLU-NJ and we are pleased to be working with him as a leader of SABANY, one of our sister bar associations.

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Governor Cuomo Announces First-in-the-Nation State Partnership with National Organizations to Expand Successful Pro Bono Clemency Initiative

For Immediate Release
8/21/2017

                                                                    Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

State Partners with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, and Other Organizations to Expand Capacity to Provide Clemency Applicants with Pro Bono Legal Assistance

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a first-in-the-nation partnership between a state and a coalition of legal organizations to expand New York’s pro bono clemency program.

This partnership with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, with support from the Foundation for Criminal Justice, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, and other organizations is modeled after a successful federal program that has since been discontinued since the Trump administration. This new partnership greatly expands the Governor’s clemency initiative founded in 2015 that provided pro bono clemency petition services to individuals with criminal records or incarcerated in state prison.

“These nationally recognized organizations have already proven successful in helping incarcerated individuals get access to the resources they need to apply for clemency, make the case for their rehabilitation and have the opportunity to contribute to and re-enter society,” Governor Cuomo said. “I’m proud to partner with them to expand the work of this administration and its partners and take one more step toward a more just, more fair and morecompassionate New York for all.”

By engaging more pro bono lawyers, this partnership will provide a steady supply of high-quality clemency applications for the Governor’s Counsel’s Office to review. The NACDL will work with the Executive Clemency Bureau to identify those deserving of a second chance, and make clemency a more accessible and tangible reality in New York.

The Governor launched his clemency review initiative in 2015 with the assistance of the New York City Bar Association, the New York County Lawyers Association, the New York State Bar Association, the Legal Aid Society, Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York and the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and other state organizations. Governor Cuomo engages in a careful, holistic review of clemency applications and the assistance that these volunteer attorneys provide has resulted in an increase in the number of strong petitions for the Governor to review. Three individuals represented by pro bono counsel through the program were granted clemency in 2016.

Approximately 1,700 potential applicants for clemency have identified under this program and this new partnership with New York will increase the number of volunteer attorneys in the initiative to assist more applicants in need.

Under the now-defunct federal program, which was launched by the Obama Administration in 2014, these organizations trained nearly 4,000 volunteer lawyers from diverse practice backgrounds and completed screening of the more than 36,000 federal prisoners who requested volunteer assistance.

For more information about the NACDL/FAMM State Clemency Project, including how to sign up to volunteer, visit the project website, https://stateclemency.org.

Although individuals may apply for clemency without the assistance of an attorney, assistance from a pro bono attorney will enhance the quality of an inmate’s application and present his or her best case to the Governor.

Since 2011, Governor Cuomo has commuted the sentences of 10 individuals, and granted pardons to 114 individuals as a part of an ambitious clemency agenda that seeks to identify individuals demonstrating evidence of rehabilitation and self-development amounting to a true change in character or circumstance since incarceration, to help ensure that clemency is a more accessible and tangible reality. He used his pardon power to provide first in the nation relief for New Yorkers convicted of a misdemeanor or non-violent felony at 16 or 17 years old who have been crime-free for ten years, issuing the first conditional pardons to more than 100 New Yorkers in December 2016.

Individuals interested in applying for clemency should visit Governor Cuomo’s clemency website,www.ny.gov/clemency. The website is a central resource for those seeking to learn more about clemency, eligibility requirements, and the application process, including submitting application materials electronically. Family members and friends of individuals serving prison sentences are encouraged to visit the website and apply for clemency on behalf of their family member or friend.
 
Norman Reimer, Executive Director of NACDL said, “NACDL is proud to work with its partners, the Foundation for Criminal Justice (FCJ) and Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM), in a coordinated effort to recruit, train, and support pro bono counsel for all prisoner applicants for clemency. We salute Governor Cuomo and his administration for recognizing that people are capable of redemption and rehabilitation, and may have earned a fresh start in life.”

Bret Parker, Executive Director of the New York City Bar Association, said, “The New York City Bar Association looks forward to continuing its work with the Governor’s office on this worthy initiative that treats the incarcerated as individuals who in many cases deserve a second chance. We welcome NACDL’s participation in streamlining the process for all involved.”

Jennifer L. Van Ort, the Executive Director of the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers said, “By working with our colleagues in state government, we can more effectively offer pro bono legal assistance to individuals who are incarcerated in New York prisons. This partnership is a welcome expansion to the existing project, as it will bring more lawyers together with applicants without the resources to pay for representation. With more training, mentoring, and electronic access to client materials, this partnership will help our members better represent reformed and rehabilitated applicants in the State’s process to apply for clemency. I thank the Governor for expanding this successful program and for being a staunch ally of incarcerated New Yorkers.”
 
David Loftis, Attorney-In-Charge of Post-Conviction and Forensic Litigation at the Legal Aid Society said, “We have been pleased to work with the Governor’s office on clemency cases. In particular, we have been gratified that, over the past year, the Governor has commuted the sentences of worthy applicants represented by The Legal Aid Society and our pro bono partners. We were excited to learn that NACDL will be joining the clemency effort, and The Legal Aid Society looks forward to partnering with them to bring candidates deserving a second chance to the Governor’s attention.”

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NAPABA Opposes the RAISE Act

For Immediate Release

Aug. 4, 2017

                                                  For More Information, Contact:
                                                  Brett Schuster, Communications  Manager
                                                  [email protected], 202-775-9555

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) opposes the RAISE Act (S. 1720), introduced by Senators Cotton (Ark.) and Purdue (Ga.). The bill would cut all legal immigration into the United States by half, impacting businesses and preventing the reunification of families.  Notably, the RAISE Act, (1) curtails family-based visa programs, (2) makes a reduction in refugee admissions permanent, (3) slashes the number of green cards available, and (4) replaces employment visa categories with a point-based merit system that gives priority to individuals based on criteria including age, English proficiency, education, and economic factors.

“Commonsense immigration reform is necessary, but the RAISE Act keeps families apart, and undermines American businesses and their workforce needs,” said NAPABA President Cyndie M. Chang. “This bill reduces legal immigration, turns our backs on refugees, and rejects our core value of keeping families together. Nearly two-thirds of the Asian Pacific American community immigrated to the United States and we have long been targets of discriminatory immigration legislation. We stand against this bill.”

Nearly two-thirds of the Asian Pacific American community is foreign-born and 92 percent of Asian Pacific Americans are immigrants or have immigrant parents. Asian Pacific American families are diverse, having come to the U.S. to join their families to seek opportunity, or as refugees following humanitarian crises. The majority of these families came to the U.S. under employment-based visas and family-based visa programs that would be cut under this legislation. Further, these reductions would increase delays in the already long visa-backlog that continues to keep families apart.

The RAISE Act fails to address the real problems that plague the immigration system. NAPABA recognizes the invaluable contribution of immigrants to our country and urges Congress to reject this bill.

For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, at 202-775-9555 or [email protected].

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of almost 50,000 attorneys and over 80 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government.

NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of the federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional development of people of color in the legal profession.

To learn more about NAPABA, visit www.napaba.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter (@NAPABA).

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association | 1612 K St. NW, Suite 510 | Washington, D.C. 20006 | www.napaba.org

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