On September 22, 2026, AABANY’s Student Outreach Committee and Government Service and Public Interest Committee co-hosted a panel discussion at St. John’s University School of Law on public defense and public interest careers, bringing together law students, attorneys, and community members. Three lawyers – Eugene Kim, Criminal Defense; Shirley Luong, Tenants’ Rights; and Rex Chen, Immigration – provided insight on their day-to-day, the work that keeps them going, and how their practices confront systemic struggles while serving and representing the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.
Criminal Defense: Eugene Kim
After graduating from Northeastern University School of Law, Eugene began his career at the Legal Aid Society, where he spent many years representing approximately 3,000 clients. He went on to work in the Mayor’s Office, but during the panel, Eugene reflected on his time at the Legal Aid Society. He has also served previously as Vice Chair and Co-Chair of AABANY’s Pro Bono & Community Service Committee.
When asked to describe what his typical day at work looked like, he talked about time spent staffing the courtroom, moving between court appearances, legal research, and visits to Rikers Islands to take on new cases.
Eugene described both the challenges and rewards of his practice. The biggest challenge, he said, was that there are “no moral victories in court,” especially in criminal defense. For Eugene, the most rewarding aspect is “winning for a client when their family is in the room,” which he said is what kept him going.
On the issue of racism in his profession, Eugene was direct: In the criminal justice system, racism is unfortunately a “feature” of it. As a public defender, his goal was to provide “the best defense that money can’t buy.” Turning to the AAPI community, Eugene expressed his belief that AAPI residents are underrepresented because there are fewer attorneys who share their backgrounds and can understand them, and he called for greater advocacy towards proper representation. His advice for attorneys entering the profession: leadership cannot be forced. “Figure out who you are and stay true to it, because people will notice if you don’t.”
Tenants’ Rights: Shirley Luong
A lifelong New Yorker born and raised in Flushing, Shirley attended Brooklyn Law School. From 2024-25, she served as Vice Chair of AABANY’s Pro Bono & Community Service Committee and is currently Vice Chair of AABANY’s Government Service & Public Interest Committee. She is a Staff Attorney in housing justice and tenant defense at the Legal Aid Society, where she has worked for the past decade. Shirley is passionate about pursuing justice for her clients’ housing circumstances. For example, just before the pandemic struck, she compelled a landlord to build a wheelchair-accessible ramp so that her client could safely and conveniently access his own home.
For Shirley, secondary trauma is the greatest challenge of her direct service work. As a client’s first line of defense, she found it difficult to balance sympathy with maintaining the emotional distance needed for her profession. The reward is the flip side: the impact on people’s lives is immediate and tangible.
When asked about racism in her area of practice and how her work addresses it, she describes it as systemic and deeply rooted – a theme all the panelists shared. Housing policies like redlining, she explained, historically excluded communities of color from homeownership and, with it, generational wealth. This turns into exclusion from employment opportunities, education, and other benefits, rights, and privileges. Though such practices are now illegal, they have lasting effects, and minority communities continue to be targeted in housing court today. To Shirley, tenants’ rights form an essential aspect of racial justice work. For AAPI clients specifically, language access remains a barrier, as housing law is difficult to understand, even for attorneys, and interpretation often can’t accurately communicate legal terminology.
Immigration Law: Rex Chen
Rex Chen has over 20 years of immigration law experience. After graduating from New York University School of Law, he worked at the Legal Aid Society and the Safe Passage Project, later served as Director of Immigration at Legal Services NYC, and now serves as Supervising Attorney for Immigrant Rights at LatinoJustice PRLDEF, where his work includes impact litigation meant to benefit whole groups of people. His days mix client consultations, tracking constant shifts in immigration law, and mentoring pro bono attorneys on their own cases.
For Rex, keeping a moral compass when everything is changing has presented his biggest challenge. His reward is knowing that he and his work are on what he deems “the right side of history.” Rex spoke candidly about the systemic racism rooted in immigration law and how his team responds: commenting on proposed rules, prioritizing antiracist projects, and educating communities. On AAPI communities specifically, he pointed to how criminal convictions can lead to deportation, including Southeast Asian community members for offenses committed when they were young, and increasingly racist policies aimed at South Asians and Muslims. Stereotypes, he noted, affect AAPI attorneys and inevitably enter public interest spaces – something that continued community engagement and advocacy will help address.
Together, the three panelists offered an introspective and candid look at what it takes to sustain a career in public defense and public interest law: the emotional weight of the work, the systemic issues it addresses, and the communities it serves.
AABANY thanks Eugene, Shirley, and Rex for sharing their perspectives and for the work they do, and Victoria Elise and Nathan Cao of St. John’s University School of Law for moderating. AABANY also thanks St. John’s University School of Law for hosting this event and gratefully acknowledges Student Outreach Committee Co-Chairs, Helen Ding and Joseph D. Eng Jr., and the Government Service & Public Interest Committee Co-Chairs, Kevin Hsi and Johnny Thach, for organizing this event. To learn more about the Student Outreach Committee and how you can get involved, go here. To learn more about the Government Service and Public Interest Committee go here.
PBCS volunteers, comprising volunteer attorneys and law students, met with 20 clients and provided guidance on a variety of legal issues, including housing, immigration, real estate property, trusts and estates, family law, public benefits, and civil litigation.
Positive feedback from the clients included: “Productive! Helpful.” and “Thank you for this service! Really appreciate it!!“
Thank you to the following volunteers for attending the Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic:
Attorneys: Jingjuan (Max) Guo Kevin Hsi Beatrice Leong Arthur Lin Carrie Nie Ahseon Park Gary Yeung
Interpreters/shadowers: Helen Ding Cheri Chaibut Kaleah Haddock Nandar Win Kerr Alexandra Ly Pan Pan Renato Pangan Ellyse Ramos Jingjing Wang Suzie Yu Wendy Zeng Kangjie Zheng Nathan Zou
Special thanks to those who stayed late to consult on the last-minute housing case!
We invite you to continue supporting our community by joining us at our upcoming Pro Bono Clinics:
October 27th [Woodside Queens pop-up clinic link here] from 6:30-8:30pm, Assemblymember Steven Raga’s Office (Cellar), 60-14 Queens Blvd, Woodside, NY 11377
November 14th [Brooklyn link here], from 12:30 – 3:30pm, CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232
November 18th [Manhattan link here] from 6:30-8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002
December 2nd [Queens link here], from 6:30 – 8:30pm, AAFE One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355
To learn more about the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, visit probono.aabany.org.
We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming clinic sessions.
On Saturday, September 26, at Fordham Law School, AABANY hosted its 2026 Fall Conference, with the theme “Rising Up to Meet the Future: Cultivating Tomorrow’s Leaders Today.” Thanks to Fordham Law School for hosting this day-long event. The full-day event offered multi-track CLE programming throughout the morning and afternoon, a plenary lunch session, and different opportunities for professional development, networking, and community-building. In addition to CLE sessions, the Conference also featured the Trial Advocacy Program, Diversity Career Fair, Link-Up Reception, and meetings and gatherings throughout the day hosted by various AABANY Committees.
The day began with an ample breakfast buffet that was most welcome on a wet and stormy morning. Despite the nor’easter brewing outside, the warmth of the food and energy in the room created a welcoming start to the day, bringing together friends and colleagues, old and new, into the AABANY community.
Morning Sessions
From 9:00 to 10:30 AM, participants could choose from the following four CLE panels:
Rising Up to Serve: Leveraging Bar Associations for Community-Centered Lawyering – exploring how attorneys can use bar associations and community organizations to respond to the legal needs of AANHPI and immigrant communities, expand access to legal services, all the while engaging in community-centered advocacy.
AI, Voice, Likeness and Persona: How Tomorrow’s Lawyers Will Define Ownership, Consent, and Control – examining the rapidly changing legal questions surrounding AI-generated replicas of voices, faces, likeness, and other personal attributes, covering issues of ownership, consent, control, monetization, and misuse.
Bridging the Gap! Transitioning from MPRE to Real-World Ethics – focusing on moving beyond the principles tested on the MPRE to consider how ethical obligations arise in the everyday practice of law and how new attorneys can apply those principles in professional and practical settings.
Conducting Effective Internal Investigations – examining the implications involved in managing internal investigations, from establishing protocols and determining scope to working with stakeholders and protecting privilege.
The next block, from 10:45 to 12:15 PM, offered:
How to Lateral: Building a Transferable, and Marketable Skill Set – providing insight into the skills, qualifications, and experiences employers look for in candidates, and how to build transferable skills.
Beyond Forms & Filings: How Tomorrow’s Immigration Attorneys Build Power Through Tech, Data, and Storytelling – examining how immigration attorneys can combine technology, data, and storytelling to strengthen advocacy, address systemic disparities, and better serve AANHPI communities in a rapidly changing policy environment.
The Modern Advocate: Mastering Courtroom Skills in a Changing Legal Landscape – preparing current and aspiring litigators for courtrooms shaped by AI, covering professionalism, oral advocacy, and working with pro se litigants from diverse communities while also discussing the ethical implications of using AI tools in preparing for court.
At the Table: Turning Today’s Great Lawyers into Tomorrow’s Trusted Client Advisors – exploring the judgement, steadiness, and strategic communication skills that enable attorneys to grow from technically excellent lawyers into trusted client advisors.
Plenary Lunch Session: Moving Forward After Trump v. Barbara – Constitutional Principles, Immigration Policy, and the American Process
At 12:30 PM, AABANY President Varuna Bhattacharyya gave opening remarks to a filled room for the Plenary Lunch Session: Moving Forward After Trump v. Barbara – Constitutional Principles, Immigration Policy, and the American Process. The lunch session brought together professors, lawyers, and advocates to examine the recent Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. Barbara and its implications for birthright citizenship, executive authority, and the Fourteenth Amendment. What stood out, however, was not simply the legal analysis of the decision but also the way the panel connected these constitutional questions surrounding birthright citizenship and the Fourteenth Amendment to the people and stories behind them.
The panel featured Beth Lew-Williams, Professor of History and Director of the Program in Asian American Studies at Princeton University; Edgar Chen, Special Policy Advisor at the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA); Razeen Zaman, Immigrants’ Rights Director at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF); and Gabriel “Jack” Chin, Professor at UC Davis School of Law. The discussion was moderated by Chris M. Kwok, Adjunct Professor at CUNY Hunter College, mediator and arbitrator at JAMS, and Co-Chair of AABANY’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee.
The plenary session deepened the appreciation and understanding for how intertwined constitutional law is to individuals’ everyday lives. Hearing Wong Kim Ark’s story alongside Trump v. Barbara made the Fourteenth Amendment feel less like an abstract piece of legal text and more like something tangible that shapes who is recognized as belonging to this country. That’s what made the lunch session so compelling: exploring how someone’s ordinary choices can become a part of a landmark legal history and examining how, over a century later, the country is still grappling with the questions surrounding the idea of belonging.
AABANY’s Career Advancement Committee Presents: Diversity Career Fair
AABANY’s Career Advancement Committee hosted its annual Diversity Career Fair (DCF) at the 2026 Fall Conference, bringing together various public and private sector employers and interested applicants from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Employers hosted informational tables, met with candidates, collected resumes, and conducted first-round on-site interviews. Throughout the day. The room was constantly filled with individuals looking to learn more about available opportunities and meet active members of AABANY in their professional settings.
While some employers were unable to attend due to the weather, the DCF still offered a wide range of career opportunities. Law students and lawyers moved between tables, asked questions, exchanged resumes, and connected directly with employers. At public interest tables, attendees gathered to learn about internships, externships, and volunteer opportunities, including opportunities with The Legal Aid Society. Government and public-sector employers, including the New York City Law Department and District Attorney’s Offices, similarly offered attendees the chance to learn directly from practitioners and representatives about these respective career paths.
In the private sector, employers such as Barclay Damon LLP provided opportunities for one-on-one conversations with one of the partners, allowing attendees to learn about what the firm was looking for while also establishing meaningful professional relationships.
Attendees also had the opportunity to meet members of AABANY’s Career Advancement Committee, receive career advice, and learn about additional career opportunities. The Committee collected resumes and distributed them to all employers after the event.
AABANY’s Litigation Committee Presents: The Trial Advocacy Program (TAP)
From 9:00 AM to 4:15 PM, AABANY’s Litigation Committee presented the 2026 Trial Advocacy Program (TAP) at the Fall Conference, giving junior lawyers an opportunity to strengthen their trial skills under the guidance of experienced judges and trial attorneys. The program focused on essentials of trial skills: opening statements, direct and cross-examinations, and closing statements.
Although TAP is usually held in person, this year’s program was moved to virtual format at the last minute due to the weather. Even with such short notice, the program drew a strong group of participants and maintained the interactive nature of the program. Participants worked through a mock trial scenario and prepared portions of their openings, examinations, and summations with a partner. Through the combination of lectures, practical exercises, and small-group mock trial sessions, participants were able to recreate the experience of an in-person trial as closely as possible. Judges and trial attorneys provided feedback throughout the exercise, allowing participants to strengthen their courtroom skills, receive constructive criticism, and learn strategies they can carry into actual practice. Even in the virtual format, the program fostered productive small break-out group conversations and hands-on participation, showing us how meaningful trial advocacy training could take place both beyond the courtroom and in-person.
The quality of the faculty was truly impressive. Participants learned from bench and bar alike, including the Hon. James R. Cho of the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of New York; Hon. Frances Wang of Queens Supreme Court; and the Hon. Christopher Chin of the New York Supreme Court. Prosecutorial experience was well represented by Joe Gim, Chief of Criminal Court at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office; Sara Khan, a Homicide ADA at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office; and Hana C. Kim, Bureau Chief of the Financial Frauds Bureau at the Queens County District Attorney’s Office. Participants were also able to hear from leaders in the private sector and in-house counsel, including Genny Ngai, Partner at Morrison Cohen; Diana Wang, Counsel at Clark Smith Villazor LLP; Hugh Mo, Principal of The Law Firm of Hugh H. Mo, P.C.; and Jacqueline Choi, In-House Litigation Counsel at Red Apple Group, Inc. Together, they offered participants a well-rounded view of effective trial advocacy from every side of the courtroom, and their generosity in sharing both their time and their depth of experience made the program all the more valuable. AABANY thanks each of them for their commitment to imparting trial advocacy skills to the next generation of lawyers.
Committee Meetings and Gatherings
Beyond the main programming, the third floor had its own energy. AABANY opened up rooms for Committees that wanted a space to network and gather, and a few Committees took full advantage, reserving rooms at different points throughout the day. AABANY’s CIRC Program, which is part of the Membership Committee, got things started in the morning, inviting participants to stop by to chat about their program updates, share feedback, and grab some delicious Asian snacks along the way. They brought so many treats that they continued their gathering in the Soden Lounge on the second floor, where Asian sweets and savory favorites disappeared within minutes. The Government Service & Public Interest (GSPI) Committee’s mooncake social stood out, giving members a chance to meet the Co-Chairs, hear about upcoming events, and enjoy a delicious mooncake alongside refreshments in celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Solo & Small Firm Practice (SSFP) Committee followed in the same room with an assortment of Levain cookies, a relaxed change of pace after a full day of programming where folks got to meet newer members and have a chance to catch up with other colleagues and longtime members. The Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, together with AALFNY, set up a table at the Diversity Career Fair to promote the Pro Bono Clinics and recruit volunteers.
Afternoon Sessions:
From 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM, attendees chose from the following programs:
Rising to the Challenge: A Balancing Act of Caregiving Leaders of the Sandwich Generation – informing potential and future caregivers about basic estate planning tools, long-term care planning, and special needs planning, along with providing them with resources available to help them balance these responsibilities and prepare for any potential crisis.
Clause and Effect: AI Contracting and Vendor Management – focusing on equipping lawyers to lead clients through AI governance by covering the privacy and cybersecurity risks of AI tools and examining the best practices for negotiating vendor agreements on data use, training, security, audit rights, and liability.
The Gentle and the Assertive: What New Motherhood Teaches About Advocacy – two mom litigators sharing how the dual roles of mother and advocate are strengthening their advocacy and leadership skills, offering AAPI attorneys a framework to leading authentically while making full use of their lived experiences.
The Mechanics of Public Company Stock Ownership and Voting – introducing proxy plumbing, the infrastructure and process behind shareholder voting, and how Broadridge keeps this process efficient, transparent, and compliant so that shareholders’ voices are heard in corporate governance.
From 4:15 PM to 5:45 PM, attendees could choose from the following programs:
Race and Space: How Laws Create and Impact Asian Spaces – exploring how, despite the promise of Reconstruction, many AANHPI New Yorkers still live and work in racially concentrated spaces, discussing how law and policy created them and what that means for the future of Asian communities.
IP and AI Slop: Why is Pikachu Fighting Darth Vader on My Instagram Feed? – examining the rise of unauthorized generative AI videos, the legal issues and options for IP owners, and what it all means for the future of content.
Building & Using the Diversity Pipeline in Arbitration & Mediation: Why it Matters and How to Participate – focusing on why diversity among arbitrators and mediators matters to the credibility of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and how lawyers, clients, and institutions can strengthen the pipeline of diverse neutrals, to include AANHPI attorneys interested in becoming neutrals.
No One Teaches This: How Attorneys Actually Build Clients and Become Rainmakers – exploring how attorneys can build credibility and lasting professional relationships that can grow into client development and leadership opportunities.
Link-Up Reception
An exciting way to wind down the day was the Link-Up Reception, which provided an opportunity for law firm attorneys and senior in-house counsel to connect and explore potential external legal services. Now in its second year, the invitation-only event was open to select in-house counsel and Gold-level sponsors and above, creating a more intimate setting for sponsors to engage directly with in-house decision-makers and establish professional connections.
With an almost one-to-one ratio of in-house counsel to law firm attendees, the reception felt intentionally intimate and direct. Rather than having brief introductions before moving onto the next conversation, attendees seemed to have the time and space to really listen to one another. Conversations about professional experiences and careers grew deeper as they continued to talk over hors d’oeuvres, creating opportunities for connections that felt more genuine and lasting.
The sense of possibility in the room was palpable. People were exchanging ideas, learning about one another’s work, and finding ways to build relationships that could grow beyond this gathering. It was a great way to bring together the professional connections and collaboration that had been growing throughout the day, and it set an energetic tone for the rest of the evening.
Cocktail Reception and Trailblazer Award Presentation
After the conclusion of the day’s programs, at 6:00 pm, all attendees were invited to the general Cocktail Reception, which provided a relaxed and celebratory setting to connect and unwind. The room was filled with food of every kind, from pigs in a blanket to crab cakes with a variety of dipping sauces, plus a vegetable and fruit platter that stretched across the center of the room, as well as both warm and cold options for any preference. Over appetizers and drinks, attorneys, law students, and other members of the AABANY community reconnected with colleagues and formed new professional relationships, with the buzz of conversation filling the air. The reception brought the conference to a close by creating an exciting space for networking and continued community-building.
The highlight of the evening was AABANY’s Executive Director Yang Chen presenting the Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award to Vincent Chang, former President of AABANY. Named for a legal and community pillar of Chinatown, the award honors a leader and role model in the AANHPI legal community, and Vincent Chang’s career exemplifies the award. Not only has he served as former AABANY President, but he was also the first Asian American to have served as President of NYCLA. He has held important leadership positions with the American Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association, where he currently serves on the Executive Committee.
In his acceptance remarks, Vince reflected on his involvement in the AANHPI legal community and the relationships and experiences that have shaped his career both in the private and public sphere. Vince expressed his appreciation for the community that has supported him throughout his career and acknowledged the strides made by AABANY and its leaders over the years. It was especially meaningful to see Vince celebrated alongside so many AABANY members, from past, present, and future Presidents to longtime and newer members, making for an inspiring and fitting way to conclude the 2026 Fall Conference.
Thank You!
We extend our deep thanks to all the volunteers from law schools and colleges for providing support with conference logistics, programming, and registration, and to all the moderators, panelists, Program Chairs, and attendees, whose participation and engagement made the Conference so successful and memorable.
We are also grateful to our sponsors, whose support made the Fall Conference possible:
Thanks to our volunteer photographers Alvin, Haoyu, and Zhiqian.
Thank you for joining us at the 2026 AABANY Fall Conference! We hope you found the day inspiring, engaging, and meaningful, and that you left with new connections and a stronger sense of community. We are grateful to have shared this special event with you and look forward to strengthening our engagement at future events.
PBCS volunteers, comprising volunteer attorneys and law students, met with 23 clients and provided guidance on a range of legal issues, including identity theft, matrimonial, housing, immigration, fraud, trust & estates, and civil litigation. We received positive feedback from the clients, expressing gratitude for the advice.
We thank the following volunteers for attending the Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic:
Attorneys:
Vishal Chander
Sam Chen
Francis Chin
Angie Liao
Arthur Lin
Kwok Kei Ng
May Wong
Jameson Xu
Gary Yeung
Non-attorneys:
Nandar Win Kerr
Jiaze Qu
Wendy Zeng
Thanks once again to all our volunteers for their commitment to Pro Bono service and for making a meaningful difference in our community.
We invite you to continue supporting our community by joining us at our upcoming Pro Bono Clinics:
– October 7th [Queens link here], from 6:30 – 8:30pm, AAFE One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355
Our volunteer attorneys and law students met with 21 clients to provide critical guidance on various legal issues, including housing, public benefits, family law, torts, immigration, trusts and estates, employment discrimination, and civil litigation.
One happy client remarked, “Francis took the time to listen to my situation and explained everything clearly.”
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the following volunteers who attended:
Attorneys: Sam Chen Ivy Chien Francis Chin Marcus Cheung Carmen Huang Justin Lee Beatrice Leong Susan Song Gary Yeung Evelyn Yu
Interpreters/Shadowers: Cheri Chibut Michael Chu Helen Ding Emily Kam Nandar Win Kerr Alexandra Ly Jingjing Wang Wendy Zeng Shang Zhai
Reporter Hu Shengqiao for the World Journal, the largest Chinese-language newspaper in the United States, recently featured AABANY’s Pro Bono and Community Service (PBCS) Committee , highlighting its more than a decade of dedicated service to the community. What began as a single consultation site at the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association in Manhattan has since expanded to Queens and Brooklyn.
Over the past decade, hundreds of pro bono lawyers and law students have served more than 3,000 Asian American residents across the three boroughs, with consultations covering housing, immigration, family law, inheritance, employment, and workers’ compensation. Most clients speak Mandarin or Cantonese, and many of them face systemic hurdles in the U.S. legal system. Each 30-minute session gives a volunteer attorney time to offer legal advice, review documents, and refer clients to more specialized services when needed.
The article showcases the three attorneys who coordinate the Pro Bono Clinics: Beatrice Leong, who manages the Manhattan clinic and specializes in family and divorce law; Kwok Kei Ng, a Court Attorney who manages the Brooklyn Clinic; and Gary Yeung, an attorney at McDermott Will & Schulte, who manages the Queens Clinic. They remarked that when they offered free legal advice, the people sitting across from them often reminded them of their own families—parents and elders who didn’t speak English facing difficulties with nowhere to turn.
Among the cases they recalled memorably was a nine-month-old girl with an inoperable brain tumor, who they helped by connecting with Yen-Yi Anderson, whose firm Anderson and Associates, P.C., provided the family with pro-bono services and established a trust fund for the girl. PBCS has also held more than ten “Know Your Rights” and community legal education sessions over the years. The Committee currently partners with local elected representatives and various nonprofit organizations, including the Chinese-American Planning Council in Brooklyn (CPC) and the Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) in Manhattan and Flushing.
To read the full article, click here (in Chinese).
PBCS volunteers, comprising volunteer attorneys and law students, met with 18 clients and provided guidance on a range of legal issues, including housing, immigration, real property, trusts and estates, labor and employment, family law, tax, public benefits, and civil litigation. Clients who needed further assistance were directed to AABANY’s Legal Referral and Information Service (LRIS), a resource that connects clients with qualified attorneys to represent them.
We had a large turnout at this clinic, including many new and old clients and volunteer attorneys. With the help of our attorneys and translators, we efficiently provided assistance for clients with multi-year old disputes, predetermined court dates, and emerging cases. One client expressed that they were “very impressed“ with the professionalism of the services provided.
While providing legal aid, our volunteer attorneys, shadowers, and interpreters gained a deeper understanding of the clients’ personal struggles and life stories, connecting them with deeply moving narratives that will permanently inspire and guide them throughout their future careers.
We thank the following volunteers for attending the Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic:
Attorneys
Francis Chin
Jack Hsia
Beatrice Leong
Arthur Lin
Kwok Kei Ng
Jasmine Tan
Hin Ton Wong
Gary Yeung
Interpreters/shadowers
Helen Ding
Cheri Chaibut
Kaitlyn Cheng
Qiao Kang
Nandar Win Kerr
Momo Sano
Allison Yu
Wendy Zeng
Zhiyi Zhang
Assisting amidst the rainstorm and showing up to serve those in need despite unbearable heat and unhealthy air quality, their dedication to our community was on full display.
We appreciate their dedicated service, serving as an inspiration to the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee.
We invite you to continue supporting our community by joining us at our upcoming Pro Bono Clinics:
– August 5th [Queens linkhere], from 6:30 – 8:30pm, AAFE One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355
– August 19th [Manhattan link here] from 6:30-8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002
– September 12th [Brooklyn link here] from 12:30-2:30pm, CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11232
To learn more about the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, visit probono.aabany.org.
We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming clinic sessions.
PBCS volunteers, comprising volunteer attorneys and law students, met with 23 clients and provided guidance on a range of legal issues, including housing, immigration, real property, trusts and estates law, labor and employment, family law, and civil litigation.
Positive feedback from some of the clients who came included: “I received helpful information today.” and “It was respectful & calm. I learned a lot as well.”
We thank the following volunteers for attending the Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic:
Attorneys: Vishal Chander Michael Chu Helen Ding Alice Liang Arthur Lin Willow (Yichun) Liu Kwok Kei Ng May Wong Jameson Xu Karen Kithan Yau Gary Yeung
Interpreters/Shadowers Gigi Chen Sam Chen Anna Chung Philip Han Nandar Win Kerr Hannah J. Lee Cynthia Li Luana Li Jingjing Wang Wendy Zeng Zhiyi Zhang Betty Xinyue Zhu
Thank you once again to all our volunteers for their commitment to Pro Bono service and for making a meaningful difference in our community.
We invite you to continue supporting our community by joining us at our upcoming Pro Bono Clinics:
– August 5th [Queens linkhere], from 6:30 – 8:30pm, AAFE One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355
– August 19th [Manhattan link here] from 6:30-8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002
– September 12th [Brooklyn link here], from 12:30 – 3:30pm, CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232
To learn more about the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, visit probono.aabany.org.
We look forward to your participation in the future clinic sessions!
Our Pro Bono Clinic helped nine clients this month, with varying issues ranging from housing, divorce, immigration, and a noise complaint. Due to the number of volunteers who showed up, the June Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic offered consultations that extended beyond the standard 30 minute time frame for each client, ensuring that our volunteers could provide the best possible guidance for clients with thorny legal issues. For some cases, volunteers directed clients to AABANY’s legal referral and information service (LRIS), a resource that connects clients with qualified attorneys to represent them.
Thank you to all of our volunteers for attending the Pro Bono Clinic. We look forward to your participation in future clinics!
Volunteer Attorneys
Wendy Cheng
Keey Diep
Carmen Huang
Justin Lee
Beatrice Leong
Arthur Lin
Meng Ru
Gary Yeung
Anna Bao
Suzie Yu
Law Students and Other Volunteers
Wenwen Cao
Jason Chen
Clive Chong
Nandar Win Kerr
Wendy Zeng
Zhiyi Zhang
Livy Li
We invite you to continue supporting our community by joining us at our upcoming Pro Bono Clinics:
July 11 [Brooklyn link here], from 12:30-3:00pm, CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11232
July 15 (Manhattan link here], from 6:30-8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002
August 5 (Queens link here], from 6:30-8:30pm, AAFE One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355
If you are interested in supporting the work of the Clinic, we encourage you to make a donation to AALFNY. AALFNY supports the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee (PBCS), provides scholarships and internship opportunities for law students, and works with the AABANY Anti-Asian Violence Task Force. Donations can be made here.
To learn more about the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, visit probono.aabany.org.
At the Clinic, our volunteers met with 12 clients, providing guidance on various legal issues, including housing, immigration, public benefits, and civil litigation. Their collective efforts ensured that each client received personalized support and essential legal assistance.
In addition to providing vital legal guidance to community members, our Pro Bono Clinics serve as a training ground for law students and young attorneys to practice communicating complex legal concepts in layman’s terms. We appreciate our volunteers for taking the time to listen to clients’ stories and giving them a space to be heard. The dedication of our volunteers continues to bridge the justice gap in our community.
Volunteer attorneys:
Beatrice Leong
Francis Chin
Jieman Tan
Helen Ding
Meng Ru
Anna Chuen
Carmen Huang
Anthony Wong
Xiaodan Song
Arthur Lin
Cecilia Yang
Alexandra Ly
Interpreters/Shadowers:
Rachel Kim
Eva Lee
Elaine Pan
Shang Zhai
We invite you to continue supporting our community by joining us at our upcoming Pro Bono Clinics next month:
May 9th [Brooklyn link here], from 12:30 – 2:30pm, CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232
May 20th [Manhattan link here], from 6:30 – 8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002
Thank you for making a significant difference in our community. We are deeply grateful for everyone’s contributions and look forward to continuing this important work together! We hope to see you at our May clinics!
—Written by Eva Lee and Rachel Kim, AABANY Interns
