NYSBA: Empire State Counsel Program
Passing along some important information from NYSBA:
Office of the President
Dear Jean:
I write in my capacity as the President of the New York State Bar Association to tell you about the Empire State Counsel® Program and cordially invite you to join the ranks of this elite group. The Empire State Counsel® Program is a purely voluntary initiative which seeks to recognize those who perform significant pro bono service.
The Empire State Counsel® designation is reserved exclusively for NYSBA members who, during the calendar year, performed 50 hours or more of free legal assistance either through direct legal representation of a low-income individual; or by donating free legal services to an organization whose services are designed primarily to address the legal and other basic needs of persons of limited financial means; or by providing free legal services to an organization dedicated to increasing the availability of legal services to vulnerable and/or low-income populations. The program is open to NYSBA members even if they are employed in another state or overseas. If you are not currently a member of the Association, but otherwise meet the criteria, we hope that you will consider becoming a member. If you join the Association by February 28th, you will receive a free membership to the section of your choice and a free NYSBA tote bag. Click here to access the Membership Application.
To date, more than 6,897 NYSBA members, located in virtually every state in the United States, as well as in Europe, Indonesia, Africa, Canada and India, have achieved this distinction. Since the program was launched by then President Mark Alcott approximately six years ago, Empire State Counsel® members, collectively, have donated 1,001,924 hours of free legal services to individuals and families. Our members’ pro bono contributions have provided critical legal assistance in the areas of mortgage foreclosure, landlord-tenant issues, bankruptcy, immigration, asylum, domestic violence, child custody, and vital government benefits.
In recognition of the significant contributions our members make to pro bono through their law firms, the Association plans to award a plaque to the law firms enrolling the largest number of Empire State Counsel® for service during 2012. An award will also be presented to two individual attorneys whose pro bono contribution made a significant difference during 2012.
Individual honorees will receive a certificate suitable for framing and the signature Empire State Counsel® lapel pin. Honorees may use this honorific designation as a credential on their resume and the names of the individual honorees will be published in a variety of Association publications. Empire State Counsel® honorees will be recognized during the Association’s Annual Meeting at the complimentary Justice for All Luncheon which will be held on Thursday, January 24th at the Hilton New York, from 12:30 to 2:00pm.
Kindly share this letter with the attorneys at your firm who are actively involved in pro bono. Hopefully they will find the program worthwhile and wish to register. Enrollment is open now through the end of February 2013. The 2012 Verification Form is a fillable PDF form that is available online at www.nysba.org/2012ESCVF and may be submitted directly to the Department of Pro Bono Affairs for processing. Alternatively, if it is more convenient, the firm’s pro bono coordinator may submit a list of attorney names and their respective pro bono hours, together with a single completed verification form attesting to the accuracy of the list. The Department of Pro Bono Affairs will be responsible for determining the membership status of each attorney and will relay that information back to the firm pro bono coordinator. Any questions about the program may be directed to Gloria Herron Arthur, Director, Department of Pro Bono Affairs, at [email protected] or by telephone at (518) 487-5641.
Thank you for your consideration of this program.
Sincerely,
Seymour W. James, Jr., President
SDNY offers Trial Advocacy Training for Pro Bono Lawyers
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York is pleased to offer a full-day trial advocacy training for pro bono lawyers. Led by District Court judges and leading practitioners, this training is offered to lawyers who are admitted to practice in the Southern District and are interested in providing pro bono representation to pro se litigants.
The program takes place on Friday, January 11, 2013 and runs from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse (500 Pearl Street, Room 850).
The training is free and will offer participants an opportunity to receive CLE credit for their participation. For more information, please download the PDF here.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Pro Bono Training
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
Pro Bono Training
Thousands of young immigrants have been approved for “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals” (DACA). But with an estimated 100,000 undocumented Asian immigrants eligible, we have thousands more to reach. DACA is a Department of Homeland Security directive that gives eligible undocumented youth a two-year pause from the threat of deportation and an opportunity to secure a work permit. For many, this will be the first opportunity to legally work and live in this country.
Many of these immigrants are from the communities served by the various Asian bar associations of New York. Taking on a DACA case pro bono is a discrete way to learn basic immigration law and begin to change the life of undocumented youth.
The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) is seeking pro bono counsel to represent eligible young people applying for DACA. No prior legal experience is required, but pro bono counsel will be required to attend a training prior to taking a case. These cases will help support the work of AALDEF’s youth group for undocumented Asian Americans.
If you are interested in taking a DACA case through AALDEF, please join us for the training on:
Tuesday, November 27 from 6:30pm-8:30pm
at Linklaters, 1345 6th Avenue New York, NY 10105
To register for the training, please email AALDEF at: [email protected].
Please confirm in advance that you are covered by professional liability insurance.
2 CLE credits are being provided by the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY)
For more information about what this new directive means for Asian American communities, see our legal alert.
Generously co-sponsored by:
Asian American Bar Association of New York
Muslim Bar Association of New York
Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York
South Asian Bar Association of New York
Muslim Bar Association of New York
Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York
South Asian Bar Association of New York
Post-Sandy Recovery Efforts – Volunteers Needed For Friday’s Pro Bono Clinic
From KALAGNY:
We know this has been a difficult time for many of you. We hope you and your family are safe and are recovering post Sandy.
KALAGNY invites volunteer attorneys to make a difference in the lives of those adversely affected by Sandy. Along with other social service providers, we will hold a pro bono “clinic” this Friday, November 9, 2012, from 1-6 p.m. at the Korean American Association of Greater New York (149 West 24th Street, 6th Fl. in Manhattan) (map). No specialized legal experience is necessary. A training session and lunch will be served at noon at the same location prior to the clinic.
At the clinic, KALAGNY and its partner organizations will provide legal support to individuals and businesses that may be facing homelessness, unemployment, medical exigencies, business interruption, or a combination of the foregoing. We are seeking 1-2 bilingual (i.e., Korean) volunteers for an information table at the Clinic. Please e-mail [email protected] if you are interested in volunteering by Wednesday November 7, 2012.
Volunteer Opportunities to Help Victims of Hurricane Sandy
Thanks to Yomi Ajaiyeoba, President of the Nigerian Lawyers Association, for passing along this information.
New York State Bar Association:
Please Volunteer for Pro Bono Efforts to Assist Hurricane Victims
The New York State Bar’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service is recruiting attorneys that can provide free telephone consultations to individuals affected by Hurricane Sandy. There is need for attorneys with insurance, landlord/tenant, co-op and condo, or FEMA appeals experience, as well as those who can handle general practice matters.
We encourage attorneys outside the NYC area to volunteer. The program is set-up to assist victims via phone consultation.
Please respond as soon as possible if you can help hurricane victims in need.
Go to: www.nysba.org/DisasterVolunteerSandy to fill out your volunteer form.
City of New York:
There will be various ways to volunteer to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy – Want to Volunteer? Please email [email protected] with your name, email address and borough. There will be ways to volunteer today and over the next week as opportunities arise.
NYT: Mandatory Pro Bono To Start in 2013
NYT: Mandatory Pro Bono To Start in 2013
On May 1 (Law Day), the New York Times reported that Chief Judge Lippman has mandated pro bono service for new lawyers starting in 2013, making New York the first state to do so.
The approximately 10,000 lawyers who apply to the New York State Bar each year will have to demonstrate that they have performed 50 hours of pro bono work to be admitted, Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman said. He said the move was intended to provide about a half-million hours of badly needed legal services to those with urgent problems, like foreclosure and domestic violence.
What do you think? Is this a good development or not so good? Is this the right solution to a pressing problem? Share your thoughts!
Reproductive Rights’ Asia Legal Program Needs Pro Bono Attorneys
The Center for Reproductive Rights’ Asia Legal Program is currently seeking pro bono assistance for a range of projects. The Center is an international non-governmental organization that uses constitutional, comparative and international human rights law to advance women’s reproductive rights. As part of its initiative to litigate cases on behalf of women who have experienced violations of their reproductive rights, the Center will organize the first ever South Asia Reproductive Rights Case Development Workshop in Kathmandu, Nepal.
The Center is currently seeking pro bono partners to collaborate with in developing these country-specific litigation tools for this training. Please feel free to email [email protected] directly with any questions, or if you might be interested in taking on a project. This sheet provides relevant information about projects currently available.
//picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf
On Saturday, December 10, AABANY’s Pro Bono and Community Service Committee presented two community workshops at the Indochina Sino-American Community Center (ISACC) in Manhattan’s Chinatown. In the morning, Kings County ADA Kin Ng and elder law attorney Pauline Yeung-Ha, partner at Grimaldi & Yeung, spoke about financial abuse of seniors. In the afternoon, Nelson Mar, senior staff attorney at Legal Services NYC, spoke about the educational rights of immigrant children in New York City public schools. Peter Cheng, Executive Director of ISACC, and his staff provided translation services to the many members of the Chinatown community that came out to learn more about their legal rights in the areas of elder law and education law. Tony Lu and Karen Wu, co-chairs of the Pro Bono and Community Service Committee, helped to organize the program as part of AABANY’s effort to reach out to the community. For photos of the event, go to http://bit.ly/aabany_isacc2011. For more information about the Pro Bono and Community Service Committee, contact Tony and Karen at [email protected].
(Source: http://bit.ly/)
Congratulations to Karen Wu, NYSBA Outstanding Young Lawyer
Karen Wu, Co-Chair of AABANY’s Pro Bono and Community Service Committee, has been recognized by the New York State Bar Association as an Outstanding Young Lawyer. As stated by NYSBA’s Young Lawyers Section:
Each year the Young Lawyers Section of the New York State Bar Association honors a young lawyer who has rendered outstanding service to both the community and legal profession. The Outstanding Young Lawyer Award recognizes an attorney who has actively practiced less than 10 years, and has a distinguished record of commitment to the finest traditions of the Bar through public service and professional activities.
Karen, as an associate at Perlman & Perlman and in her numerous volunteer and community service activities, amply meets the requirements of the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award. Please join us in congratulating Karen on this outstanding achievement. You can reach her directly at [email protected], or feel free to leave a comment on this post.
