Attorney Emeritus Program
Through the Attorney Emeritus Program, New York attorneys fifty-five years of age or older, both retired and still practicing, give back to their communities and to the courts through pro bono service. These attorneys have earned the status of Attorney Emeritus under the New York State Unified Court System, and their experience, guidance, and service benefit over 1.8 million pro se litigants, to the relief of both low-income individuals in the community and the court system itself. To become an Attorney Emeritus, you must have at least 10 years of experience, be in good standing as an attorney, and commit to a minimum of 60 hours of pro bono service. By working through Attorney Emeritus Program providers, Emeritus Attorneys can earn up to 15 CLE credits, and legal malpractice insurance is provided through the legal service organization for which they volunteer. Emeritus Attorneys empower their communities in a variety of ways, from legal assistance and information to providing full representation.
Enroll to become an Attorney Emeritus at anytime, or opt to do so the next time you receive your attorney registration form! Click the link above to apply, or for more information.
Chinese-American Planning Council Holds Conference for Chinese Families with Developmental Needs
Chinese-American Planning Council Holds Conference for Chinese Families with Developmental Needs
A few days before an AABANY co-sponsored kickoff training event where lawyers and associates were trained to better meet the needs of Chinese families with children with disabilities, the Chinese-American Planning Council held a support conference on special education services for the Chinese community on July 7th.
Children with special needs benefit enormously from special education programs, but many Chinese families turn away from special education out of shame or denial over their children’s developmental delays. At the support conference, a full audience of 150 people–with 200 more on the waiting list–was advised to accept a child’s special needs and to meet those needs through special education. Customized programming catered to students’ individual situations can provide a discrimination-free education that builds self-confidence and gives students the tools they need to thrive.
For more information about Legal Service NYC’s special pro bono project to combat this problem, please contact Nelson Mar, AABANY member and attorney at Legal Services NYC, at [email protected]
Free Legal Services at the Legal Pit Stop Clinic!
The next Legal Pit Stop is fast approaching. The clinic intends to reach a broader range of small business owners who lack the time, expertise or income to address their specific legal needs.
The “Legal Pit Stop” legal advice clinic will be held on Monday, June 26th from 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM at Pillsbury LLP’s offices in Times Square (1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036), with appointments beginning at both 5:30pm and 6:30pm.
Please register at: https://www.tfaforms.com/4618359
Volunteer attorneys will be on hand to advise on the following legal topics: sales tax, business insurance, entity choice, contract and commercial lease review, corporate governance, and corporate risk assessment. The Legal Pit Stop does not have business stage requirements, but each business candidate must receive less than 300% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
NAPABA Seeks Volunteer General Counsel
NAPABA Seeks Volunteer General Counsel
NAPABA is searching for a pro bono General Counsel to advise the NAPABA Board of Governors and the NAPABA Executive Director on a broad range of legal issues. The General Counsel also acts as a key strategic partner to the Board and Executive Director by providing guidance on many non-legal governance matters.
The General Counsel should be a senior-level, highly respected lawyer who has been active in NAPABA and who has some familiarity with the organization’s history and leadership. The General Counsel does not need to possess any particular legal background, but s/he should have access to other lawyers at his/her firm who could provide specialized expertise in areas such as non-profit governance, Illinois corporate law, employment, contracts, privacy, public communications, and non-profit tax. Although NAPABA is incorporated in Illinois and based in Washington, D.C., issues do arise from time to time that require expertise in the law of other jurisdictions. For these reasons, although association with a large firm is not required, it could be very helpful to the General Counsel in executing his/her duties.
To recommend a candidate or for more information, please contact NAPABA Executive Director Tina Matsuoka at [email protected].
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association | 1612 K St. NW, Suite 510 | Washington, D.C. 20006 | www.napaba.org
NAPABA Files Amicus Brief Supporting the First Legal Challenge to President’s Revised Muslim and Refugee Ban
For Immediate Release
March 13, 2017
For More Information, Contact:
Brett Schuster, Communications Manager
[email protected], 202-775-9555
WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) filed an amicus brief in State of Hawaii v. Trump to support Hawaii’s challenge to President Trump’s March 6, 2017, revised executive order barring individuals from six Muslim-majority countries and refugees from entering the United States.
Filing just before midnight on March 7, Hawaii became the first state to challenge the revised order and the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii agreed to hear the case on an expedited schedule. Judge Derrick K. Watson will hear oral argument on the State’s motion for a temporary restraining order on March 15, the day before the revised order is to take effect.
“I look no further than NAPABA’s mission to underscore the imperative for NAPABA to file its own amicus brief on this very issue. The new executive order is no less invidious than its predecessor,” said NAPABA President Cyndie M. Chang. “Asian Pacific American communities historically have been excluded and restricted in immigration and naturalization policies and have experienced the tragedy of forced incarceration during WWII. We understand first-hand the harms that this kind of discrimination will inflict upon Muslim and refugee communities. We will not forget this particular anti-immigrant history, and we are compelled to share our historically-based legal perspectives with the Court.”
NAPABA’s amicus brief describes decades of statutory exclusion of citizens of Asian and Pacific Island countries under early U.S. immigration law, including the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 — the first federal law to ban a group of people on the basis of their race. The Civil Rights Era marked a dramatic turning point that saw Congress dismantle nationality-based discrimination with the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. The brief explains that presidential discretion in the area of immigration and refugee admission, while broad, is limited by statute. NAPABA argues that President Trump’s revised order, motivated by anti-Muslim purpose, violates the unambiguous prohibition on discrimination established by Congress.
“I thank the many members of the NAPABA legal community who supported NAPABA’s drafting and filing of this expedited brief,” continued Chang. “Particular thanks goes to our pro bono counsel at McDermott Will & Emery LLP and pro bono local counsel at Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing for their leadership on this important brief.“
NAPABA recognizes lead counsel, James W. Kim, a NAPABA member and partner at McDermott Will & Emery LLP, in Washington, D.C., Mr. Kim’s team (Mark Calaguas, David Gacioch, Andrew Genz, Matthew Girgenti, Emre Ilter, Neha Khandhadia, Philip Levine, Riley Orloff, Sara Raaii, Joshua Rogaczewski, Amandeep Sidhu, and Michael Stanek), and NAPABA Amicus Committee chair, Professor Radha Pathak of Whittier Law School, for their leadership drafting the brief, which also involved the efforts of NAPABA staffers. NAPABA is represented by local counsel Pamela W. Bunn and John Rhee, with the support of William Kaneko, of Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Read the amicus brief here.
Read the March 6, 2017, statement of NAPABA and the South Asian Bar Association – North America, joined by 14 affiliates, against the revised executive order.
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 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).
AFFILIATE GRANT PROGRAM
The NAPABA Affiliate Grant Program provides support to affiliates and national associates for projects related to membership development and pro bono activities.
Deadline | March 31, 2017
For more information about the application schedule and to apply visit the program page here.
Pro Bono General Counsel Program – National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
Pro Bono General Counsel Program – National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
The NAPABA Pro Bono General Counsel Program seeks to provide organizations serving the Asian Pacific American (APA) community with access to high-quality, pro bono legal advice and counsel that they cannot afford. The program is intended to help APA-serving organizations promote good governance practices and comply with relevant laws and regulations. The General Counsel’s activities might include advising clients about maintaining tax exempt status, reviewing contracts, and ensuring compliance with fundraising regulations. We provide these services through the generous pro bono services of volunteer attorneys.
Interested organizations and volunteer attorneys should complete the designated application forms. Applications will be submitted to the database, and organizations will be provided an opportunity to interview and hire a volunteer attorney.