New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG)/Total Life Choices (TLC) and Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) Pro Bono Listing for August 2014
PARENTS SEEKING ARTICLE 17A GUARDIANSHIP OVER THEIR 18-YEAR-OLD SON
(Mandarin and Cantonese Speaker)
Mr. and Mrs. Y are the parents of an autistic child, F. F is an autistic 18 year-old. Mr. and Mrs. Y seek assistance with an article 17a guardianship. Physician affidavits have been completed. Mr. and Mrs. Y’s primary language is Mandarin and Cantonese, but they are able to understand and communicate in English. We are seeking a pro bono attorney, preferably an attorney who also speaks Mandarin or Cantonese, to assist Mr. and Mrs. Y on this guardianship matter.
If you are interested in assisting with this matter on a pro bono basis, please send an email to NYLAG Senior Staff attorney and TLC Program coordinator, Tina Janssen-Spinosa, at: tlc@nylag.org and to Samuel Lui at: Samuel.lui@aabany.org.
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* NYLAG offers mentoring support on most cases we refer to pro bono attorneys, which includes provision of training materials and sample documents, as well as direct consultation with a NYLAG attorney and review of document drafts. If no mentoring is available, this will be stated clearly in a matter description.
* NYLAG is required to report the number of hours spent on client matters by our pro bono attorneys, so we ask attorneys who accept client referrals to keep track of their time on cases as well as the amount of any costs incurred on matters. NYLAG requests reports on hours and costs from our pro bono attorneys on an annual basis, shortly after the end of each fiscal year (June 30th).
* NYLAG’s malpractice insurance policy only extends to volunteer attorneys who work directly under NYLAG’s supervision on matters in which NYLAG itself has been retained as counsel. Therefore, pro bono attorneys who accept case referrals are responsible for their own malpractice insurance.
* NYLAG provides CLE credit for pro bono service (1 credit per 2 hours of service, up to 10 credits per biennial reporting cycle). To obtain credit, please contact NYLAG to obtain the necessary forms.
From our friends at the SABANY Pro Bono Clearinghouse, here is a great pro bono volunteering opportunity coming up:
SABANY Pro Bono Clearinghouse will be partnering with the Office of the NYC Public Advocate for an upcoming immigration legal clinic. Without amazing PBC volunteers, we would not have the capacity to reach our community and serve them, so thank you so much.
What: Immigration Legal Clinic for South Asians
When: August 9, 2014
Time: 12-4pm (can volunteer for 2 hour slots)
Where: PS 69 located at 77-02 37 Ave. Queens, NY (Near the E,F,M,R, and 7 trains).
Need: Immigration and Criminal Law Attorneys (please let us
know if you speak a South Asian language though not required)
A bit of an overview, the workshop is a session for members of the South Asian community to learn the basics of current immigration laws, available public services, interacting with law enforcement, and understanding their civil rights. Our attorney volunteers will be giving a quick 10-15 minute consultations over a 4 hour period. The program will begin with a short overview of the following:
Criminal
- Your rights regardless of their immigration status.
- How to speak to the FBI/DHS/NYPD/Joint Task force
- Your rights at the border
- Trigger language to use if stopped by the NYPD or JTF unit
- Home/work visits
- Immigration consequences of your criminal convictions
Immigration
- Requirements of filing for US citizenship
- Immigration options if you are out of status
- Agencies that will serve you regardless of status
- Current City legislative priorities or laws that related to immigrants (undocumented and documented)
It would be fantastic to have 6-10 attorneys on hand to help. Please reach out if you are interested in volunteering at sabany.clearinghouse@gmail.com with your name, phone number, practice area and language background.
Asian American Bar Association of New York and Legal Services NYC Launch Pilot Program to Increase Free Legal Services to Low-Income Asian Americans
June 19, 2014, New York, NY— The Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) is partnering with Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) to expand pro bono legal services to low-income Asian Americans in NYC. The collaboration will begin with a pilot program offering AABANY members a CLE training on immigration remedies available to victims of domestic violence. Training participants will represent clients pro bono to obtain U Nonimmigrant Status, commonly known as “U-Visas.” U-Visas are available to crime victims who have suffered substantial physical or mental abuse and have cooperated with law enforcement. Pro bono attorneys will prepare U-Visas for LSNYC clients under the supervision of LSNYC attorneys. The first training will take place on June 25, 2014.
The program launches at a time when Asian Americans in New York City have become the poorest New Yorkers, who face special challenges in accessing public services due to limited English proficiency. The Asian American community is the fastest growing ethnic group in New York City, doubling in size from 1990 to 2010. Nearly one in six New Yorkers is an Asian American.
The collaboration will expand services to a population that is desperately in need of assistance, while enabling prospective and active attorneys to engage in meaningful pro bono work. AABANY and LSNYC hope to expand this project to offer opportunities and continued support for pro bono service for low-income Asian Americans in various practice areas.
For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (718) 228-7206, or direct any inquiries to main@aabany.org.
The Asian American Bar Association of New York is a professional membership organization of attorneys concerned with issues affecting the Asian Pacific American community. Incorporated in 1989, AABANY seeks not only to encourage the professional growth of its members but also to advocate for the Asian Pacific American community as a whole. AABANY is the New York regional affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).
Legal Services NYC fights poverty and seeks justice for low-income New Yorkers. For more than 45 years, we have challenged systemic injustice and helped clients meet basic needs for housing, income and economic security, family and immigration stability, education, and health care. LSNYC is the largest civil legal services provider in the country, with deep roots in all of the communities we serve. Our staff of almost 300 people in neighborhood-based offices and outreach sites across all five boroughs helps more than 70,500 New Yorkers annually.
NAPABA AWARDS DEADLINE EXTENDED — JUNE 23
The nomination deadline for the following NAPABA awards has been extended to June 23, 2014!
- Best Lawyers Under 40 Award
- Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award
- Pro Bono Award
- Women’s Leadership Award
Nomination forms can be found here. Completed nomination forms must be emailed to assistant@napaba.org by 5:00 pm ET on June 23, 2014. All emails will be acknowledged with a reply.
We look forward to receiving your nominations and seeing you all at the 2014 NAPABA Convention where the award recipients will be honored.
MinKwon Center’s Pro Bono DACA Renewal Clinics
Co-sponsored by the Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York (KALAGNY) and the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY)
Help protect undocumented youth from deportation by renewing their DACA status. Pro bono attorneys and volunteer law students conduct intake, legal screenings for relief eligibility, and help undocumented individuals maintain their employment authorization and “deferred action” status. No prior experience necessary, training will be provided. Clinic dates are on Fridays and Saturdays throughout the summer. CLE credits will be provided.
Pro Bono Opportunity: Assist Immigrant Victims of Domestic Violence?
Pro Bono Opportunity: Assist Immigrant Victims of Domestic Violence?
Immigrant victims of domestic violence face several obstacles to safety. In addition to cultural and language barriers, abusers may use immigration status or threat of deportation to assert power and control. Immigrant victims are also less likely to call the police out of fear of deportation. The Government Service & Public Interest Committee and Pro Bono & Community Service Committee of AABANY are launching a pilot pro bono project with Legal Services NYC.
Dear members,
Please take our survey! We’re trying to do some good for victims of domestic violence undergoing the immigration complications. You can help. The survey is available by following the link in the title. It should take only a moment of your time. Thank you!