Tag: public interest

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Celebrating the Recipients of the 2026 AALFNY Public Interest Scholarship at the Annual Summer Reception, Hosted by McDermott Will & Schulte

On Tuesday, June 30, 2026, the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) and the Asian American Law Fund of New York (AALFNY) held the Annual Summer Reception. The event celebrated the recipients of the 2026 AALFNY Public Interest Scholarship. Each year, AALFNY grants Public Interest Scholarships to law students who have demonstrated a strong commitment to the Asian American community. Since 1997, AALFNY has awarded over 60 scholarships, supporting law students  and encouraging them to apply their legal education to benefit the Asian American community and to foster commitment by law students to public service. The Reception took place at McDermott Will & Schulte in their Midtown Manhattan office.

Upon arrival, attendees enjoyed a variety of hor d’oeuvres and drinks, mingling until the Reception officially started. The program began with Sylvia Chin, AALFNY President and Partner Of Counsel at White & Case LLP, delivering welcome remarks to all attendees and formally introducing AALFNY directors to the attendees. Additionally, Sylvia read NAPABA’s statement issued earlier that day about the Supreme Court decision on birthright citizenship. Sylvia then asked AABANY Executive Director Yang Chen to introduce the AABANY Board members in attendance.

The event then proceeded with the honoring and introduction of the three scholarship recipients: Julie Phan,  UC Berkeley School of Law, Class of 2028, interning with Safe Passage Project; Sarah Raterta, City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law, Class of 2027, interning with the National Immigration Project (NIP); and Mikail Husain, City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law, Class of 2028, interning at the New York State Office of the Attorney General, Labor Bureau. As each recipient was presented with a certificate, the honorees offered personal reflections on their journey and expressed their deep appreciation to AALFNY for providing support through these scholarships.

The program concluded with remarks from Jenna Agatep Slater, a current Labor & Employment Associate at Wilson Elser and Immediate Past President of the Filipino American Lawyers Association of New York (FALA New York), who was a past recipient of the Public Interest Scholarship. Jenna shared her personal journey to becoming a lawyer, as well as the impact of the scholarship on her life.

Later, after the Reception was over, each recipient was interviewed to discuss their personal backgrounds, their discovery of the scholarship opportunity, and their current activities. They were also asked to provide reflections on the award, share their future professional goals and offer words of advice for aspiring law students.

Julie Phan:

Growing up in a refugee community, Julie saw how daunting it was to navigate a complex legal system without support. Witnessing her family and friends struggling to bridge that gap deeply inspired Julie’s journey in pursuing immigration law and public service. Today, that goal is not only powered by an incredible village of family, friends, and mentors back home, but also the clients she meets through the programs she has been involved in while attending law school. 

With this scholarship, Julie plans to serve the immigrant community and practice cultural humility within those spaces. She currently volunteers at a variety of legal clinics, focusing on forming true connections with clients in a direct services capacity. In the future, she hopes to apply to a legal fellowship to work with an organization dedicated to advancing immigrant rights. 

“I want to thank AALFNY for this incredible opportunity,” Julie stated. “Scholarships like these help alleviate financial barriers that many law students encounter when deciding to pursue a career in public interest law and encourage us to pursue our passions. I also want to thank my amazing mentors and friends from Asian Americans Advancing Justice SoCal for sending me this scholarship opportunity. I am so grateful for their friendship and support.”

Sarah Raterta:

Sarah Raterta was introduced to an internship at the Migrant Center of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in Manhattan by Father Julian Jagudilla, a Filipino friar, in 2017. This internship allowed her to work directly with clients and see firsthand the true impact of her efforts, securing green cards, legal status, and citizenship, thus inspiring her to pursue a legal career in immigration advocacy.

With this scholarship, Sarah wants to give back to her community by making immigration processes more accessible. Currently interning with the National Immigration Project (NIP), she focuses on high-impact legal work, including recent projects in which she researches attorneys’ fees through the Equal Access to Justice Act, tracks pending habeas petitions in circuit courts, and more. In the future, Sarah wants to help indigent immigrants and the broader community, working  with nonprofit organizations or pro bono immigration services. 

Sarah stated, “I hope to become the kind of advocate who helps people feel like they never have to walk alone.”

Mikail Husain:

Mikail Husain works as a researcher in the labor movement, hearing workers’ stories about enduring difficult—and often dangerous—working conditions. This deeply angered him but also sparked a strong desire to acquire better tools to advocate for workers’ rights. Additionally, working alongside brilliant, dedicated attorneys further fueled this ambition, showing him firsthand that a career in law is a powerful way to fight for what he believes in.

With this scholarship, Mikail hopes to give back to his community by ensuring workers’ rights are both known and respected. Currently interning with the New York State Office of the Attorney General’s Labor Bureau, he assists with the Bureau’s legal battles to obtain justice for workers.

“I would recommend that aspiring lawyers not be afraid of reaching out to lawyers, law students or any other potential mentors with questions or for advice about pursuing a legal career,” Mikail suggested. “Speaking to my law school’s career planning advisor is how I found out about this in the first place!”

Thank you to everyone who attended the Summer Reception at McDermott Will & Schulte to celebrate the 2026 recipients of AALFNY Public Interest Scholarship. To see the full photo album, featuring photos taken by AABANY Legal Intern Clive Chong, click here.

Thank you to McDermott Will & Schulte for generously providing the space for this event.

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AABANY Committees and NYU APALSA Host Fireside Chat with Hasan Shafiqullah on Current Immigration Enforcement Trends and Ethics

On March 3, the AABANY Issues Committee, Immigration Committee, Government Service and Public Interest Committee, Pro Bono and Community Service Committee, Intellectual Property Committee, Student Outreach Committee, and Young Lawyers Committee, in partnership with NYU Law’s Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA), hosted a fireside chat with Hasan Shafiqullah of the Legal Aid Society’s Immigration Law Unit at NYU School of Law. The event brought together attorneys, law students, and members of the legal community to discuss current immigration enforcement trends, detention practices, and the ethical challenges facing immigration practitioners.

The conversation highlighted the rapid pace of immigration policy changes during the Trump administration and their continuing impact on immigration practice. Shafiqullah noted that more than 1,000 immigration policy changes were implemented through executive action during Trump’s first term, and that similar patterns appear to be emerging again, alongside proposals such as the Laken Riley Act, which would significantly expand mandatory detention.

Despite these developments, Shafiqullah emphasized that federal courts remain an important avenue for relief. Through habeas corpus petitions, federal District Courts can review unlawful detention and order new bond hearings or release when appropriate. He noted that “District Court judges are understanding that due process won’t permit arbitrary action.”

The program concluded with a discussion about the emotional toll of immigration practice. Because many asylum clients have experienced severe trauma, attorneys often face vicarious trauma as well. The Legal Aid Society supports its staff by providing trainings on handling burnout, secondary trauma, and sustainable public interest practice.

AABANY thanks Hasan Shafiqullah and the Legal Aid Society for sharing their insights, and thanks APALSA and the co-sponsoring committees for organizing this timely and informative program.

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2026-2028 NAPABA Law Foundation Community Law Fellowship Now Accepting Applications

Are you a recent law school graduate or new attorney with a passion for public interest work? The 2026-2028 NAPABA Law Foundation (NLF) Community Law Fellowship could be your next step.

This two-year fellowship supports early-career attorneys as they gain hands-on legal experience at a nonprofit or community-based organization. The Fellowship provides:

  • A $60,000 annual salary, paid directly to the host organization
  • Health and fringe benefits provided by the host
  • A $10,000 completion bonus for the Fellow
  • Opportunities to work on behalf of underserved communities and grow as a public interest leader

Whether you plan to build a career in nonprofit law or public interest, the NLF Community Law Fellowship is designed to develop the next generation of impactful legal advocates.

You can find the details and instructions to apply here. To view the application, click here.

Ready to make a difference? Apply today or share this opportunity with someone who should. Applications are due February 16, 2026.

New This Year

Interested applicants can submit a one-page Prospectus and resume by December 1, 2025, and receive feedback for the final application.

Questions? Contact us at fellowships@napabalawfoundation.org.

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AABANY and AALFNY Celebrate Recipients of the 2024 Public Interest Scholarship at FTI Consulting

On Monday, June 24,  the Asian American Law Fund of New York (AALFNY) gathered with members of the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) to celebrate the recipients of AALFNY’s 2024 Public Interest Scholarships at the AALFNY-AABANY Summer Reception at FTI Consulting, held at their offices at 1166 Avenue of the Americas.

Upon arrival, attendees chatted with one another, enjoying a grazing table, pizza, and drinks. The program began with the sound of clinking bottles, drawing everyone’s attention to Sylvia Chin, President of AALFNY. Sylvia presented introductory remarks about AALFNY and thanked Jason Sabot, Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting, for generously providing the venue for the gathering. Yang Chen, Executive Director of AABANY, also spoke, touching on the origins of AALFNY and its prior incarnation as the AABANY Foundation, the charitable arm of AABANY. He reminded the lawyers present of their shared ethical and moral obligations to perform pro bono legal services and emphasized the importance of good works done by AABANY’s Pro Bono Clinics, highlighting the significance of giving back to the community. 

Sylvia then presented the 2024 Public Interest Scholarship award to Ranjana Venkatesh. Ranjana attends CUNY School of Law, and shared that this summer she will be interning at The Bronx Defenders’ Criminal Defense Practice under the Adolescent Defense Project. Ranjana noted that the Bronx is a historically under-represented  borough, but with The Bronx Defenders, she hopes to represent low-income residents through a holistic approach.

Jessica Chan, the other recipient of the scholarship, unfortunately could not attend the reception. Jessica, an AABANY member, attends New York Law School and will be interning with the Legal Aid Society in its Criminal Defense Practice. She is looking forward to using her experience in criminal defense work to build bridges between communities of color.

Thank you to all who attended the Summer Reception at FTI Consulting to not only celebrate the recipients of the 2024 Public Interest Scholarship, but also the value and importance of public interest work. To learn more about AALFNY, please click here.

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AALFNY 2024 Public Interest Scholarships – Applications Due April 15

The Asian American Law Fund of New York (AALFNY) is pleased to announce that recipients of its 2024 Public Interest Scholarships will now be entitled to receive up to $6000. Awards are given each year to up to 3 law students with a demonstrated commitment to serving the Asian American community in New York State and the greater New York metropolitan area.

The online application is available at https://www.asianamericanlawfund.org/public-interest-scholarship-online-application/. Applicants should include a description of their proposed summer public service project, if applicable, and the name, email address and phone number of a supervisor at the public service organization or other organization that the AALFNY Scholarship Committee may contact. Confirmation of the public service project is not required at the time of the application but will be required before the award of the scholarship. Applicants are responsible for arranging their own projects.  A list of organizations that have hosted students in the past is on our website https://www.asianamericanlawfund.org/prior-community-scholarship-recipients/. The list is only provided as an example and no guarantee is made that the organizations will continue to host students in 2024 or that volunteering at one of these organizations entitles the applicant to a Scholarship.  Each student is expected to volunteer at least 8 weeks, 35 hours per week, during the summer of 2024 at such project and to apply the award to the payment of law school tuition.

The purpose of the award is to assist law students with their tuition while encouraging them to use their legal knowledge and training to benefit the Asian American community in New York and to foster commitment by law students to public service in New York.  Since 1997, AALFNY has funded more than 60 public interest scholarships to law students.

AALFNY was established in 1993 by the Asian American Bar Association of New York to create and support non-profit and charitable efforts to eliminate prejudice and discrimination and to defend human and civil rights.

Donations to AALFNY may be made at asianamericanlawfund.org/donate.

A copy of our latest annual report may be obtained from AALFNY at P.O. Box 161, 41 Purdy Ave., Rye NY 10580 or from the NY Attorney General’s Charities Bureau website www.charitiesnys.com. Information may also be obtained from AALFNY at donations@AsianAmericanLawFund.org or the NYS Attorney General at 212-416-8686.

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AABANY’s Government Service & Public Interest Committee and the Student Outreach Committee Present a Meet-and-Greet with Government Service and Public Interest Attorneys

Again showing AABANY’s commitment to raising up the next generation of Asian American lawyers, the Government Service and Public Interest (GSPI) committee teamed up with the Student Outreach Committee (SOC) and Mayer Brown LLP to host the first ever “AABANY Students Meet Government and Public Interest Lawyers” event. The program was held on the evening of February 23 and was very successful, featuring a room packed with students and mentors, and two professional panels, followed by a networking reception.

The panels showcased how Asian Americans have succeeded as lawyers in government service and in the public interest. The panels featured:

  • Rahul Agarwal, Deputy Chief Counsel from the Office of Chief Counsel to the Mayor and City Hall; 
  • Sofia Khan, Director of the Family Law Unit from Legal Services NYC (LSNYC); 
  • Belinda Luu, Staff Attorney from Mobilization for Justice’s (MFJ) Special Litigation Project; 
  • Frank Ng, Deputy General Counsel from the New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH); 
  • Kwok Ng, Associate Court Attorney from New York City Civil Court; 
  • Nakeeb Siddique, Director of Housing from the Legal Aid Society’s Brooklyn Neighborhood Office; 
  • Marti Weithman, Assistant Commissioner from the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (DHPD); and 
  • Annie Wang, Director of Immigrant Justice Project from the Asian American Legal Defense and Education (AALDEF).  

The panels showed students what it is like to work in a variety of fields in government and public interest and what it takes for students to get a foot in the door.

The panel discussions were followed by a networking reception with more government service and public interest lawyers. In attendance were, Ernie Collete from MFJ, Kevin Hsi from DHPD (also GSPI Committee’s Co-Chair), Jonathan Rosen from New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), May Wong (Pro Bono & Community Service Committee Co-Chair) from DC 37 Legal Services. Also, in attendance were AABANY’s Executive Director Yang Chen, Vice President of Programs and Operations Beatrice Leong, and Treasurer and Co-Chair of the GSPI Committee Evelyn Gong.

Thank you to AABANY student leaders Stephanie Sun (Fordham Law) and Alex Lao (Pace Law), SOC Vice Chair Justin Lee (NYU Law), SOC Co-Chair William Lee (Associate, Mayer Brown LLP) and GSPI Committee Co-Chair Rina Gurung (Associate Court Attorney, Housing Court) for leading the charge.

Special thank you to Mayer Brown LLP for sponsoring and hosting this event.

To learn more about the GSPI Committee, click here. To learn more about the SOC, click here.

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AABANY Hosts Weekly Membership Mixer on August 14

On August 14, 2020, the Membership Committee hosted their weekly Zoom Membership Mixer, with 19 participants in attendance. The icebreaker question this week asked participants “What were the worst fashion trends you participated in?” Some answers included fanny packs, turtlenecks, mini skirts, flood pants, Jnco Pants, Success Curls, baggy clothes, cargo pants, Structure zippered clothes, Hawaiian puka shell necklace, and sweater vests. 

At the mixer, AABANY Board Member and Assistant United States Attorney Won Shin, Chief of Appeals, Criminal Division, SDNY, was our featured guest. He gave advice to young lawyers on legal writing and talked about how he went from Big Law to the US Attorney’s Office in SDNY.  The mixer was co-hosted by the Government Service & Public Interest Committee and Prosecutors’ Committee, and many members from both committees were in attendance.

Congratulations to GSPI Co- Chair Jonathan Hernandez for winning this week’s prize: a year long subscription to the podcast CAFE Insider, hosted by former SDNY United States Attorney Preet Bharara.

The Membership Committee previously hosted Monthly Mixers at bars, ballparks, stadiums, operas, etc. but due to COVID, we have moved online to offer members a weekly outlet to share their feelings, see old friends, and make new connections. Mixers start at 6:30pm on Friday and the main event ends at 7:30pm but people usually stay on after 7:30pm for smaller breakout groups.

Membership Committee will continue to host weekly Zoom mixers until it is safe to gather together again in person. 

We are giving away door prizes during some weeks. In order to win, you must be a member and must RSVP on the aabany.org calendar entry to get a raffle number. Non-members can join the Zoom mixer but won’t be eligible to win a prize. 

Mixers are not recorded and are LIVE, so don’t miss out. Register for this week’s mixer by Thursday, August 20 at https://www.aabany.org/events/event_details.asp?legacy=1&id=1366649

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AABANY Goes to the Hello Panda Lantern Festival at Citifield

On Friday, January 17, 2020, thirty AABANY members and friends braved the cold weather to enjoy a mixer at Citifield for the Hello Panda Lantern Festival.

Members were able to walk around the beautifully crafted structures, lit in colorful lights against the black night sky. Members also took a break from the cold and warmed up with hot cocoa and food while networking.

We thank AABANY’s Government Service & Public Interest, Pro Bono and Community Service, Young Lawyers, and Membership Committees for co-sponsoring this event.

To find out more about the Government Service & Public Interest Committee go to https://www.aabany.org/page/113. To find out more about the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee go to https://www.aabany.org/page/117. To find out more about the Young Lawyers Committee go to https://www.aabany.org/page/123.
To find out more about the Membership Committee go to https://www.aabany.org/page/130.

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