Tag: queens county

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AABANY’s Judiciary Committee Hosts 2023 Judges’ Reception in Celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

On Wednesday, June 7, 2023, AABANY’s Judiciary Committee hosted its annual Judges’ Reception to honor newly inducted, elevated, and retiring judges, in celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. Despite the poor air quality, the event had an impressive turnout, with nearly 80 in attendance, including  lawyers, judges, and retired judges, as well as AABANY Board Members and Committee Chairs. The event was held at the Surrogate’s Courthouse, 31 Chambers Street, in downtown Manhattan. 

The honorees recognized at the event were individuals who represent the significant strides that AAPI judges have made during the past year in the ongoing effort to enhance diversity in the judiciary. The following judges were honored: 

  • Hon. Jung Park, New York City Criminal Court
  • Hon. Anar Patel, New York State Court of Claims
  • Hon. Hari Singh, New York City Family Court, Bronx County
  • Hon. Karen Lin, New York City Civil Court, Queens County
  • Hon. Kris Singh, Surrogate Court, Montgomery County
  • Hon. Leigh Cheng, New York City Civil Court, Queens County
  • Hon. Nisha Menon, New York City Family Court, Kings County
  • Hon. Sarika Kapoor, New York State Court of Claims
  • Hon. Rina Gurung, New York City Housing Court, Bronx County 
  • Hon. Vijay Kitson, New York City Housing Court, New York County
  • Hon. Jessica Sin, New York City Family Court, Queens County
  • Hon. Shantonu Basu, New York City Housing Court, Kings County
  • Hon. L. Austin D’Souza, New York City Civil Court, Kings County
  • Hon. Zainab Chaudhury, New York Court of Claims
  • Hon. Arun Subramanian, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York

We are proud to celebrate these AAPI trailblazers in the judiciary. AAPI jurists remain significantly under-represented in New York courts. To date, there is no AAPI Justice serving on the United States Supreme Court. There is also no AAPI judge on New York’s highest court, the Court of Appeals. New York remains in 2023 as one of 42 states in the country without an AAPI judge on the state’s highest court. According to the Asian American Judges Association of New York (AAJANY), AAPI judges comprise nearly 4.60% of the total judiciary in New York State, compared to 10.8% of the population of New York State and 17.3% of the population of New York City being of AAPI descent. Hon. Shahabuddeen Ally, Supervising Judge of New York County Civil Court, and President of AAJANY, emphasized: “[T]he numbers tell us there is a lot of work to do. When the numbers go up, we all do better.” In light of current events and the rise in anti-Asian violence, AAPI representation on the bench is more important than ever. AABANY thanks the honorees for their pioneering and inspirational role.

Thanks to everyone who joined us for this event and the Judiciary Committee for organizing it. To learn more about AABANY’s Judiciary Committee and its work, click here. To see more photos, go here.

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AABANY Member Profile: Christopher Bae Runs for New York City Council

Christopher Bae, a prominent member of AABANY’s leadership team, is running for City Council District 19. Christopher entered AABANY’s Membership Committee early on in his career as an Assistant District Attorney at the Queen’s District Attorney’s Office. Since then, he has been involved in the organization’s leadership, serving on the Board as Secretary from 2021 to 2022 and currently as Membership Director of AABANY since 2022. 

Christopher has greatly enjoyed his work with AABANY and doing so has allowed him to keep a pulse on the concerns of the AAPI community, empowering him to support initiatives he finds important on a personal level, outside of his work as a prosecutor. Furthermore, he is proud to have been part of AABANY’s leadership at a time when membership grew to greater heights than ever before. “When we are all fighting for representation, people want to know just how large your organization and reach is, and AABANY has definitely grown in great strides in that area,” he states. 

During his years as an Assistant District Attorney (ADA) at the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, Christopher was responsible for the prosecution of violent felony offenses. Prior to that, he was involved in appellate work, and the prosecution of misdemeanor cases. Overall, Christopher’s ADA work has exposed him to a valuable range of experiences. Christopher elaborates: “In terms of advocacy, there’s always a back and forth between victims’ rights and the rights of the accused. Having had this experience at a time right now, where all fifty-one current City Council members never had prosecutorial experience, I think that puts me in a very unique situation where I can add more value to the City Council.”

Christopher recalls from his upbringing that his parents stressed the importance of both education and public service. “It’s because my parents trusted the importance of investing in myself and my education that I’m here with the opportunities to run for office that I have now,” he notes with gratitude. Growing up in Queens, Christopher witnessed the transformation of the borough from within, as a flurry of diverse cultures trickled into his classrooms. Inspired by the historic number of women and AAPI Council Members elected in 2021, Christopher hopes to help push the makeup of Queens’ leadership to reflect the diversity of its communities. City Council District 19 covers neighborhoods in Northeast Queens including College Point, Whitestone, North Flushing, Bayside, Douglaston, and Little Neck.

Though District 19 has a nearly 39% Asian population, if Christopher is elected, he will be the first AAPI Council Member representing that district, creating a new milestone in AAPI representation. “To that end, I do think that the more that people see diversity in elected positions, the better it is for our community members to build trust with government and become more civically engaged. Diversity can really only help, not hurt,” says Christpher. If elected, Christopher hopes to focus on initiatives supporting public safety, public education and housing affordability. He voices his support for State Senator John Liu, who is fighting for legislation that would require teaching AAPI history and experiences in classrooms. “This is the type of leadership we need— in the end, this is what representation really means. I’m really proud that Senator John Liu has endorsed me and my campaign,” he states.

Looking back on his campaign, it is hard for Christopher to stop and enjoy the fruits of his labor, amidst the whirlwind of 14-hour work days. However, the interactions between him and his community— when someone stops him on the street and affirms his desire for change— have made all of his work feel ultimately worthwhile. “To that end, I am completely enjoying the process; it is full on pedal to the metal, sprint to the finish line, and I am very happy with where we are at right now,” says Christopher.

As the end of primary elections draws closer, ending on June 27th, Christopher emphasizes the importance of AAPI political engagement. “Asian Americans historically don’t vote, and are not civically engaged— but that’s to the detriment of all of us and our communities. We only have power if we have a seat at the table, and that requires voting and being very purposeful about who represents us and our interests at both the city and state levels,” he states. Ultimately, Christopher urges all community members, regardless of their district, to get involved with their local races, vote, and support AAPI visibility in politics.

To other AAPI individuals who are considering running for public office, Christopher encourages them to join a campaign, even if it’s just on a voluntary basis. “In the end, all you have to do is provide your time, volunteer your hours, and see where it goes from there,” says Christopher.

For more information on Christopher Bae’s campaign, including how you can volunteer or support his candidacy, visit https://www.bae2023.com/, or contact his team at [email protected]. 

This member profile has been published for informational purposes only and does not constitute and should not be construed as a campaign endorsement.

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AABANY CONGRATULATES HONORABLE PHILLIP HOM ON HIS INDUCTION TO NEW YORK CIVIL COURT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – December 15, 2017.
The Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) congratulates the
Honorable Phillip Hom on his induction to the Civil Court in Queens
County.

A native New
Yorker and alumnus of SUNY Binghamton, Judge
Hom began his legal career in 1997 as an Agency Attorney for the New York City
Human Resources Administration.  At that
time, he also worked on John Liu’s campaign for New York City Council.  After John Liu’s appointment as Council
Member in 2001, Judge Hom served as his Chief of Staff.  Judge Hom was appointed Assistant Director
and Legislative Counsel for the New York City Council in 2005, serving as
Council Member Liu’s main liaison to Community Boards 7 and 11 in Queens.  After John Liu’s appointment as New York City
Comptroller, Judge Hom served as Deputy General Counsel in the Comptroller’s
Office in 2011.

Judge Hom was
active in APA matters in college and law school, and has promoted prominent APA
elected officials during his career.  Judge
Hom was involved in the campaigns of Ellen Young, the first Asian American
woman elected to the New York State Assembly, and Ron Kim, who later became the
first Korean American elected to state-wide office in New York. As a judicial
delegate in Manhattan in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Judge Hom was instrumental
in then-Civil Court Judge Doris Ling-Cohan becoming a New York County Supreme
Court Justice.  In 2014 Judge Hom joined
Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf, LLP as Special Counsel.

“AABANY is
proud to recognize Judge Hom as a longstanding advocate for the Asian Pacific American
community,” states AABANY President Dwight Yoo. “We were delighted to take part
in his induction ceremony and to have the honor of robing him after he was
sworn in by Presiding Justice Randall T. Eng. We commend Judge Hom for serving
the public interest and the community and wish him continued success in making
a positive impact as a judge in the Civil Court in Queens County.”

For more information, please contact Yang
Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (212) 332-2478, or direct any inquiries to [email protected].

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 a
New York regional affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
(NAPABA).

Additional information about AABANY is available at www.aabany.orgFollow our blog at www.blog.aabany.org.  Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aabany.  Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aabany