From Nov. 7 through 9, NAPABA held its National Convention in Seattle at the Hyatt Regency, for three days of programming, meetings, plenary sessions and the 36th Anniversary Gala capping things off on Saturday night.
AABANY members and friends once again came out in large numbers, with nearly 150 people signed up for AABANY’s WhatsApp group. The group’s members updated each other on programs they planned to attend, made lunch and dinner plans, and connected with each other about various receptions, parties and events around Seattle.
The AABANY Trial Reenactment Team presented its latest production, “AAPIs and Education: Tape v. Hurley and Gong Lum v. Rice” on Friday afternoon, Nov. 8, to a capacity audience. The program told the stories of Mamie Tape and Martha Lum and their efforts to fight discrimination in public education, through narration, reenactment of court proceedings and historic photographs. This was the sixteenth in a series of historic reenactments presented by the Asian American Bar Association of New York. For more information about AABANY’s trial reenactments, visit reenactments.aabany.org.
We congratulate all the awardees and honorees recognized at the Convention, with special shout-outs to the following AABANY member honorees:
We also congratulate Sapna Palla, past AABANY President, and Anushree Bagrodia, current Co-Chair of AABANY’s In-House Counsel Committee, for joining the NAPABA Board as At-Large Members!
Thanks to all the outgoing NAPABA Board members for their service, and congratulations to AABANY member and past Board officer, Anna Mercado Clark, on her highly successful year as President.
We congratulate Muhammad Faridi, AABANY Member and President of the New York City Bar Association, on receiving the Pro Bono Service Award.
Thanks and congratulations to the many AABANY members who organized a panel or spoke at one. We know that it is not easy to get a program selected for the NAPABA Convention and that much hard work goes into putting on a quality program for the many attendees who come from across the continent to learn from you all. Please send us your photos and, if possible, a short recap about your program. You can send it to [email protected].
Many bonds were made and strengthened among AABANY attendees over the course of the Convention, and many new connections were made with the approximately 3400 registered attendees from across North America. Judging by many social media posts from those who attended, a great time was had by all. We hope everyone got back to New York City safe and sound, and we are looking forward to another inspiring NAPABA Convention when it moves to Denver, Colorado, Nov. 6-9, 2025.
On July 20, 2024, AABANY successfully hosted its second annual Wellness Day at Brooklyn Law School during Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. This event was made possible through the generous support of our dedicated speakers and sponsors, enabling us to address crucial topics including how to be resilient and open to change, depression and finding a support group and resources, imposter syndrome, and more, all of which were in line with AABANY’s wellness and well-being initiatives begun by Immediate Past President Karen Kim during the 2024 fiscal year.
Mental health and well-being, particularly within the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community and in the context of the legal profession, have often been overlooked and under-discussed. With the culture of the legal profession tending to glorify working long hours, AABANY seeks to break down barriers and shed light on these critical issues, providing a non-judgmental and supportive platform for necessary conversations to take place.
Doors opened for Wellness Day at 9 am with the first 25 attendees to sign-in receiving a complimentary AABANY yoga stretch band. Attendees were encouraged to come in casual attire, and the program was also offered via Zoom, to accommodate those who were unable to attend in-person. The full-day event kicked off with breakfast from Paris Baguette, allowing participants to network and connect with one another over pastries and coffee for an enjoyable hour. At 10 am, AABANY’s Immediate Past President, Karen Kim delivered welcoming remarks. She expressed her gratitude to all the attendees who joined this impactful event and the pivotal role of the speakers and sponsors, recognizing their significant contribution to wellness and mental health advocacy.
Joseph Milowic III, the Founder of the Lawyers Depression Project, kicked off the event with a touching presentation. He started off his program, titled “A Journey of Healing and Forgiveness Practice,” by talking about his battle with depression, forgiveness, and how he learned to prioritize his own wellbeing, peace and self-care.
Joseph shared how he changed his life’s path trajectory by recounting his story and opening up about his struggles. Joseph emphasized the significance of forgiveness – forgiving others but most importantly, oneself. He shared how once you’ve released the lingering negative energy from your mind, it makes you lighter with more space for more important problems. Joseph and the audience took a moment of silence, letting those who participated finally release the grudges they had been harboring for much too long.
Joseph founded the Lawyers Depression Project in order to help those who have been in a similar situation as him, quickly realizing that by sharing his story he was helping others see that they are not alone. Towards the end of his presentation Joseph listed ways to help a struggling loved one, which consisted of recommending books or therapy, sending prayers, and simply letting them know you care. Thank you, Joseph Milowic, for setting a conciliatory tone for the day and reinforcing the importance of prioritizing wellness and forgiveness for personal and professional growth.
For more information about the Lawyers Depression project and Joseph Milowic, please visit his website here.
Next to speak was Precious L. Williams, a charismatic business owner, international professional speaker, and serial entrepreneur, who shared her inspiring story of triumph in her program titled “Making the Right Moves.” Precious recounted that her father was a drug addict, that she grew up in poverty and also experienced homelessness, but none of these setbacks stopped her from being driven to succeed.
Precious emphasized in her presentation that she was a plus-sized woman of color who was abusing alcohol, and that she had to work twice as hard as everyone else to get by. She expressed her belief that it doesn’t just take hard work to make it to the top, it takes courage. She attended law school feeling embarrassed and out of place, and instead of approaching life day by day, she had to live moment by moment. A significant component to Precious’s wellness journey was forgiving and embracing her family once again, with them showing up to support her at her graduation. She soon began making more efforts to improve her health by attending counseling sessions, starting medication, becoming sober, and learning new cleaning and cooking techniques. Following up, she worked on how to present herself and found a trusted network that supported her completely. We are grateful to Precious L. Williams for sharing her motivating story and for showing everyone that their mental health journey will be worth the hardships.
For more information about Precious L. Williams, please click here.
When the morning session concluded, attendees were treated to lunch sponsored by Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP. The lunch break provided an informal and relaxed opportunity for everyone to chat, mingle, and network over delicious and comforting Korean cuisine. Sarah B. Wong, a Partner at Willkie Farr, gave remarks on the importance of wellness in the workplace. She encouraged attendees to prioritize their own health and balance in their daily lives. Thank you to Willkie Farr for their support of wellness and well-being in the legal community.
The afternoon session started off with a fireside chat titled, “The Eras Tour: Coping Mechanisms for Stress throughout Our Careers,” featuring Sonia Low, VP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and Dr. Elaine F. Kung, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor at Weill-Cornell Medical College, Founder and President, Future Bright Dermatology. . They began with going through the different “eras” of their own lives, and how they coped with stress in each, describing how their coping mechanisms had evolved from jetting off to a concert when they were younger, to becoming running buddies as working mothers. They continued their presentation by involving the audience with a brief interactive “self care assessment,” going over seven different aspects of self care. Sonia and Elaine stressed the importance of all areas of self care in order to have a satisfying life as well as going over coping mechanisms and tactics to employ when you’re feeling the stress of life again. Participants were encouraged to embrace intense learning, reconnect and become a part of a community that means something to each one of them, and to live life to the fullest.
Sonia and Elaine introduced a mindful breathing exercise, with the prompt: “Think of an object you love.” Audience members then shared what object they were thinking about, reminding participants of what they are grateful for, even the little things. Attendees joined in an interactive discussion, sharing what they were grateful for and how to have a grateful mindset. They emphasized the importance of human connection, finding a healthy outlet and building relationships in order to become the best version of yourself and assess what will help you to ensure a healthier, more balanced legal journey.
Next, in her session titled, “Do What You LOVE: Creating a Thriving and Fulfilling Career,“ Celina Lee, Executive and Career Coach as well as the podcast host for Celina Lee Coaching, focused on career purpose and happiness. She described how, in her earlier professional life, she would often only do something if it contributed to her resume. However, this approach ended up not being a good source of joy for her as she wasn’t paying attention to her emotions and interests. Now, she is living her dream life, traveling the world and speaking at various events as a life coach. Celina encouraged attendees to spend time learning about themselves using their feelings, passions, and more, to help answer the question “What defines a happy life for you?” The internal struggle about your identity and passions can be overwhelming to many, which is why Celina emphasized “co-existing” with your thoughts and goals, as well as taking action. Rejection is an “experience of action,” and is not to be dwelled upon as it is only the first step to success.
As her session came to a close, she circled back to the various concepts she discussed:
to follow your passions (as well as not give up on those passions)
to take action without overthinking things
how courage is more important than confidence
how attendees shouldn’t be “a fake friend to [themselves].”
During her program, Celina showed us that “L.O.V.E.” is what you need to live a happy life:
The first step to a happy life is to “Learn about yourself,” know what makes you the happiest you can be.
The second step is to “Overcome internal obstacles,” as our own insecurities and self-doubts prevent us from taking action and moving forward. If your issue is understanding which are your goals and dreams, nothing is bound to happen.
The third step is to “Visualize your success” and switch your thoughts, start thinking about the best case scenario instead of the worst.
The last and final step to living a happy life is to “Explore and take action,” by asking yourself how your feelings and actions, even the negative ones, help you learn more about yourself. Treat and support yourself just as you would a dear friend along their journey.
Celina ended her session with an encouragement to attendees not to overthink and under act, stating, “20 minutes of doing something is more important than 20 hours of thinking about doing something.”
For more information about Celina Lee, please click here.
To conclude Wellness Day, Yang Chen, Executive director of AABANY, moderated a panel titled, “Prioritizing Wellness While Advancing Your Career” to discuss how important mental health is in your career as well as how to balance work and well-being. On the panel were: Sapna Palla, Partner at A&O Shearman and past President of AABANY; Glenn D. Magpantay, Commissioner to the U.S Commission on Civil Rights and Co-Chair of AABANY’s LGBTQ Committee; and Domenick Napoletano, President of the New York State Bar Association.
The speakers shared that mental health days were more foreign concepts to older generations. It wasn’t common to speak out about your mental health, let alone dedicate days to mental wellness. But over time, they have learned to manage their stress by focusing on their wellness, learning to disconnect before burning out, reserving days for wellness and exercising. Domenick Napoletano was asked how being a part of a bar association contributed to his mental health. He answered that although it is a lot of extra work to be active in many bar associations, it has served as “unofficial therapy,” with there being many individuals he has been able to share the same experiences with, instead of feeling isolated, especially as a solo practitioner. Domenick highlighted the importance of humility and finding happiness in the little things in order to achieve a fulfilling life. Having a supportive community and being able to give back to it has helped many in the legal profession progress.
The speakers went over ways that they maintain a healthy work/life balance as it is crucial to implement strategies that promote both professional success and personal well-being. Some ways they keep a healthy work/life balance include setting boundaries, spending time and calling loved ones, finding a community, carving out time for yourself, finding a healthy outlet and not shortchanging oneself when it comes to hobbies and outside interests.
In the field of law, imposter syndrome can be an overwhelming obstacle, particularly for women who are continuously reminded that their profession is one that is dominated by men. Sapna Palla talked about her experience with imposter syndrome. Despite her capabilities, accomplishments and achievements, she sometimes felt like she didn’t belong, hindering her professional career. Some strategies Sapna used to overcome her struggles were reframing her mindset, embracing imperfection, and developing a support network. Overcoming imposter syndrome and burnout is a journey that requires self-awareness, resilience and support.
Glenn Magpantay shared ways that he overcomes burnout despite being a self-proclaimed workaholic. The first step Glenn takes is setting boundaries and establishing clear barriers between his professional and personal life. Secondly, he reclaims his time and invests in activities that rejuvenate and recharge him when he has the time to do so. Over the years, Glenn has developed healthy coping mechanisms and sought professional help in order to improve his overall wellbeing.
Finally moderator Yang Chen highlighted the importance of finding time for yourself and your interests, to avoid shortchanging yourself on your hobbies. Yang is able to find satisfaction in pursuing personal interests and hobbies outside of law, as well as being able to give back to causes that are important to him, which assists him in protecting his sense of personal peace and relishing in his accomplishments and achievements.
Wellness Day has been a celebration of self-care, health, and the importance of nurturing both our minds and bodies. AABANY compiled a Wellness Resources guide and encouraged attendees to reach out to AABANY and the available resources for themselves, their colleagues, friends and family. AABANY’s Wellness Resources can be found here.
AABANY thanks the following Wellness Day speakers for sharing their expertise and personal journeys:
● Joseph Milowic III, Founder, Lawyers Depression Project
● Precious L. Williams, CEO, The Perfect Pitch Group
● Sonia Low, VP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
● Dr. Elaine F. Kung, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor at Weill-Cornell Medical College, Founder and President, Future Bright Dermatology
● Celina Lee, Executive and Career coach, Podcast host, Celina Lee Coaching
● Glenn D. Magpantay, Commissioner to the U.S Commission on Civil Rights
● Domenick Napoletano, President, New York State Bar Association
● Sapna Palla, Partner, A&O Shearman
● Yang Chen, Executive Director, Asian American Bar Association of New York
AABANY thanks the following sponsors for their generous support:
An Allen & Overy cross-practice team acted as pro-bono counsel for the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) and Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York (KALAGNY) in filing an appellate brief amici curiae to the New York Appellate Division, Third Department.
Following his mostly unsuccessful personal injury case brought against the State of New York (Byung Choon Joe v. New York), Plaintiff, Byung Choon Joe, appealed the trial judge’s decision to the Appellate Division, Third Judicial Department. A&O, on behalf of AABANY and KALAGNY, filed a brief amici curiae in support of Mr. Joe, urging the appellate court to consider whether the trial court’s decision was negatively influenced by implicit racial bias.
Terry Shen, President of AABANY, said, “As the largest affinity bar association in New York and the United States, AABANY is devoted to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. When we learned about the case of Byung Choon Joe, we were concerned about the trial court’s irrelevant reference to his Korean ethnicity in the context of a finding of a lack of trustworthiness, recalling age-old negative stereotypes of Asian Americans. We therefore joined with KALAGNY to file an amici brief to call attention to the fact that judges and the judicial system are not immune to implicit bias.”
The New York State Bar Association and several affiliates of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association also supported AABANY and KALAGNY’s brief including: the Asian American Bar Association of Chicago, the Asian American Bar Association of Houston, the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania, the Connecticut Asian Pacific American Bar Association, the Jacksonville Asian American Bar Association, the Network of Bar Leaders (a coalition of more than fifty bar associations in the Greater New York area), the South Asian Bar Association of New York, and the Thai American Bar Association.
The A&O pro-bono team for this case was led by Sapna Palla (AABANY member and Immediate Past President) along with associates Rebecca Cecchini and Ben Minkoff.
To view the entire press release, please click here.
“Stronger Together: APA Women in the Legal Profession – Strategies to Support, Lead, and Advance” was one of the many panels presented at AABANY’s Fall Conference this year. Held on Saturday, September 26 from 10:45 am to 12:15 pm, the panelists consisted of:
Moderators:
Connie Montoya, Partner, Hinshaw & Culbertson
Sandra Yamate, CEO, Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession
Speakers:
Anna Mercado Clark, Partner, Phillips Lytle LLP
Judy Lam, Partner, Maynard Cooper & Gale
Honorable Grace E. Lee, Administrative Law Judge, State of New York
Sandra Leung, General Counsel, Bristol Myers Squibb
Sapna Palla, Partner, Wiggin and Dana
The panel was not recorded to create a safe environment for panelists as well as listeners so that there could be a candid conversation about race and the experiences APA women have had to face throughout their legal careers.
The panel started off with discussing the challenges and barriers of being an APA woman in the legal profession. Shared experiences among the panelists were that they were often overlooked in the courtroom, being perceived and mistaken as the court interpreter or court reporter rather than as the lawyer or judge. Even when they were correctly perceived as the lawyer, the panelists were still treated differently compared to their white male counterparts. In response to these challenges, the panelists discussed how it was okay to feel uncomfortable about these topics and it is important to focus on the microaggressions. If people are more vocal about the uncomfortable situations and share their experiences with the community, it creates a greater ability to mobilize and create change.
The panelists stressed the importance of seeing more APA women in higher positions and one way of achieving that is through having role models and mentors for rising APA lawyers. Current AABANY President, Sapna Palla, highlighted the AABANY Leadership Development Program which has been successful in teaching participants the skills to advance into executive positions, and she hopes to see more programs that do the same.
The panel ended with each panelist going over one action item they were willing to commit to within the next year that will help support and advance APA women in the legal profession. The general consensus among the panelists was to start a mentoring circle. Not only do the panelists want to be an available resource for people who come up to them and have questions, but also they want to be active in following up with mentees and seeking feedback from them.
The panelists also vow to use their positions as a platform to continue this dialogue. Advancing APA women in the legal profession is an ongoing conversation and hopefully, listeners of the panel are inspired to continue the dialogue with their friends, peers, and colleagues.
Thank you to the panelists, Anna Mercado Clark, Judy Lam, Honorable Grace E. Lee, Sandra Leung, and Sapna Palla, and moderators, Connie Montoya and Sandra Yamate for sharing their experiences and leading an important discussion about supporting APA women in the legal profession.
AABANY is excited to announce that Immediate Past President Brian Song and President Sapna Palla have been included in the 2020 Power List of the 100 Most Influential Asian Americans in New York Politics & Policy, released by City & State. Song and Palla are jointly recognized as 52nd on the list.
City & State wrote:
The Asian American Bar Association’s mission is to ensure “the meaningful participation of Asian-Americans in the legal profession.” It has made strides under Sapna Palla, a partner at Wiggin and Dana LLP, who is the president for the 2020-2021 term, and under her immediate predecessor, Brian Song, a partner at the top law firm Baker & Hostetler LLP. The organization recently surpassed 1,400 paid members.
Congratulations and thanks to Brian and Sapna to bringing AABANY to these new heights.
In addition to Brian and Sapna, several others among the honorees have worked with or been associated with AABANY, as members, community partners, or sponsors, to whom we also wish to extend our congratulations.
Among the top 10, AABANY has worked with Grace Meng, New York’s first Asian American US Congress Member; John Liu, State Senator and first Asian American to serve on the City Council; Steven Choi, Executive Director of the New York Immigration Coalition; Ron Kim and Yuh-Line Niou, both state Assembly Members; and Margaret Chin, New York City Council Member.
Preet Bharara who, as United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, was a regular speaker at our annual Prosecutors Reception and an honoree at our Annual Dinner in 2015;
John Park, Executive Director of the MinKwon Center for Community Action, one of our community partners;
Margaret Fung, Co-founder and Executive Director of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, one of our community partners;
Faiza Saeed, a Presiding Partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, a Gold Sponsor of AABANY for many years;
Honorable Denny Chin, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and past AABANY President (1992-93), who currently helps lead our trial reenactments project.
From 51 – 100 on the list, we extend our congratulations to
Jayasri Ganapathy, President of the South Asian Bar Association of New York (SABANY), one of our sister bar associations and past AABANY member;
My Chi To, Executive Deputy Superintendent of the Insurance Division at the New York State Department of Financial Services, and past AABANY member;
Nancy Yao Maasbach, President of the Museum of Chinese America, one of our community partners;
Wendy Cai-Lee, President and CEO of Piermont Bank, a Bronze Sponsor of the 2019 NAPABA Northeast Regional/AABANY Fall Conference; and
Justin Yu, Chair of the New York Chinese Chamber of Commerce, which has partnered with us for many years for our walk-in Pro Bono Clinic.
AABANY is privileged and honored to have worked closely with so many of New York’s most influential Asian American in politics and policy. Congratulations to everyone who made the list, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration and to partner in the future.
On April 1, 2020, AABANY held its first Monthly Membership Mixer virtually on Zoom. Over 25 people joined Brian Song, who became the Immediate Past President, and Sapna Palla, who officially became the President of AABANY on the same day.
Brian remarked how it had been a tremendous honor for him to serve as President of AABANY for the past year. He was amazed at how the year went by so quickly and thanked everyone for their support and dedication in making 2019 a successful year for AABANY.
Sapna next spoke about how pleased she was to be taking on the Presidency and how AABANY’s theme of “Stronger Together: Unity in Diversity” is extremely fitting in the current situation. Sapna noted that AABANY is an exceptional community, and by sticking together, we will definitely get through this tough situation. She also encouraged people to reach out to each other professionally and socially via online platforms like Zoom until things return to normal.
Chris Kwok informed attendees about an upcoming webinar he is working on with NAPABA taking place on April 3. The webinar will discuss the rise in racist attacks against Asian Americans fueled by misinformation surrounding the spread of COVID-19 and what we can do to counter them.
Yang Chen and Chris Kwok also discussed the stimulus bill that recently passed to provide economic support to millions of Americans and businesses that are suffering as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. AABANY is working on distilling the bill down to clarify who it covers and the type of relief they are eligible for under the new bill.
Lastly, the virtual floor was opened up to all attendees for a free discussion. Members discussed the current situation and what AABANY can do to engage its members and serve the overall Asian American community in this new normal.
Overall, our first meeting on Zoom was very lively and went smoothly. In the coming weeks, AABANY is planning on hosting more and more programs online, including CLEs and informative webinars. Stay tuned!
Congratulations to Women’s Committee Co-Chair Sapna Palla on her joining Wiggin and Dana as Partner in the Intellectual Practice Group in the firm’s New York Office. For more details, follow the link in the title to read the press release.
On January 22, 2014, the AABANY Intellectual Property Committee and the NYCLA Entertainment, Media, Intellectual Property and Sports Committee presented a CLE entitled “Patents 101: What Can be Protected by Patent Rights." Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi LLP hosted the event at their office at 601 Lexington Avenue. Wan Chieh (Jenny) Lee moderated the panel featuring: Sapna Palla (Counsel at Kaye Scholer), and Annie Huang (Counsel at Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi LLP). The panelists addressed the developing Supreme Court jurisprudence on the requirements for patent eligible subject matter, particularly focusing on the impact of the recent Myriad decision on the life science industry, and the highly anticipated Alice v. CLS case relating to patent eligibility of computer implemented inventions, for which oral arguments will be heard by the Supreme Court at the end of March this year. The presentation was well-received, and the audience members actively engaged in questions and discussions with the panelists. Despite the weather condititions, a total of 13 attorneys attended this event. Attendees received 1.0 credit in Areas of Professional Practice.
