Tag: senate judiciary committee

Posted on

PRESS RELEASE: AABANY APPLAUDS DIANE GUJARATI’S RENOMINATION TO SERVE AS U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE IN THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

NEW YORK – April 16, 2019 – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) enthusiastically supports the renomination of Board Member Diane Gujarati to serve as a United States district court judge in the Eastern District of New York.  “We are pleased with the renomination of our former Board Director Diane Gujarati to the bench,” said Brian Song, President of AABANY.  Ms. Gujarati was first nominated by President Obama in 2016, and subsequently renominated by President Trump in 2018.  Her nomination was unanimously approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“Diane is actively involved with AABANY on various levels and served with distinction as a dedicated member of our Board.  Her intelligence, work ethic, judgment and dedication to serving the community will make her an exceptional federal judge,” continued Mr. Song

Asian Pacific Americans (“APAs”) are significantly under-represented in the Federal Judiciary, including in New York State.  If confirmed, Ms. Gujarati will be the first Article III judge of South Asian descent in the Second Circuit.  “We welcome the announcement of Diane’s renomination,” said Dai Wai Chin Feman, Co-Chair of AABANY’s Judiciary Committee.  “She is a trailblazer in the community and will be an excellent addition to the federal judiciary. Diane has already been approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, and we look forward to her taking the bench in the Eastern District.”

Ms. Gujarati began her legal career by serving as a law clerk to the Honorable John M. Walker, Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.  She then worked as a litigator at Davis Polk & Wardwell before beginning a dedicated, lengthy career in public service.  In 1999, Ms. Gujarati joined the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Office’s Criminal Division.  Since April 2012, Ms. Gujarati has served as Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division.  She previously served as Deputy Chief and then Chief of the White Plains Division and as Deputy Chief of the Appeals Unit in the Criminal Division.  In addition to her work as a federal prosecutor, Ms. Gujarati taught as an Adjunct Professor of Clinical Law at New York University School of Law.  In September 2016, Gujarati was nominated by President Obama to serve as a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, with the support of Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. Ms. Gujarati also served as an AABANY board member and has been an active member of several AABANY committees, including as a Board Liaison to AABANY’s Prosecutors’ Committee.  Ms. Gujarati graduated summa cum laude from Barnard College of Columbia University and received her J.D. from Yale Law School.

_________________________________

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

###

Additional information about AABANY is available at www.aabany.org

Follow 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

Find us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/aabany
Attachments area

Posted on

PRESS RELEASE | NAPABA Supports Judges Lucy Koh and Florence Pan at Nomination Hearing

NAPABA Supports Judges Lucy Koh and Florence Pan at Nomination Hearing

WASHINGTON — Today, Judges Lucy H. Koh and Florence Y. Pan sat before the Senate Judiciary Committee during a hearing on their nominations to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, respectively.

“Today’s hearings demonstrate that Judge Lucy Koh and Judge Florence Pan are two highly qualified nominees,” said Jin Y. Hwang, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) president. “Both are experienced and fair jurists who were unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate for their current positions, and they continue to receive strong bipartisan support. It is also important that these two nominees have been and would be trailblazers for Asian Pacific American women in the federal judiciary.

“NAPABA urges for a prompt vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee and for the Senate to swiftly confirm Judge Koh to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Judge Pan to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.”

Judge Lucy H. Koh was unanimously confirmed by the Senate, 90-0, to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in 2010. She enjoys bipartisan support, including former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who appointed her to the Superior Court of California – County of Santa Clara. If confirmed, Judge Koh would become the first Korean American woman to be a circuit court judge and only the second Asian Pacific American woman to serve as a federal appellate court judge.

Judge Florence Y. Pan was confirmed to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia by unanimous consent by the Senate in 2009, following her nomination by President Obama. She enjoys bipartisan support for her nomination, including former Attorney General Michael Mukasey. If confirmed, Judge Pan will be the first Asian Pacific American woman to serve on the federal district court bench in the District of Columbia.

NAPABA provided testimony in support of Judges Koh and Pan, stating: “Judge Koh and Judge Pan would both make an immediate contribution as a federal circuit court judge and a federal district judge, respectively. Their qualifications, integrity, intellect, and commitment to the justice system are unquestionable. They bring a talent and understanding of the issues before the court, and a willingness to tackle complex issues, that is inspiring… [T]he swift confirmation of both Judge Koh and Judge Pan is important to NAPABA and the Asian Pacific American community.”

For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, at 202-775-9555 or [email protected].

Posted on

Statement of NAPABA President Bill Simonitsch on the Voting Rights Amendment Act

Statement of NAPABA President Bill Simonitsch on the Voting Rights Amendment Act

From Azizah Ahmad, Senior Programs Associate at NAPABA: “Yesterday [June 24], the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the Voting Rights Amendment Act (VRAA), which proposed a new coverage formula for the Voting Rights Act in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County v. Holder last year. The passage of the VRAA is a policy priority for NAPABA President Bill Simonitsch submitted a testimony for the record on behalf of NAPABA—click through to read the testimony.”

Proudly powered by WordPress