Tag: Thomas Tang Moot Court

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AABANY Shows Up in Force at the 2025 NAPABA Convention in Denver

The Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) was a prominent presence at the 37th National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Convention, held at the Sheraton in downtown Denver, CO, from November 6 to 8, 2025. This year’s Convention boasted the second-largest convening in NAPABA history, with nearly 2,900 AANHPI attorneys, judges, law professionals and law students in attendance, including over 800 first-time attendees.

AABANY members presented and led various Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs and were recognized during luncheons and social events throughout the three-day convention.  Over 175 people connected with each other on the AABANY@NAPABA WhatsApp group before, during and after the conference.

AABANY Get-Together at Maggiano’s

AABANY’s well-attended gathering at Maggiano’s Little Italy on Thursday evening was a big hit on one of the first nights of the Convention. The location was conveniently steps away from the Sheraton, drawing over 120 attendees, including friends old and new, many from outside of New York. Guests enjoyed a buffet of heavy hors d’oeuvres, such as domestic and imported cheeses, crostini, ravioli, wagyu meatballs, fried calamari, fried zucchini, and crab cakes, along with drink tickets good for one drink. It proved to be a festive start to the Convention’s social calendar, filled with the spirit of camaraderie that defined the Convention.

Awardees and Recognition for AABANY Members

NAPABA Awards presented across various events, including the NAPABA Best Under 40 Awards Reception (Thursday), Welcome Reception (Thursday), President’s and Trailblazer Award Reception (Friday), and luncheon plenaries (Friday and Saturday).

AABANY members and AABANY past annual dinner honorees were honored this year at the Convention: (click the link to read more about each award and the 2025 awardees):

The 17th Annual Trial Reenactment: “Born American: United States v. Wong Kim Ark”

The AABANY Trial Reenactment Team presented its 17th production on Friday afternoon, November 7, to a capacity audience. The program, titled “Born American: United States v. Wong Kim Ark,” examined the landmark Supreme Court case. The case focused on Wong Kim Ark, born in San Francisco in 1873 to Chinese immigrants, who was denied reentry to the U.S. in 1895 under the Chinese Exclusion Act. Wong successfully argued that the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of birthright citizenship applied to him. The program’s exploration of birthright citizenship was especially relevant, coming shortly after President Trump signed an Executive Order on January 20, 2025, seeking to restrict this established constitutional precedent.

Some of the photos taken from the Trial Reenactments by AABANY can be seen at this link here.

The cast included: Hon. Denny Chin, Kathy Hirata Chin, Jacob Chen, Francis Chin, Anna Mercado Clark, Hon. Peggy Kuo, Clara Ohr, Yasuhiro Saito, Professor Rose Cuison-Villazor, Andy Hahn, Yang Chen, Linda Lin, and Vince Chang. To learn more about AABANY’s Trial Reenactments, go to reenactments.aabany.org. AABANY encourages anyone interested in performing one of our reenactments to make a request through that website. The current script will be made available in 2026.

AABANY Members as Panel Experts

AABANY members showcased their expertise by serving as presenters and panelists across a variety of CLE programs throughout the Convention. Some of the programs featuring current and former AABANY members included, but were not limited to:

Thursday’s Programming:

  • Agentic AI: Legal and Policy Frontiers in the U.S. and China (Benjamin Hsing, AABANY President; Christopher Chan)
  • International Law Committee & Women’s Leadership Network Joint Luncheon (Jennifer Choe-Groves)
  • Navigating First Decade of Legal Career (Dan Brody)
  • Navigating Uncertainty with Confidence (Blossom Kan)

Friday’s Programming:

  • Shark Tank Part III: Live Pitch Coaching (Steve Chung; Hannah Kim; Austin So; Susan Shin, former AABANY President)
  • Navigating AI Integration in Legal Practice (Eric Lin)
  • Trump & Tariffs: Protectionism and Economic Impact (Rudy Figueroa)
  • Sexual Violence Against Women: From the Code of Ur-Nammu to WWII ‘Comfort Women’ and Beyond (Linny Ng) 
  • Practicing with Bots: Training Lawyers in the AI Age (John Lee)
  • Advising Startups on Patent Strategy (Charles Chen) 
  • United States v. Wen Ho Lee – 25 Years Later (Stephen Chahn Lee)
  • AI, Ethics & Minority Rights (Shruti Chopra)
  • High-Stakes Investigations & Trials (Joon Kim)
  • General Counsel Roundtable (Linda Lin, former AABANY President)
  • What We’ve Got Here Is a Failure to Communicate: Pitfalls and Best Practices for Handling Asian Language Witnesses and Evidence (Elizabeth L. Mo)
  • Representing Clients in the Highest Stakes Investigations and Trials (Jennifer Wu, AABANY Board Member)
  • Disagreeing Better: What ADR Principles Can Teach Us on How to Bridge Divides in Polarized Times (Chris M. Kwok, AABANY ADR Committee Co-Chair)
  • Ask an Associate: Navigating Starting Your Career at a Law Firm (Brittany Clark)

Saturday Programming:

  • Originalism’s Impacts & AANHPI Communities (Chihiro Isozaki)
  • Workplace Discrimination and Arbitration (Rachel Lee, AABANY Issues Committee Co-Chair)
  • Birthright Citizenship Under Siege: The Fight for Asian American and Pacific Islander Belonging (Professor Rose Cuison-Villazor)
  • The Places You’ll Go! Careers in Specialized Fields (Ada Wang, AABANY Intellectual Property Co-Chair; Stacy Wu)
  • Birthright and Belonging: Who gets to be American in the 21st Century and Beyond? (Bethany Li)
  • Case Study: Creating a National Legal Organization (NAPABA) (Sandra Yamate)
  • Legal Career Paths: Partnership, In-House & Public Service (Christopher Arcitio)
  • There at the Beginning: Case Study on Creating a National Organization (Diane Yu, retired Chief of Staff and Deputy to the President of NYU, 2011 AABANY Annual Dinner Honoree)

Plenary Session Focus on the Portrait Project

During the Friday Plenary Lunch, discussion centered on the Portrait Project, NAPABA’s groundbreaking study of Asian Americans in the Law, supported by the American Bar Foundation and NAPABA. This research provides critical statistics demonstrating the persistent barriers to advancement and underrepresentation of the Asian American legal community in the profession’s top ranks, especially as diversity and inclusion programs face increasing national pressure. AABANY has been a financial donor to the Portrait Project.

AABANY 2010 Annual Dinner Honoree Sandra Leung, former General Counsel of Bristol Myers Squibb Company, was among the speakers, offering an in-house perspective on the representation of AANHPI attorneys. She spoke about the importance of AANHPI attorneys to be in leadership roles, stating “if you aren’t at the table, you’re on the menu.” That resonated with many attorneys who have felt not involved in the decision-making at one point or another in their careers.

Key findings highlighted by the Portrait Project indicated that while there has been progress in federal judicial appointments and General Counsel roles, underrepresentation at the highest levels persists. The research suggests Asian American attorneys would benefit from greater institutional support to counteract stereotypes, facilitate soft skills development and relationship-building, and increase leadership opportunities. Justice Goodwin Liu reinforced this theme, quoting a participant who stated, “Instead of another cooking class, talk to me about retention.”

AABANY Members Sworn into NAPABA Board

During the Premier Event, the 37th Anniversary Gala on Saturday evening, AABANY members Anushree Bagrodia (Vice President & Senior Managing Counsel, Mastercard), Sapna Palla (Past President; Trial Lawyer and Partner, White & Case LLP), and Vishal Chander (Board Member and Issues Committee Co-Chair; Managing Attorney, The Chander Law Firm, P.C.) were all officially sworn in as At-Large Members of the NAPABA Board.  

AABANY congratulates and thanks Anushree, Sapna and Vishal for their service on the NAPABA Board, along with  Glenn D. Magpantay (AABANY Board Member; Commissioner at the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights) for being appointed as a Northeast Alternate Regional Governor for NAPABA.

Gala Keynote

The Gala featured a fireside chat with keynote speakers Katie Phang and Rich Ting. Their conversation spanned Rich Ting’s career transition from attorney to acclaimed actor, and explored the evolving landscape of Asian American representation in Hollywood during polarizing times. Fun fact: Rich Ting has a law degree and was about to start his legal career at a prominent law firm until Hollywood called … and now he no longer has to worry about keeping up his CLE credits.

Social Activities

Beyond the formal events, AABANY members gathered for a variety of social activities, including morning yoga sessions, board game night (organized by our own Jeffrey Mok, Board Director, Issues Committee Co-Chair, and Principal at Fish & Richardson), and karaoke (separate events sponsored by Groombridge Wu and Littler, both long-time sponsors of AABANY), as well as exploring the areas around Denver!

Thomas Tang Moot Court Competition

The national finals for the Thomas Tang Moot Court Competition took place during the NAPABA Convention. Law students from the New York area participated, alongside volunteer judges from AABANY. We congratulate  all participants and the winning team: Audrey La and Josh Shimabukuro from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, who had previously won the regional competition round in New York in October.

A Community and a Family

Despite flight cancellations and delays experienced by many AABANY members on their return home, the spirit of mutual support endured, with members reaching out, sharing resources, and ensuring everyone arrived home safely. This supportive behavior exemplified the core takeaway from the convention: AABANY is more than just a community—it is a family that comes together to uplift and assist one another. 

We look forward to the next NAPABA Convention in Los Angeles, scheduled for November 12-15, 2026 at the JW Marriott L.A. Live.

More photos, shared by various AABANY members, can be found at this album here.

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Thank You to the Participants of the 2025 Thomas Tang Moot Court Competition

Over the course of two days – in-person on October 17, and over Zoom on October 18 – law students from across the country participated in the 2025 Thomas Tang Moot Court Competition (TTMC).  A total of 28 teams from 11 states competed in three regional competitions, showcasing exceptional advocacy, composure, and legal reasoning. To make these competitions possible, 78 members of the bench and bar marked a total of 133 score sheets across 12 rounds.


Background

The Thomas Tang Moot Court Competition was named in honor of Judge Thomas Tang of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Dr. Pearl Tang. The competition provides law students with a platform to hone their advocacy skills while engaging with the Asian Pacific American legal community. The competition was sponsored by the NAPABA Law Foundation and NAPABA Judicial Council, and remains one of NAPABA’s signature programs for fostering mentorship, excellence, and representation among the next generation of advocates.

AABANY’s Contributions

AABANY is proud to share that many of our members volunteered as judges and bailiffs for the Regional, held on October 17, 2025 at the St. John’s University campus in New York City. Our members generously devoted their time and mentorship to the aspiring attorneys, providing detailed feedback to the law students, asking provoking and critical questions about the case. 

The volunteer judges included federal and state judges, as well as seasoned litigators and practitioners. They offered meaningful advice in vital areas such as argument construction, speaking, composure, and presentation. Many students shared that the feedback and support they received from practitioners were among the most meaningful parts of their competition experience.

AABANY also co-sponsored the luncheon with the law firm of Groombridge, Wu, Baughman & Stone LLP, where participants enjoyed a spread of delicious sandwiches, beverages, and snacks. 

During the lunch, Jennifer Wu (AABANY Board Director), Judge Pamela Chen (AABANY Member), and Judge Jennifer Choe Groves shared their experience and advice with the students. Jennifer Wu recalled her own time as a competitor in the Thomas Tang Moot Court Competition, where several judges had told her, “You should be a litigator.” She humorously noted that one of the things she did particularly well was conceding at the right time, a small but important skill in advocacy. Reflecting on those memories, she spoke about the lasting mentorship she received during her time as a law student and her wish to pass that mentorship forward to the next generation.

Judge Chen and Judge Choe Groves echoed those sentiments, encouraging students to approach advocacy with confidence, humility, and openness to learning. Their words underscored the importance of community and the enduring relationships that the Thomas Tang Moot Court Competition helps build among judges, practitioners, and students.

About This Year’s Competition

The participants of this year’s regional rounds showcased exceptional preparation and professionalism. The participants shared creative arguments, thoughtful responses to questioning by judges, and showcased quick critical reasoning, as well as composed presentation. The atmosphere reflected the shared commitment of both students and volunteers to learning, growth, and community-building.

This year’s moot court problem addressed an interesting issue at the intersection of many current issues surrounding technology, intellectual property, copyright, and art: Who owns the copyright of an artwork created with the assistance of artificial intelligence? The case challenged participants to wrestle with questions of authorship, originality, and the evolving role of human creativity in the age of AI.

The top 18 teams from the regional competitions have advanced to the National Competition, which took place during the NAPABA Convention on November 7–8, 2025. The team that won the national competition was Audrey La and Josh Shimabukuro from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. They were the same team that won the regional competition round in New York.

We extend our gratitude to all those who made this competition possible, from the volunteers, judges, attorneys, and law student, to the TTMC National Committee and local coordinators. Your generosity of time and spirit continues to uphold the legacy of Judge Thomas Tang and ensures that mentorship, excellence, and inclusion remain at the heart of this program.

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Volunteer to Serve as a Judge for the Thomas Tang Moot Court Competition

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Greetings!

If you are a judge or an attorney, we are writing to request that you volunteer to serve as a judge in the preliminary or quarterfinal rounds of the 2017 Thomas Tang Moot Court Competition (Competition).  The Competition is an appellate advocacy competition sponsored annually by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Law Foundation (NAPABA Law Foundation), an IRC § 501©(3) non-profit, charitable and educational affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).  The Competition honors the late Judge Thomas Tang, a champion of individual rights, an advocate for the advancement of minority attorneys, and an ardent supporter of NAPABA. Judge Tang served on the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals from 1977 until his passing in 1995.

This year’s problem addresses the following issues:

I.                 Whether the government’s acquisition of historical cell phone records, without a warrant, for the purpose of identifying an individual’s location over the course of several months violates the prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures found in the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution.

II.               Whether the warrantless use of cell-site simulators to track an individual’s location and movements in real-time violates the prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures found in the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The information for the preliminary and quarterfinal rounds is as follows:

Date:  Friday, November 3, 2017

Time:  Preliminary Round One (9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.), Preliminary Round Two (11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.), and Quarterfinal Round (2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.)

Place:  Washington Marriott Marquis (901 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20001)

Please register online at https://www.wejoinin.com/sheets/oicps to judge one or both of the preliminary rounds and/or the quarterfinal round.

Once you register, you will be emailed the problem, the bench brief, the rules and the oral argument scoring sheets.  You will receive an email to reconfirm your availability as well as provide you with your room assignment(s) and other logistic information by Friday, October 27, 2017.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Linda Tran (linda.tran.m37t@statefarm.com) or Leah Gould (gould.leah@gmail.com).

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