Tag: trailblazers

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AABANYs Judiciary Committee Honors Eighteen Trailblazing AAPI Judges at the 2024 Annual Judges’ Reception

On Tuesday, June 18th, 2024, at the 2024 Annual Judges’ Reception, AABANYs Judiciary Committee honored eighteen newly elected, elevated, or retired AAPI judges, each of whom are incredible trailblazers and represent continuing progress in the ongoing effort to increase AAPI representation in our courts.

The Judiciary Committee’s flagship event was hosted in the main hall of New York City’s Surrogate’s Court. Between sky-reaching pillars, and under the vaulted arch-ceiling the following eighteen judges were recognized and celebrated for their work, effort, and example: 

  • Hon. Deepa Ambekar (Kings Co. Sup. Ct.)
  • Hon. Sanket J. Bulsara (United States District Court, EDNY)
  • Hon. Nusrat J. Choudhury (United States District Court, EDNY)
  • Hon. Kenneth W. Chu (ret. ALJ, NLRB)
  • Hon. Christopher J. Exias (Rockland Co. Fam. Ct.)
  • Hon. Evelyn Gong (Queens Co. Civ. Ct.)
  • Hon. Dale E. Ho (United States District Court, SDNY)
  • Hon. Phillip Hom (App. Term, 2d Dept)
  • Hon. Gilbert C. Hong (ret. NY Co. Sup. Ct.)
  • Hon. Biju J. Koshy (Supervising Judge, Richmond Co. Crim. Ct.)
  • Hon. Karen Lin (Queens Co. Sup. Ct.)
  • Hon. Rena Malik (Kings Co. Civ. Ct.)
  • Hon. Kim Parker (Court of Claims)
  • Hon. Kris Singh (Admin. Judge, 4th Jud. Dist.)
  • Hon. Rantideva Singh (NYC Fam. Ct.)
  • Hon. Richard Tsai (NY Co. Sup. Ct.)
  • Hon. Vikram S. Vilkhu (Brighton Town Justice)
  • Hon. John Zhuo Wang (NY Co. Sup. Ct.).

The night began with introductory remarks by Committee Co-Chair Mark Son, who thanked elevated and retired judges for their service and congratulated new judges for their work which allowed them to advance to their new positions. He first praised several judges whose work has had a long-term effect and was substantially significant in making the AAPI voice in the justice system grow and prosper. He then acknowledged all other judges in attendance and expressed regret for being unable to share the breadth of their contributions in the short time allotted.

Next to take the podium was AABANY’s current President, Joseph Eng, Jr. He began by  reiterating Mark’s congratulatory sentiments, then introduced the eighteen honorees. Each in turn stood up and received warm applause from the audience. President Eng stressed the significance of hosting a Judges’ Reception as far more than an isolated single annual moment, but a day of celebration culminating from decades of work, a day to remind everyone of the great strides that have been made, and all the work that lays ahead in the continued struggle for diversity, equity, and inclusion. President Eng lauded the growth of AAPI representation, while also focusing on the milestones yet to be reached for true representation, drawing attention to the lack of any AAPI judges in the state’s highest court, the Court of Appeals, and in the United States Supreme Court. 

Once all the judges present came up to the front of the room to receive their awards, they gathered for a group photo with President Eng and the Judiciary Committee leadership.  The deserving honorees were regaled with cheers and applause from everyone.

Hon. Shahabuddeen Ally, President of the Asian American Judges Association of New York (AAJANY), then stepped up to the podium to present final remarks. He reiterated the main points of the evening, and celebrated the effort involved in organizing this event. He congratulated the judges being honored and praised the growth of AAPI representation, even as he considered the work that remains ahead and the necessity of diligence and focus to achieve progress. He verbalized the goal of reaching 100 AAPI judges in New York State in the near future as an aspirational challenge.  Finally, Committee Vice-Chair Vanessa Kong thanked everyone for attending and invited everyone to partake in the complimentary food and drink catered by Nom Wah. Laughter and stories filled the room, reflecting the camaraderie and mutual respect among the attendees.

As the evening drew to a close, it was evident that this reception was more than just an event; it was a celebration of progress, diversity, and the indomitable spirit of the AAPI community within the judiciary. The honorees left with not only memories of a joyous evening but also with the knowledge that their contributions are making a lasting impact.

We thank the Judiciary Committee for their tireless effort in making this annual event happen, as well as all the guests who attended. We thank AAJANY and Judge Ally for their participation. Once again, congratulations to all the honorees. To learn more about the Judiciary Committee please click here. To see more photos from the event, go to the album here.

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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 Recognized in City and State’s 2022 The Power of Diversity: Asian 100

AABANY is excited to announce that on May 2, 2022, President William Ng and President-Elect Karen Kim were recognized by City and State’s 2022 The Power of Diversity: Asian 100. The Power of Diversity: Asian 100 identifies New York’s Asian American leaders from a wide range of backgrounds who are gaining political power and advocating for their community. President William Ng and President-Elect Karen Kim are recognized as 50th on the list, an increase from AABANY’s placement last year at 53rd.

City & State wrote:

William Ng took over as president and Karen Kim as president-elect of the Asian American Bar Association of New York in April. Ng is a shareholder at Littler, a major employment and labor law firm. A Brooklyn Law School alumnus, Kim has practiced law for over a decade and serves as counsel to QBE North America. In March, AABANY, together with like-minded organizations, filed a court brief addressing suspected racial bias in a ruling involving a Korean American individual.

AABANY has had the pleasure of working closely with Grace Meng (1), number one on the list and New York’s first Asian American member of Congress. In 2021, Grace Meng spoke at AABANY’s press conference following the release of our anti-Asian violence report, A Rising Tide of Hate and Violence against Asian Americans in New York During COVID-19: Impact, Causes, Solutions.

AABANY also congratulates Assemblymember Ron Kim (3) and State Senator John Liu (4), who both spoke at AABANY’s May 31, 2022 press conference following the release of our second report on anti-Asian hate and violence in New York City, entitled Endless Tide: The Continuing Struggle to Overcome Anti-Asian Hate in New York.

Please join AABANY in congratulating these others AAPI trailblazers who made the list:

  • Sandra Ung (12), City Council member and former treasurer of AABANY;
  • Kevin Kim (17), Commissioner of the New York City Department of Small Business Services and former AABANY Board Officer;
  • Frank Wu (23), Queens College’s first President of Asian descent. AABANY honored Frank Wu with the AABANY Impact Award at our 2021 Virtual Gala: Uniting for Justice and Equity;
  • Joon Kim (29), Partner at longtime AABANY sponsor, Cleary Gottlieb, former acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District, and AABANY member;
  • Faiza Saeed (35), Presiding Partner at Cravath, a longtime sponsor of AABANY;
  • Wellington Chen (47), Executive Director of Chinatown Partnership Local Development Corp and AABANY community partner through CPLDC’s and AABANY’s collaboration on the creation of a dedicated team to address lawsuits under the Americans With Disabilities Act;
  • L. Austin D’Souza & Vidya Pappachan (64), President and President-Elect of the South Asian Bar Association of New York and AABANY members;
  • Justin Yu (78), Chair of The Chinese Chamber of Commerce of New York and AABANY community partner through his past support for our Chinatown Pro Bono Clinic;
  • Anna Mercado Clark (88), Partner at Phillips Lytle, NAPABA’s Northeast regional governor, and AABANY’s current Development Director, an Officer position on the Board; and
  • Elizabeth OuYang (98), Civil Rights attorney and leader of the APA Voice Redistricting Task Force of which AABANY is a member.

AABANY congratulates everyone who made the City & State Asian 100 list and thanks them all for the important work they do on behalf of New York’s AAPI community. To read the full article, please click here.

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AABANY Co-Sponsors: Talking with Trailblazers

On February 3, AABANY co-sponsored the SDNY Chapter of the Federal Bar Association’s third edition of the Talking with Trailblazers series. The series presents conversations with legal professionals who were the first to break representational ceilings in their field. The February 3 edition featured the first Federal judges of Asian descent in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. The panelists, all AABANY members, were: 

  • Hon. Ona T. Wang, the first Asian-American Magistrate Judge in the SDNY.
  • Hon. Diane Gujarati (EDNY), the first Indian-American to serve as an Article III judge in New York.
  • Hon. Sanket Bulsara (EDNY), the first Indian-American judge within the Second Circuit. 

Attendees were welcomed to join both in-person at the offices of Dunnington Bartholow & Miller in midtown Manhattan and on Zoom. All three judges were present in person, surrounded by an audience of lawyers and law students. The moderator was Padmaja Chinta, who is a partner at Chinta & Fratangelo LLP and the SDNY Chapter’s Chief Diversity Officer.

The panelists discussed a variety of subjects, from how they started their careers to the impact of mentorship. The judges had joined the legal industry from unexpected backgrounds. For example, prior to attending law school, Judge Wang had first obtained a Ph.D. in Zoology from Duke University. The judges also discussed the challenges they faced climbing the upper rungs of their careers. Finally, the conversation closed with a reflection on how the judges’ experiences shape their philosophies and practices on the bench. 

Following the moderated panel, attendees both in-person and virtual were eager to ask questions. The event was expected to end at 7:00 pm, but due to the number of questions and the liveliness of the discussion, it did not formally end until 7:30 pm. At closing, in-person attendees also took the opportunity to meet the judges and members of the SDNY Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.

Thanks to Judge Wang, Judge Gujarati, and Judge Bulsara for sharing their stories and their insights. Thanks also to the Federal Bar Association’s SDNY Chapter for organizing this series and including AABANY as a co-sponsor.

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On June 18, 2014, the Prosecutors’ Committee celebrated its 6th Annual Reception at the New York County Lawyers Association with over 100 state and local prosecutors, law enforcement partners, and friends. The Committee was pleased to honor two Asian American women trailblazers in law enforcement: Wen Ting Cheng, NY ICE Chief Counsel, US Department of Homeland Security and Belle Chen, Assistant Special Agent in Charge NY FBI, US Department of Justice. Congratulations to these extremely deserving recipients.

Some of the city’s best prosecutors and law enforcement agents gathered to honor their fellow colleagues. US Attorney Preet Bharara, Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson, Richmond County District Attorney Daniel Donovan, New York County District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan and Queens Executive Assistant District Attorney Jesse Sligh also attended and delivered uplifting and inspiring remarks. Each speaker delved into the importance of having a diverse staff, one that reflected the community of which they had dedicated their lives to serving. We were also grateful that The Honorable Pamela Chen, The Honorable Doris Ling-Cohan and The Honorable Gilbert Hong were among the dignitaries to join us for this joyous occasion. 

Thank you to Co-Chairs Rosemary Yu & Brian Lee, Monica Huang, Sabrina Thanse, and the rest of the Prosecutors’ Committee for organizing this wonderful event.

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In January 2014, CUP (Council of Urban Professionals) launched a mini-series called “CUP Conversations,” where industry trailblazers answer questions about their lessons on leadership. CUP’s fourth video highlights Don Liu, General Counsel, Secretary & Vice President at Xerox. Don shares his take on the importance of making mistakes, role models, and reputation. AABANY is fortunate to have Don’s sage advice as a member of our Advisory Committee.

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Prosecutors’ Committee’s 4th Anniversary Reception

Brian Lee, Deputy Chief of the County Court Bureau, Nassau County D.A.’s office, reports:

On June 28, 2012, the Prosecutors’ Committee held its 4th Anniversary Reception at the New York University School of Law, Vanderbilt Hall. This year, the Prosecutors’ Committee, co-chaired by Cristina S. W. Park of the Bronx County D.A.’s Office and James S. Lin of the New York County D.A.’s Office, honored Sandra Leung, General Counsel of Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Thomas M. Chan, Assistant Chief of the New York City Police Department. Ms. Leung was the first female Asian American prosecutor in the New York County D.A.’s Office, and in her speech, recounted how her invaluable experience as a prosecutor propelled her rapid rise in the ranks at Bristol-Myers Squibb. Assistant Chief Chan is the highest ranking Asian American officer in NYPD’s history, and during his address, spoke of his passion to help the community as the driving force behind his illustrious career. These two individuals were honored for their dedication to diversity and as trailblazers for the Asian American community in New York.

The honorees and attendees were welcomed by Jeannie Forrest, the Vice-Dean of NYU School of Law. Nearly 120 guests attended the reception and congratulatory remarks were given by: Charles J. Hynes, the District Attorney of Kings County; Daniel R. Alonso, the Chief ADA for New York County; Daniel L. Master, the Chief ADA for Richmond County; Jesse J. Sligh, an Executive ADA for Queens County; and Steven M. Goldstein, the Chief ADA for the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor. Closing remarks were delivered by Jean Lee, the President of AABANY.

Dignitaries in attendance at the reception included Judge Doris Ling-Cohan, New York State Supreme Court, Judge Gilbert C. Hong, New York City Criminal Court, Daniel D. Chu, Chair of the Civilian Complaint Review Board, and Hugh H. Mo, one of last year’s Trailblazer Honorees. The reception was covered by members of the media.

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AABANY to Honor Two Asian American Trailblazers on June 28

AABANY to Honor Two Asian American Trailblazers on June 28

On Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 6:00 P.M., the Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) will host the 4th annual Prosecutors’ Committee celebration at the New York University School of Law. AABANY will honor Sandra Leung, the first female Asian American prosecutor in New York County history and currently the General Counsel for Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Assistant Police Chief Thomas M. Chan, the highest ranking uniformed member of Asian American descent in the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”).

Read more here.

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