PBCS volunteers, comprising volunteer attorneys and law students, met with 19 clients and provided guidance on a range of legal issues, including housing, family and matrimonial law, immigration, real property, trusts and estates, torts and other civil litigation.
Here are some of the clients’ feedback:
“May Wong is very professional and answered all my questions. She also gave me helpful advice and referrals. Thank you!”
“Thank you, Shirley, for listening to our concerns. She is very knowledgeable about different routes going forward.“
“Very grateful this service is available for the Asian community as it always seem there is always a lack of community service for us.”
We thank the following volunteers for attending the Queens Pro Bono Clinic and for their dedicated services:
Attorneys:
Wendy Cheng
Marcus Cheung
Kevin Hsi
Richard In
Shirley Luong
Sinbay Tan
Johnny Thach
Anthony Wong
May Wong
Gary Yeung
Evelyn Yu
Interpreters/shadowers:
Nathan Cao
Michelle Chen
Kaitlyn Cheng
Helen Ding
Nandar Win Kerr
Momo Sano
Jingjing Wang
Suzie (Sue) Yu
Wendy Zeng
We invite you to continue supporting our community by joining us at our upcoming Pro Bono Clinics:
– August 19th [Manhattan link here] from 6:30-8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002
– September 12 [Brooklyn link here], from 12:30 – 3:30pm, CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232
– October 7 [Queens link here], from 6:30 – 8:30pm, AAFE One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355
To learn more about the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, visit probono.aabany.org.
We look forward to your participation in our future clinics!
PBCS volunteers, comprising volunteer attorneys and law students, met with 18 clients and provided guidance on a range of legal issues, including housing, immigration, real property, trusts and estates, labor and employment, family law, tax, public benefits, and civil litigation. Clients who needed further assistance were directed to AABANY’s Legal Referral and Information Service (LRIS), a resource that connects clients with qualified attorneys to represent them.
We had a large turnout at this clinic, including many new and old clients and volunteer attorneys. With the help of our attorneys and translators, we efficiently provided assistance for clients with multi-year old disputes, predetermined court dates, and emerging cases. One client expressed that they were “very impressed“ with the professionalism of the services provided.
While providing legal aid, our volunteer attorneys, shadowers, and interpreters gained a deeper understanding of the clients’ personal struggles and life stories, connecting them with deeply moving narratives that will permanently inspire and guide them throughout their future careers.
We thank the following volunteers for attending the Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic:
Attorneys
Francis Chin
Jack Hsia
Beatrice Leong
Arthur Lin
Kwok Kei Ng
Jasmine Tan
Hin Ton Wong
Gary Yeung
Interpreters/shadowers
Helen Ding
Cheri Chaibut
Kaitlyn Cheng
Qiao Kang
Nandar Win Kerr
Momo Sano
Allison Yu
Wendy Zeng
Zhiyi Zhang
Assisting amidst the rainstorm and showing up to serve those in need despite unbearable heat and unhealthy air quality, their dedication to our community was on full display.
We appreciate their dedicated service, serving as an inspiration to the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee.
We invite you to continue supporting our community by joining us at our upcoming Pro Bono Clinics:
– August 5th [Queens linkhere], from 6:30 – 8:30pm, AAFE One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355
– August 19th [Manhattan link here] from 6:30-8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002
– September 12th [Brooklyn link here] from 12:30-2:30pm, CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11232
To learn more about the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, visit probono.aabany.org.
We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming clinic sessions.
AABANY extends our sincerest gratitude to the Pro Bono and Community Service (PBCS) Committee, the Asian American Law Fund of New York (AALFNY), CPC Brooklyn Community Center, and all the dedicated volunteers who contributed to the success of our Pro Bono Legal Clinic on July 12, 2025. We also express our heartfelt appreciation to our distinguished guest speakers, NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) Commissioner Manuel Castro and Lydia Li, Senior Manager of Community Outreach at MOIA, for their support and valuable participation.
Lydia Li, Senior Manager of Community Outreach at MOIA, spoke passionately about the agency’s mission to ensure that all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, have access to city resources and services. MOIA plays a vital role in serving New York City’s 3.1 million immigrants, comprising 38% of the city’s population, by connecting immigrant communities to essential resources for navigating the city’s complex system—all while protecting their privacy, including their immigration status. MOIA’s multilingual team, proficient in over eight different languages, provides diverse language assistance to those with limited English proficiency.
As an active member of the outreach team, Lydia helps dismantle barriers by giving presentations and organizing events, webinars, and panel discussions to share the resources that MOIA offers for the immigrant community. Additionally, MOIA operates immigration legal support centers that provide free and safe legal assistance in immigrant neighborhoods. One of the key resources highlighted is the 311 hotline, which callers can use to report incidents of racial discrimination, report immigration fraud, or receive referrals for legal resources. Lydia concluded her presentation by distributing pamphlets and brochures that outline the various resources available to immigrants, including their rights if approached by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. To learn more about MOIA legal support centers and resources, visit their website here.
Commissioner Castro shared his personal journey as an immigrant, highlighting the challenges of arriving in the United States and growing up in Sunset Park. His experience motivated his mission to protect the rights of immigrant communities across New York City. As an advocate, he marveled at the transformative potential of immigration, stating, “[o]ne generation can go from living in an indigenous community to immigrating here and becoming practicing attorneys. It’s tremendous and we need to honor that. I’ve had the privilege of witnessing it, and I wish everyone could experience it.”
When asked what inspired him to enter government, Commissioner Castro explained how serving in the government offers him a unique perspective on the intricacies of internal operations—insights that are not typically taught in academia. He emphasized that his role as New York City Immigrant Affairs Commissioner allowed him to interact directly with a wide range of communities, which he believes reflect the city’s diversity and strength. As an advocate, he firmly believes that this is what New York City should take pride in and strive to preserve.
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Similarly, our Pro Bono Clinic shares a commitment to providing accessible legal support and critical resources to our New York communities. During the clinic, our volunteers met with clients to give consultations on various topics such as immigration, trusts and estates, housing, personal injury, family and matrimonial matters. Our volunteer attorneys, assisted by law students, listened to each client’s concerns and legal questions, provided guidance, legal information, consultations, and, if appropriate, connected them with further resources through AABANY’s Legal Referral and Information Service (LRIS).
College and law student volunteers also shadowed volunteer attorneys and assisted with interpretation and client intake. With the help of multilingual volunteers, the clinic is able to offer language-accessible legal information, ensuring that clients can communicate their concerns clearly and receive meaningful assistance.
Thank you again to all of our volunteers at the July 12 Brooklyn Pro Bono Clinic:
Volunteer Attorneys:
Vishal Chander
Victoria Cheng
Francis Chin
Rocky Chin
Jenny (Wenjing) Dai
Megan Gao
Jack (Zixu) Hsia
Beatrice Leong
Kwok Kei Ng
Shuyao (Sherry) Wang
Carrey Wong
Gary Yeung
Interpreters/Shadowers:
Sam Chen
Eliana Jeong
Emily Kam
Nandar Win Kerr
Emily Lai
Tammy Tam
Albert Tong
Shang Zhai
We invite you to continue supporting our community by joining us at our upcoming Pro Bono Clinics:
August 6th [Queens link here] from 6:30-8:30 pm, One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355
August 20th [Manhattan link here] from 6:30-8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002
September 20th [Brooklyn link here], from 12:30 – 3:30pm, CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Thanks once again to all our volunteers for their commitment to Pro Bono service and for making a meaningful difference in our community.
We look forward to your participation in our future clinics!
To learn more about the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, visit probono.aabany.org.
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