Tag: united states

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NAPABA Press Release: Manish Shah Nominated to Serve as District Court Judge

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

1612 K Street NW, Suite 1400 
Washington, DC 20006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
September 19, 2013

Contact: Emily Chatterjee 
(202) 775-9555

MANISH SHAH NOMINATED TO SERVE AS DISTRICT COURT JUDGE

WASHINGTON – Today, President Obama nominated Manish Suresh Shah to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. If confirmed, Shah will be the first person of South Asian descent to serve as an Article III judge in the state of Illinois.

“We applaud Manish Shah’s historic nomination to the federal bench,” said Wendy C. Shiba, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “Mr. Shah has devoted his career to public service in the U.S. Attorney’s office, and his deep experience in criminal law will be an asset to the Northern District of Illinois. We hope that the Senate votes to confirm him swiftly.”

Since 2001, Shah has worked at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois. Since July 2012, he has served as Chief of the Criminal Division, and previously served as Chief of Criminal Appeals. During his time as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, he has also worked in the General Crimes, Narcotics & Gangs, and Public Corruption units. Shah attended the University of Chicago Law School and Stanford University, and went on to clerk for Judge James B. Zagel of the Northern District of Illinois.

NAPABA commends President Obama for nominating Mr. Shah to the bench and Senators Kirk and Durbin of Illinois for their support of his nomination.

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SDNY NOTICE: SDNY Accepting Applications for Magistrate Judge

The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York has announced a vacancy for a full-time U.S. Magistrate Judge position in the White Plains courthouse.  The SDNY’s public notice, which contains additional information about the position and the application, is available on the court’s website at www.nysd.uscourts.gov.  AABANY encourages all qualified attorneys with an interest in serving in the federal judiciary to submit an application, which is due no later than September 30, 2013.  If you have any questions about the position or would like assistance in connection with your application, please contact any of the Co-chairs of AABANY’s Judiciary Committee: 

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CHIEF JUDGE LORETTA A. PRESKA AND CONGRESSMAN JOSÉ E. SERRANO ANNOUNCE FUNDING FOR NEW SECURITY PAVILION AT UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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Loretta A. Preska, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), and Congressman José E. Serrano (NY–15) announced today that the court received $10.44 million to build a security pavilion outside the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse, located at 500 Pearl Street in Lower Manhattan.
        “We gather here today to celebrate a success of bipartisan government action to improve the security of our courthouse and of the people who come here every day to do business,” said Chief Judge Preska. “We have been pursuing the means to construct this pavilion since September 11, and today’s triumph is long overdue.”
        The pavilion will enhance security at and speed entry to the busy federal courthouse, home of many high-profile proceedings. The project was conceived after 9/11, but funding for the pavilion was not found until recently.
        Congressman Serrano, who was instrumental in appropriating funds for the project, said: “I was happy to be able to intercede on the Moynihan Courthouse’s behalf from my seat on the Appropriations Committee. We know that keeping our federal buildings secure is of the utmost importance, especially one with high sensitivity trials involving national security like Moynihan. Waiting years after 9/11 was unacceptable.” No new appropriation was made to fund the pavilion; funds were reprogrammed from completed or cancelled projects.
        Other key representatives who helped secure funding for the project were also on hand for today’s announcement:
“This new security pavilion is an essential modernization of the Moynihan Courthouse that will ensure that Manhattan’s federal court is a safe space for all who use it,“ said Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-10). “For the wheels of justice to operate smoothly, it is vital that our courthouses be secure. This is especially true in my district in Lower Manhattan, where we are still very much living in the shadow of 9/11.”
        Representative Peter King (NY–2), said: “As the leading terrorist target, New York’s security is essential. I am proud to have played a part in ensuring funds for the Moynihan Federal Courthouse’s new security pavilion. It is imperative that all those who work for justice can do so in a secure environment.”
        The U.S. General Services Administration will oversee construction, which is slated to begin in October and completed in April 2015. The 4,500 square foot glass and steel structure will be situated on the west side of the courthouse.

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NAPABA SUPPORTS MARRIAGE EQUALITY AS U.S. SUPREME COURT HEARS ORAL ARGUMENTS IN SAME-SEX MARRIAGE CASES

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

1612 K Street NW, Suite 1400
Washington, DC 20006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2013

Contact: Azizah Ahmad
(202) 775-9555

NAPABA SUPPORTS MARRIAGE EQUALITY AS U.S. SUPREME COURT
HEARS ORAL ARGUMENTS IN SAME-SEX MARRIAGE CASES

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court heard the first of two oral arguments regarding the constitutionality of same-sex marriage. The first case is Hollingsworth v. Perry, a challenge to California’s Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage in the state. Tomorrow, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in United States v. Windsor, which challenges the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). DOMA was signed into law in 1996 and denies same-sex couples access to federal protections such as Social Security benefits, veterans’ benefits, health insurance, and retirement savings benefits. The decisions in both cases will likely be announced in June.

“We strongly support marriage equality and encourage the Court to uphold equal protection for same-sex couples,” said Wendy Shiba, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “Anti-miscegenation laws, which denied Asian Pacific Americans the right to marry freely, have a shameful history in our country. Americans of all races, sex, color, creed, or sexual orientation should have the right to marry the person they love and be treated equally under the law.”

NAPABA has long supported marriage e quality. In 2008, NAPABA and six of its affiliates were among the 60 local, state, and national Asian Pacific American organizations that filed amicus briefs supporting equal marriage rights for same-sex couples in California. NAPABA has also joined amicus briefs in lower court proceedings in the Perry and Windsor cases. This year, NAPABA joined amicus briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court in support of marriage equality in Hollingsworth v. Perry and Windsor v. United States.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 40,000 attorneys and 63 local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal service and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government. NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes professional development of people of color in the legal profession.

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Public Notice for Reappointment of Incumbent Magistrate Judge

The current term of the office of United States Magistrate Judge Kevin N. Fox is due to expire on October 1, 2013. The United States District Court is required by law to establish a panel of citizens to consider the reappointment of a magistrate judge to a new eight year term.

The duties of a magistrate judge position include the following: (1) conduct of most preliminary proceedings in criminal cases; (2) trial and disposition of misdemeanor cases; (3) conduct of various pretrial matters and evidentiary proceedings on delegation from the judges of the district court; and (4) trial and disposition of civil cases upon consent of the litigants.

Comments from members of the bar and the public are invited as to whether the incumbent magistrate judge should be recommended by the panel for reappointment by the court, and should be directed to:

Edward Friedland
District Court Executive
U.S. Courthouse
500 Pearl Street, Room 820
New York, NY 10007-1312
Comments must be received by March 8, 2013.