US District Ct EDNY Archives - WE Blog @ AABANY

March 8, 2013

AABANY WELCOMES AND APPLAUDS THE CONFIRMATION OF PAMELA K. CHEN TO THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

NEW YORK – March 5, 2013 – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) welcomes and applauds the confirmation of Pamela K. Chen to serve as a federal district court judge in the Eastern District of New York. On March 4, 2013, the United States Senate confirmed Pamela Chen by a voice vote to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. “AABANY is delighted to learn that Pamela Chen has been confirmed to serve on the Eastern District of New York bench,” said Mike Huang, President of AABANY. “Ms. Chen is the first Chinese-American female Article III judge outside of California and the second-ever Chinese-American female federal judge in U.S. history, continuing to add to the rich legacy of the Second Circuit and New York State. AABANY applauds President Obama and Senator Schumer for their continued commitment to diversifying the Federal Judiciary.”

Asian Pacific Americans (“APA”) are significantly under-represented in the Federal Judiciary, including in New York State. In fact, according to the 2010 Census, approximately 8.3% of the population of New York State and 14.0% of the population of New York City consists of Asian Americans, and the APA percentage continues to grow at a rate that outpaces all other ethnic groups in the State. In the Eastern District of New York, Ms. Chen joins Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto as the two Article III judges of APA descent in a district that serves the growing APA communities of Flushing, Queens and Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

“With her confirmation, Ms. Chen joins the growing number of Asian Americans who have been recognized for distinguished service on the federal courts,” said Theodore K. Cheng, Co-chair of AABANY’s Judiciary Committee. “Although Asian Americans remain under-represented at all levels in the Federal Judiciary, President Obama and Senators Schumer and Gillibrand ought to be commended for their tireless dedication to increasing diversity on the federal bench.”

After spending the first five years of her career in the private sector, Ms. Chen began a dedicated and much longer career in public service, with a distinct focus on civil rights work. Ms. Chen served as a trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. She then moved to New York City in 1998 and became an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York (“USAO EDNY”). There, she was promoted to Chief of Civil Rights Litigation, Deputy Chief of the Public Integrity Section, and then finally to Chief of the Civil Rights Section. Ms. Chen held that last position since July 2006 except for a brief period of time in 2008 when she accepted an opportunity to serve as the Deputy Commissioner for Enforcement in the New York State Division of Human Rights. She soon returned to the USAO EDNY and has remained there ever since.

AABANY thanks President Obama for nominating Ms. Chen and Senator Charles E. Schumer for recommending her to the President.

For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (718) 228-7206, or direct any inquiries to [email protected].

The Asian American Bar Association of New York was formed in 1989 as a not-for-profit corporation to represent the interests of New York Asian-American attorneys, judges, law professors, legal professionals, paralegals and law students. The mission of AABANY is to improve the study and practice of law, and the fair administration of justice for all by ensuring the meaningful participation of Asian-Americans in the legal profession.

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

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March 5, 2013

NAPABA and AAJC Applaud Confirmation of Pamela K.M. Chen to the Eastern District of New York

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4, 2013

NAPABA Contact: Emily Chatterjee (202) 775-9555
AAJC Contact: Kimberly Goulart (202) 499-7027

NAPABA and AAJC Applaud Confirmation of
Pamela K.M. Chen to the Eastern District of New York

WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate confirmed Pamela K.M. Chen by a voice vote to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. She becomes the first openly gay Asian Pacific American to serve on the federal judiciary.

“NAPABA congratulates Pam Chen on her historic nomination and confirmation and is proud to have supported her in the nomination and confirmation process along with the LGBT community,” said Wendy Shiba, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “We applaud President Obama and Senator Schumer for their continued commitment to diversifying the federal judiciary.”

For almost 14 years, Judge Chen has served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, where she has served as chief of the Civil Rights Section for more than eight years, and previously as a deputy chief of the Public Integrity Section of the Criminal Division. She also served as a deputy commissioner for enforcement at the New York State Division of Human Rights, as a trial attorney in the Justice Department in Washington D.C., and in private practice. Judge Chen has won numerous awards for her work, particularly in addressing human trafficking.

“Judge Chen’s confirmation is a step in the right direction,” said Mee Moua, president and executive director of the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice. “There are more than 40 federal District Court judges in New York City. Judge Chen will become the third Asian Pacific American, bringing APA representation on the bench more in line with our 14 percent share of the city’s population.”

Judge Chen’s confirmation increases the number of active Asian Pacific American Article III judges to 18 nationwide: two federal Appellate Court judges and 16 federal District Court judges. President Obama nominated a record 17 Asian Pacific American to the Article III courts. Three more Asian Pacific American Article III nominees are pending in the Senate: Sri Srinivasan, nominee for the U.S. Circuit Court for the D.C. Circuit; Raymond T. Chen, nominee for the U.S. Circuit Court for the Federal Circuit; and Derrick Kahala Watson, nominee for the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii. NAPABA and AAJC urge the Senate to move quickly to confirm these individuals, who are highly qualified for the federal bench.

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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 62 local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members represent 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 minorities in the legal profession.

The Asian American Justice Center (www.advancingequality.org), a member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice (www.advancingjustice.org), works closely with the other Advancing Justice members – the Asian American Institute in Chicago (www.aaichicago.org), the Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco (www.asianlawcaucus.org) and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center in Los Angeles (www.apalc.org) – to promote a fair and equitable society for all by working for civil and human rights and empowering Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other underserved communities.

December 12, 2011

Special Announcement from the Judiciary Committee

For those interested in applying to become a United States Magistrate Judge, here is an announcement from Theo Cheng, co-chair of the Judiciary Committee:

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York has announced a vacancy for a full-time U.S. Magistrate Judge position in Brooklyn. The EDNY’s public notice, which contains additional information about the position is available on the court’s website at http://www.nyed.uscourts.gov/pub/docs/notices/ALC_Vacancy_Public_Notice_PR-10-18-2011.pdf, and the application itself is available on the court’s homepage. AABANY encourages all qualified attorneys with an interest in serving in the federal judiciary to submit an application, which is due no later than January 13, 2012. If you have any questions about the position or would like assistance in connection with your application, please contact AABANY’s Judiciary Committee at [email protected], or any of the co-chairs Vince Chang ([email protected]), Theo Cheng ([email protected]) or James Chou ([email protected].)