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August 28, 2023August 28, 2023

AABANY Hosts Inaugural Wellness Day at Brooklyn Law School

On July 22, 2023, AABANY successfully hosted its inaugural Wellness Day in commemoration of Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. The event, held under the theme “Embracing Wellness and Well-Being: Strengthening the Legal Profession by Investing in Ourselves,” took place at Brooklyn Law School. This event was made possible through the generous support of our distinguished speakers and sponsors, enabling us to address crucial topics such as fostering wellness, seeking therapy, building resilience, and more.

Mental health and well-being, particularly within the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community and in the context of the legal profession, have often been overlooked and under-discussed. With this event, AABANY sought to break barriers and shed light on these critical issues, providing a safe and supportive platform for these conversations to take place.

Wellness Day registration started at 9 a.m. with the first 25 attendees to sign-in receiving a free stainless steel AABANY water bottle. Attendees were encouraged to come in casual attire and the program was also offered via Zoom, to be inclusive of those unable to attend in-person. The full-day event kicked off with breakfast from Paris Baguette, allowing participants to network and connect with one another over pastries and coffee for an enjoyable hour. Soon after, AABANY President Karen Kim delivered welcoming remarks. She extended her appreciation to all the attendees who joined this meaningful event and the pivotal role of the speakers and sponsors, recognizing their significant contribution to wellness and mental health advocacy.

Anu Gupta, the Founder of BE MORE with Anu, began with an enlightening presentation. His program, titled “Mindful Embodiment as a Means to Heal Burnout and Internalized Anti-Asian Bias,” commenced with a guided meditation, allowing attendees to clear their minds, relax, and focus on the session.

Anu introduced his PRISM ToolkitⓇ. PRISM is designed to help reduce unconscious bias and stereotyping, enhance social connectedness, strengthen relationships, and alleviate stress. Anu emphasized the significance of “love and kindness for oneself” and how true wellness is rooted in understanding and managing our internal environment. He stressed the importance of self-love as the foundation for extending that love to others, fostering connections beyond our differences.

Anu, a lawyer, scientist, and educator, shared his personal healing journey, which began during his 2L summer in law school when he went to Taiwan to become a monk. Continuing his quest for healing, during his 3L year, he became a certified yoga teacher. Toward the end of his presentation, Anu highlighted the wisdom of the Asian diaspora, citing the teachings of HH Dalai Lama, who emphasized the philosophy of kindness. Anu firmly believes that kindness and love should form the “foundation of society.” Thank you, Anu Gupta, for setting a meaningful tone for the day and reinforcing the importance of prioritizing wellness and meditation for personal and professional growth.

For more information about PRISM and Anu Gupta, please visit his website here.

Next, Dr. Nadine Chang, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist at Gracie Square Hospital, and Alice Zhang, CEO of Anise Health presented their program, “Mental Health 101 for the Asian Community.” They talked about misconceptions of mental illnesses, signs of depression and anxiety, importance of culturally informed care and barriers to mental health treatments.

During her presentation, Alice highlighted that “[the] current solutions [in the mental health care system] are not often tailored for minorities,” including the process of deciding to seek care, browsing for providers, conducting consultations, and continuing care. Alice then introduced the attendees to Anise Health, a culturally-responsive digital mental health and wellbeing platform dedicated to meeting the unique needs of communities of color, starting with a focus on the AANHPI population. Following up, Dr. Chang spotlighted the much-needed steps towards breaking the stigma surrounding mental health in the AANHPI community and fostering a more understanding and supportive environment for those facing mental health issues, such as learning to support your loved ones struggling with mental illness by being more present, listening, and empathizing with the other person’s situation by reflecting on how they may think and feel being in their shoes.

For more information about Anise Health, Dr. Nadine Chang, and Alice Zhang, please visit here.

To conclude the morning session, speaker Ona Lu and moderator Maggie Poon presented their fireside chat titled, “How to Find a Therapist and Mental Well-Being Tips.” Ona Lu, a former AABANY Legal Intern, began the conversation by reflecting on her journey and offering advice to her 18-year-old self. She emphasized the importance of recognizing that “everything happens for a reason” and that life experiences are opportunities to “learn and grow from.” She shared her personal journey of redirecting and rediscovering her passion for law after leaving her job as an attorney. Ona also opened up about the challenges she faced in seeking therapy, particularly coming from a conservative family. She reflected on the process of finding a therapist, admitting that it felt somewhat scary due to fear of judgment and the daunting fact of opening up to a stranger. “Finding a therapist is like dating,” she says, and advised that one should not give up on finding the right therapist. Through her inspiring story, Ona encouraged others to prioritize their mental health, emphasizing that it is okay to seek help and take care of oneself without feeling guilty or selfish. We thank Ona Lu for her openness and vulnerability of her journey and Maggie Poon for moderating a personal and intimate conversation.

When the morning session concluded, attendees were treated to a delightful spread of Korean food, providing an informal and relaxed opportunity for everyone to chat, mingle, and network over delicious and comforting fare.

Pema Sherpa, Founder of Pema Solutions, commenced the afternoon session with her program, “Cultivate Resilience to Thrive Amid Challenging Times.” She began with a brief mindful check-in breathing exercise, allowing attendees to de-stress. Then, Pema shared a powerful story about the earthquake that struck Nepal, highlighting how its impact differed for each individual and community. After the earthquake, she embarked on a rescue mission to a rural village, where she witnessed firsthand the trauma and distress faced by the people whose homes were destroyed. She was struck by the sight of normalcy amidst the devastation, as children were actively helping their parents cope with the aftermath. Curious about their experiences, Pema asked one of the children about how she dealt with the trauma of the earthquake. The child’s response was inspiring: she chose not to allow the trauma to overpower her. This particular encounter inspired Pema to reassess the power of resilience and the ability to find strength and hope even in the face of adversity. She shared that resilience serves as a protective mechanism: protects against stress, reduces loneliness, and enhances the immune system.

For more information about Pema Sherpa and Pema Solutions, please visit her website here.

Alex Su, the next speaker, is a former lawyer and the Head of Community Development at Ironclad. The fireside chat,“Overcoming Setbacks and Failures,” was moderated by President Karen Kim. Alex’s career, spanning from law to technology and even social media, didn’t always go as planned and encountered several major setbacks along the way. He shared his story, beginning with the first setback he faced: failing the bar exam. Other setbacks followed: he went from a big law firm, to creating his own, to being let go from a small firm. He then explored opportunities in sales and eventually found his way into the tech and social media industry. Through each setback, Alex acknowledged that it was an opportunity for growth and “set[ting] the path [for him] to try something new.” He emphasized that “resilience is a muscle” and that muscle develops stronger with each challenge.

Sharing his setbacks on LinkedIn proved to be a pivotal moment for Alex, as he received an outpouring of comments from peers who could relate to his experiences. This realization highlighted that many people tend to only share their successes and not their failures. When asked if he would go back in time to avoid these setbacks, considering he now gets to do what he loves, Alex responded with a resounding “Yes, 100%.” He recognized that those setbacks were necessary steps in discovering his true passions and aligning them with his personality. Each setback, “like a slap,” guided him along the right path. Thank you, Alex, for sharing your vulnerable story and serving as a powerful reminder that setbacks and failures are stepping stones towards finding one’s purpose and fulfilling career journey.

For more information about Alex Su, please visit his newsletter here.

Concluding Wellness Day, AABANY hosted a CLE program titled, “Challenges on Being the First and Prioritizing Your Well-Being.” The program included the following panelists:

Vincent Chang: first AAPI NYCLA President and former AABANY president
Hon. Sanket J. Bulsara (EDNY): first South Asian federal judge in the Second Circuit
Concepcion (“Connie”) Montoya: one of the founders of the Filipino American Lawyers Association of New York, the first Filipino bar association in New York
Susan Jin Davis: Social Impact Officer for Al Roker Entertainment, formerly with Comcast Corporation, where she was the company’s first Chief Sustainability Officer

and moderated by Yang Chen, first Executive Director of AABANY and former AABANY president.

The inspiring panel of firsts shared their careers and discussed various topics related to imposter syndrome, work-life balance, stress and anxiety and mental well-being. Susan Jin Davis shared that her greatest challenges of becoming the first was imposter syndrome and the lack of representation. She overcame this feeling by focusing on “the second and the third and the fourth [and] lay[ing] a pathway for the future.” Similarly, Connie resonated with the same feelings, and even more so regarding her identity as a queer Filipino woman in the legal field. Vincent highlighted the significance of finding “a great support system” and his joining many different bar associations, where he found like-minded individuals who shared careers and interests similar to his own. Judge Bulsara offered valuable advice, emphasizing the importance of not comparing oneself to others and recognizing that everyone has their unique journey in life.

The shared experiences and advice from the speakers served as valuable takeaways for all attendees. AABANY thanks them all for being a powerful influence in wellness and mental health advocacy.

We hope Wellness Day provided attendees with a relaxing day of self-care and resources to help promote the well-being of themselves and their family and peers. After a full day of speakers, good food and snacks throughout the day, attendees left with a card deck on Mindfulness or Stress Relief & Selfcare, to help further prioritize wellness.

We also want to express our sincere gratitude to President Karen Kim for successfully organizing this event and for convening an important and much-needed discussion. Wellness Day would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to them for their valuable contribution.

Wellness Day Speakers:

Anu Gupta, BE MORE with Anu
Alice Zhang, Anise Health
Dr. Nadine Chang, Gracie Square Hospital
Ona Lu
Maggie Poon, American Express
Pema Sherpa, Pema Solutions
Alexander Su, Ironclad
Karen Kim, QBE North America
Yang Chen, AABANY
Hon. Sanket J. Bulsara, U.S. District Court (E.D.N.Y.)
Susan Jin Davis, Al Roker Entertainment
Concepcion A. Montoya, Hinshaw & Culbertson
Vincent Chang, Wollmuth Maher & Deutsch

Wellness Day Sponsors:

Brooklyn Law School
Anise Health
BEMORE with Anu
Ironclad
Pema Solutions

Advocate Sponsor: KEB Hana Bank USA

Supporter: Faegre Drinker

Co-Sponsoring Bar Associations:

Asian American Judges Association of New York (AAJANY)
Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey (APALA-NJ)
Filipino American Lawyers Association of New York (FALA New York)
Haitian American Lawyers Association of New York (HALANY)
Jewish Lawyers Guild (JLG)
Judges & Lawyers Breast Cancer Alert (JALBCA)
LGBT Bar Association of New York (LeGaL)
Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York (KALAGNY)
Network of Bar Leaders (NoBL)
New York County Lawyers Association (NYCLA)
New York State Bar Association (NYSBA)
The South Asian Bar Association of New Jersey (SABA-NJ)
South Asian Bar Association of New York (SABANY)

To read the full press release, please click here.

July 28, 2023July 28, 2023

Young Lawyers Committee Presents: AABANY’s Annual Central Park Picnic

On July 8, 2023, AABANY’s Young Lawyers Committee (“YLC”) hosted its annual picnic in Central Park’s Heckscher Picnic Area, connecting members from various committees and their families and pets. Alongside family and friends, AABANY members chatted and relaxed over burgers from Shake Shack and fresh fruits and healthy snacks from Whole Foods. Among the attendees were the President, Karen Kim, the Executive Director, Yang Chen, and former President, Terrence Shen. YLC’s Co-chairs, Ada Wang and Kwonsun Jung, organized the event.

While temperatures this summer are breaking record highs, the heat did not inhibit our members’ enjoyment of the event. Throughout the picnic area, members could be found bonding under the eaves of shady pine trees, sharing laughter and making memories. The picnic ran from 11 AM to 3 PM, and the time passed quickly. Unfortunately, thunder clouds loomed in the distance as 3 PM approached. To avoid getting drenched by incoming storms, attendees woefully packed up their snacks and blankets. Thankfully, the festivities continued, with members gathering for an afterparty at the Smith near Lincoln Center, continuing the joy over drinks and light bites.

Thank you to everyone for spending their Saturday with AABANY and contributing to the warm and vibrant community that makes our organization so special. We look forward to many more memorable events and opportunities to come together in the future. Special thanks to the Young Lawyers Committee, and the Co-Chairs, Kwonsun and Ada, for their hard work planning and organizing this event. To learn more about the Young Lawyers Committee, click here.

May 1, 2023May 1, 2023

AABANY Holds Kick-Off Meeting and Orientation for FY24 Committee Co-Chairs

On Monday, April 24, 2023, Co-Vice Presidents of Programs & Operations, Beatrice Leong and Jeffrey Mok, along with President Karen Kim and Executive Director Yang Chen held a Kick-Off Meeting and Orientation for the Fiscal Year 2024 Co-Chairs. The meeting was held at Alston & Bird near Grand Central. Thanks to Board Director and Bankruptcy Committee Co-Chair Will Hao, Counsel at Alston, for hosting.

This year’s class of Co-Chairs was appointed by President Karen Kim at the start of the fiscal year in April. All Co-Chairs serve for a one-year term co-terminous with Karen’s term as President during the fiscal year which ends on March 31, 2024.

Co-Chairs and Vice Chairs representing 25 out of 27 Committees were present, and the new Co-Chairs received orientation about AABANY’s protocols and goals. The returning Co-Chairs received a refresher.

After the Orientation meeting, everyone walked over to Stout Grand Central for an afterparty where Committee Co-Chairs were able to meet each other and mingle over oysters, tacos, and baos, along with drinks from the well-stocked bar.

We look forward to another productive year of AABANY programs and events brought by our hard working Committees. To see the current list of Committees and Co-Chairs, please click here. If you want to get involved with one or more Committees, email us at [email protected] and we can connect you.

October 31, 2022October 31, 2022

AABANY Celebrates its 33rd Anniversary with Founders’ Day, Featuring Hon. Denny Chin

On October 25, 2022, the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) celebrated its 33^rd Anniversary with its Second Annual Founders’ Day Event at Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services’ (JAMS) space in the New York Times building in Manhattan. The annual event commemorates the founding of AABANY as a bar association in 1989 and honors the Founders who helped build the foundation for AABANY to become the largest diverse bar association in the country.

The Honorable Denny Chin, United States Circuit Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, gave remarks as the Founders’ Day keynote speaker. He spoke about AABANY’s early days and the fight for diversity and Asian representation in the legal profession. He recounted the challenges that he and his colleagues faced during his time as AABANY’s second president. He concluded by urging members not to rest on their laurels but to continue to fight for the needs of Asian Americans in the legal community. AABANY President William Ng also gave remarks while Hon. Marilyn Go, longtime AABANY member Hugh Mo, Executive Director Yang Chen, and many other AABANY leaders and members attended the celebration.

We would like to thank AABANY Board Member Chris Kwok and his colleagues at JAMS for hosting Founders’ Day, along with Membership Director Christopher S. Bae and the Membership Committee for organizing such a great event. AABANY is proud to have celebrated its 33rd anniversary with so many distinguished guests, and we look forward to celebrating our 34th next year at our Third Annual Founders’ Day Event.

December 6, 2021December 6, 2021

AABANY Receives the NYSBA Bar Leaders Innovation Award for its Anti-Asian Violence Report

On November 30, 2021, the New York State Bar Association presented the Bar Leaders Innovation Award in the Large Bar Association category to AABANY for its report A Rising Tide of Hate and Violence Against Asian Americans in New York During COVID-19. The award is presented to “recognize Bar Associations for adapting to the needs of their members and the community at large by introducing innovative programs, ideas, and methodologies that benefit everyone involved.”

The Dominican Bar Association (DBA) received an award in the Small Bar Association category in recognition of donating and delivering $10,000 worth of essential foods to at-risk families in the South Bronx. The award was accepted on behalf of DBA by the President, Doralyn De Dios.

A joint award was presented to the Muslim Bar Association of New York (MuBANY), in the Small Bar Association category, and Metropolitan Black Bar Association (MBBA), in the Medium Bar Association category, in recognition of program collaboration for members and communities most affected by COVID-19. MuBANY and MMBA started an Affinity Bar Collective which brought together a coalition of about twenty affinity bars (including AABANY) to collaborate on assisting members and communities most affected by COVID-19. President of MuBANY, Sania Khan, accepted the award on behalf of MuBANY and President of MMBA, Anta Cisse-Green, accepted the award on behalf of MBBA.

In the Medium Bar Association category, the Immediate Past President, Paula Engel, accepted the award presented to the Onondaga County Bar Association for the Bond, Schoeneck & King Series on Race and Justice in Central New York. The series was created to provide legal and non-legal programming aimed at opening a respectful, constructive and healthy dialogue about systemic racism and unequal access to justice in the community.

In the Large Bar Association category, AABANY received an award in recognition of the report A Rising Tide of Hate and Violence Against Asian Americans in New York During COVID-19. AABANY president, Terry Shen, and Executive Director, Yang Chen, accepted the award.

Terry discussed AABANY’s journey on writing the report. In 2020, AABANY embarked on this report in response to the increase in anti-Asian racism and violence. AABANY began to take measures to combat these issues which included a call for local and national leaders to denounce hate crimes and putting on programs to teach attorneys about hate crime. AABANY started the report in mid-2020 and published the report in February 2021. The proposals for change included more education on the history of anti-Asian violence, discrimination, hatred and xenophobia; increased diversity and inclusion in law enforcement and government; and improved collection and classification of data on hate crimes. To advance the implementation of the Report’s proposals, AABANY has formed an Anti-Asian Violence Task Force, which remains active and involves participation by numerous AABANY Committees. Although anti-Asian violence accounts have faded from the media, the Task Force is continuing the fight to turn the tide of hate and violence against the AAPI community.

Terry thanked MuBANY and MBBA for reviewing early drafts of the report. He also gave thanks to Paul, Weiss for co-authoring the report. Yang urged attendees to donate to the Turning the Tide (T3) Project, a joint initiative with AALFNY.

The New York County Lawyers Association also received an award in the Large Bar Association category in recognition of the COVID-19 Resource Center for lawyers. In March 2020, NYCLA announced the launch of their COVID-19 Resource Center which provided new content on a daily basis, expanded CLE Tuition Assistance Program, and offered low cost and no-cost online CLEs. The award was accepted by NYCLA President, Vincent Chang, a former AABANY President (2007).

AABANY previously received the Bar Leaders Innovation Award three times. In 2019, AABANY was recognized for its Pro Bono Legal Advice and Referral Clinic program, a collaboration with AALFNY. In 2016, AABANY received the award for its Seventh Annual Fall Conference: Speak Up / Rise Up / Lift Up. In 2013, AABANY was recognized for its trial reenactment, IVA: The Myth of Tokyo Rose, Allegiance on Trial.

AABANY congratulates all recipients of the award and thanks the New York State Bar Association for this honor and recognition.

May 10, 2021May 10, 2021

In the News: Executive Director Yang Chen and Board Director Chris Kwok Featured in The Spectator

AABANY Executive Director Yang Chen and Board Director Chris Kwok were recently mentioned in the April 28, 2021 edition of The Spectator, the Stuyvesant High School newspaper, in an article titled “Alumni Association Hosts Community Discussion on Anti-Asian Violence.” Both alumni of the school, Chris (’92) served as the moderator and Yang (’83) was one of the speakers in the April 15 community discussion. Other panelists included Joanne Kwong (’93), President of Pearl River Mart; Soo Kim (’93), President of the Stuyvesant High School Alumni Association; U.S. Representative Grace Meng (’93); Seung Yu, Principal of Stuyvesant High School; and current Stuyvesant juniors Christopher Liu, Xiaoshen Ma, Laura Xia, and Alice Zhu. During the discussion, panelists shared with over 200 attendees their personal experiences with race and their opinions on the recent increase of hate crimes and racism against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

Yang presented the findings and solutions outlined in AABANY’s report on anti-Asian violence and spoke about how AABANY is supporting the AAPI community. He stated: “One thing we’re pushing hard on is to make sure the NYPD Asian Hate Crimes task force is being fully funded. We’re very much supportive of any effort by law enforcement to bring attention to this issue and we’re trying to put as much word out as possible especially to the Mayor’s office. Mayor de Blasio denounced Asian-American violence a year ago but we’re still waiting for someone who is arrested for the crime to actually face criminal sanctions for it.”

To read the full coverage of the program on The Spectator, click here.

April 7, 2021April 7, 2021

In the News: President-Elect William Ng Featured in Binghamton University’s Alumni Newsletter

William Ng, President-Elect of AABANY, was recently featured in Binghamton University’s April 2021 Alumni Newsletter. In the article titled “Alumnus Leads Bar Association, Combats Racism,” William discussed AABANY’s mission of ensuring meaningful participation of Asian Americans in the legal profession. He also highlighted AABANY’s leadership in addressing the rise of hate and violence against the Asian American community. As President-Elect, William looks forward to prioritizing fundraising and ramping up virtual programs to position AABANY for success in a post-pandemic environment. Speaking about his time at Binghamton, William ’04 credits his experience serving in the Student Association and as a Student Conduct Board Member to furthering his interest in law.

The newsletter also acknowledges other Binghamton alumni who have served or currently serve on the AABANY Board:

Yang Chen ’87, Executive Director
Linda Lin ‘00, Past President
William Wang ’00, Past President
Bobby Liu ’93, Former Board Member
Christopher Bae ’10, Secretary
Beatrice Leong ‘06, Membership Director

To read the full article on Binghamton University’s Alumni Newsletter, click here.

October 28, 2019

AABANY Visits the High School of American Studies

On October 21, AABANY Executive Director Yang Chen and Board Director Chris Kwok visited the High School of American Studies on the campus of Lehman College of the City University of New York, in the Bronx. The trip was arranged through Jonathan Halabi, a teacher at the school, and was done as part of the New York State Bar Association’s request to bar leaders to visit local high schools to speak about the Constitution and Citizenship as part of this year’s Constitution Day, which was marked on September 17.

Mr. Halabi gave Chris and Yang a tour of the school, which has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the number 6 high school in New York. He also introduced Chris and Yang to a number of the school’s faculty. Chris and Yang spoke to two classes of seniors about Korematsu v. United States to teach about the Constitution and Citizenship. Both classes had heard the name Korematsu and knew the basic facts and context of the case. Chris and Yang provided additional details about how Fred Korematsu fought for justice and ultimately had his wrongful conviction overturned. The students engaged Chris and Yang in thoughtful and well-informed discussion about Korematsu’s case and how it relates to the Constitution, citizenship and current issues facing immigrants and the nation.

The visit concluded with Chris and Yang being called into the principal’s office to meet with the school’s principal, Alessandro Weiss. Principal Weiss thanked Chris and Yang for coming in and speaking with the students. They talked about the possibility of returning to the High School of American Studies for future visits on other topics of interest to the students. AABANY looks forward to meeting again with teachers and students at the High School of Asian Studies, and we thank the school for its warm hospitality on the occasion of this first visit. (Thanks to Mr. Halabi for the photos.)

March 25, 2019March 25, 2019

March Monthly Membership Hour

On March 20, 2019, our Membership Committee held its last Monthly Membership Happy Hour of the fiscal year at Karaoke City in Midtown Manhattan. A crowd of AABANY members and future members gathered to meet and mingle over drinks, delicious Korean food, and karaoke.

Both Brian Song, President-Elect, and Yang Chen, Executive Director, gave a shout out to David Sohn, Membership Director and Membership Committee Chair, for all his hard work in putting together the Monthly Membership Happy Hours as a unique way to let prospective members learn about AABANY.

We thank the Litigation Committee and the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee for co-hosting this successful happy hour, with more than 30 attendees. If you are not already a member, we hope your attendance brings you closer to becoming a member or renewing your membership. And thanks to all the members who came out.

To learn more about joining AABANY go to https://www.aabany.org/page/130