AABANY’s President and Executive Director successful visit with Albany Law students

Eight members of the Asian American Bar Association of NewYork  (AABANY) visited our campus on Saturday, September 19th for its inaugural Upstate Presentation and Network Luncheon. 

The Executive Board members were welcomed by our Assistant Dean for Student Affairs Susan Feathers and Executive Director Yang Chen, Esq. , Robert Leung, Esq., President of AABANY James Chou, Esq., Christopher Chan, Esq., Francis Chen, Esq. and William Ng, Esq., Chair, Student Outreach Committee presented to over 25 students (Prof. Nancy Ota joined us) in our Matthew Bender Classroom (Room 425).     

In Dean Feathers welcome comments she extended special thanks to, “…the Diversity Office, the E-board of the Albany Law chapter of our Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA), and Adjunct Professor Lillian Moy, local AABANY Chair, as being  instrumental in creating the opportunity for members of AABANY to meet our students.

Albany Law School is committed to diversity in our student body, we support and encourage the membership of our student body to many bar associations.  The AABANY members presence on our campus is yet another step in providing additional support to the largest minority student population on campus.  With over 60 students on our campus who have self-identified as Asian Pacific American and it was clear that Albany Law’s goals were similar to those of AABANY –that is, to ensure that the legal community reflects the client-base and communities that students will serve as new attorneys.     A networking luncheon and small group meetings took place after presentation. 
Students who attended (RSVP’d) this event received a free student membership scholarship to join AABANY on Saturday, Congrats!.   For students interested in becoming members, it costs: $5/per year, please register HERE.  For an after-graduation fellowship opening for a 3L student see www.aabany.org for details, apply today.   View AABANY’s Facebook: Click HERE

View a Photo Gallery of event’s activities. 

Yang Chen, Esq., Executive Director presentation to our students.

2L and 3L students catch up at the reception

Director of Diversity, Pershia Wilkins at the network luncheon reception.

A group discussion with visiting attorney

Francis Chin, Esq., Secretary of AABANY speaks with Dean Feathers and students.

The Executive Board of AABANY, Dean Feathers and local Chair of AABANY Lillian Moy

Dean Susan Feathers and Adjunct Prof. Lillian Moy joins the AABANY Executive Board

2L student with Executive Director, Yang Chen

Networking reception

Inaugural Upstate NY AABANY presentation

APALSA and the Diversity Office at Albany Law School in collaboration with the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) an affiliate of NAPABA, invites you to attend an Inaugural Upstate New York AABANY networking presentation and luncheon on Saturday, September 19th, from noon – 2 p.m. in Matthew Bender Room (Room 425 – in Building 1928) at the Law School.  James Chou, AABANY’s President, will be in attendance.  Over 10 attorneys from DC area, NYC and Upstate will be on hand to offer mentor matches and advice to law students. 

AIDS Walk 2009, Join team Albany Law Today!

Albany Law School will be participating in the 2009 AIDS walk in Albany.  This event will be held on Sunday, September 27, 2009. Please join us in sponsoring a walker.

For information on local, confidential, and anonymous HIV testing, visit:  http://www.nyhealth.gov/diseases/aids

Time of Walk on Sept. 27th is: 1 PM 
Location: Washington Park, Albany 

For some general information:  http://www.aidswalk-capitalregion.org/.  Sponsor Form is HERE.
What we need you to do:
1) REGISTER: Go to http://www.firstgiving.com.  After you go to the page, you can just have people donate there or you can “join this team” and create your own page which will be added to Team Albany Law School.

Albany Law remembers 9/11/2001

Albany Law School will hold a remembrance ceremony on Friday, September 11th at 8:45am at the main Holland Avenue entrance (by the Flag Pole in front of the Library) in memory of  the people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.   We are happy to announce that Ms. Barbara Chandler from our Law Clinic & Justice Center has generously offered to sing America the Beautiful   followed by the playing of “Taps” by Professor Stanley Adelman  (on the bugle, an instrument he has played since he was 10 years old)—-this will be followed by a moment of silence.  ~Please join us in remembering.    

Fall 2009 Wellness Series

The Student Affairs Office is pleased to announce our Fall 2009 Wellness Series. The Series begins this week with a FREE Chair Massage by Albany Massage Therapy Associates on Thursday, September 10, 2009 from 4-6pm in the Gym. Upcoming events include Flu Education and Immunization (10/2); Meditation as a Means of Stress Reduction (TBD); and Eating Healthy on  a Budget (11/4).  Please stop by the GYM for a little relaxation as we kick off our Wellness Series.    If you have questions, contact studentaffairs@albanylaw.edu or phone: (518) 445-3302   

The Language Project, volunteers needed

 The Language Project engages multi-lingual Albany Law School students to provide free translation/interpretation services to local public interest firms and organizations.

The Language Project serves various ends. To law students, it provides an alternative means of professional development, while using their language skills. Students gain knowledge about judicial and administrative proceedings and develop legal skills in client counseling, advocacy and litigation through the second-hand experience of being a practicing attorney. Also, it allows students to incorporate community services and outreach as a part of their legal training in their early stage of professional development. To the local legal community, the Project provides quality interpretation/translation services with law students who have prior exposure to and knowledge in law.

The Language Project raises a social awareness within the local immigrant community. Members of the Albany community can enjoy the benefits of effective legal representation and the importance of diversity and individual uniqueness, regardless of their culture, race, religion, sexual orientation, language, national or ethnic origin.

This Program is organized by the Diversity Office, volunteers commit to at least one assignment per semester

Health and Wellness: New resource for students

The Pastoral Care Office at Albany Medical Center (AMC) has extended an invitation to the Albany Law School community to use their prayer/meditation facilities.   The Marcelle Chapel is open 24 hours for quiet reflection and prayer. Located: in Building D (on the 1st. floor of Albany Medical Center) –a 2 minute walk from campus 
This is a security monitored space (open 7 days per week).   

The Iraqi Refugee Crisis: An International Perspective

This event which is being held on Tuesday, September 1st from 6pm -7:30pm is being co-sponsored by Albany Law School’s Muslim Law Student Association, Amnesty International, the International Law Society, and the Diversity Office in conjunction with the Iraqi Refugee Project Coalition.

Event will take place at Albany Law School, in Room 209 (Rochester Moot Courtroom).   This event is Free & Open to the public.

The event will be followed by a reception at which locally resettled Iraqi refugees will be in attendance to share their experiences.

For more information, contact alumna/moderator,  Zainab Chaudhry, ‘98 at 518-210-8456 or law student Ali Chaudhry, ‘10 at achaudhry@albanylaw.edu.

Kristele Younes, a senior advocate for Refugee International, she has surveyed and advocated on behalf of displaced Iraqis in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt, as well as refugees in Darfur, Afghanistan and Pakistan. She was previously a legal officer with the Coalition for the International Criminal Court in the Hague. 

Edward Kennedy, “a champion for the poor” dies today, August 25, 2009

It is with sadness and a tremendous feeling of loss, that we announce the passing of U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy.  In a statement released by his family late last evening, they said, “we’ve lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever” . “We thank everyone who gave him care and support over this last year, and everyone who stood with him for so many years in his tireless march for progress toward justice.”   May he rest in peace. 

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Kennedy family at this time. 

Read about his life, from cnn.com: Click Here. 
Listen to his speech (from 1 year ago) Aug. 25, 2008, Click Here
For a letter from the President & First Lady, Click HERE

Class of 2012 arrives at Albany Law School

On Monday, August 17th Albany Law School’s Dean & President Thomas Guernsey welcomed 255 students who now comprise the Class of 2012.  The class features graduates from 125 undergraduate colleges and universities, with one third of the students hailing from outside New York state, including 25 other states and foreign countries such as Pakistan, Romania, Canada, France, Turkey and South Korea.

Twenty percent of the Class of 2012 identify themselves as members of a minority group, making the class one of the most diverse in the law school’s 158-year history. The class, which has a median age of 23, is 42 percent female and 58 percent male. The students’ median LSAT score is 155 and their median GPA is 3.3, with both numbers being increases over last year.   For the 2009 Orientation schedule, Click HERE.

Nearly 25 percent of the 2012 class has completed internships with district attorneys, in public relations, special victims units, police departments, sports management agencies, at the White House, and other settings. Thirty-seven speak more than one language, including Mandarin, Hindi, Arabic, German, Swahili, Turkish, Italian, Urdu, Vietnamese and Russian. Nine new students are veterans of service with the Army, Navy, National Guard and Marines.

A talk on Ethics & Attorney Professionalism to the Class by distinquished alumnus, The Honorable Randolph Treece, U.S. Magistrate Judge

A Reception to celebrate the end of Orientation Week on August 20th

Members of the Class of 2012 celebrate the beginning of their Law School education