South Asian Bar Association of New York (SABANY)

On Monday, our 2025 SABANY leadership team was sworn in for their term. The induction ceremony was held at the Ceremonial Courtroom at the District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Justice Anil C. Singh of the New York Supreme Court conducted the ceremony. Justice Singh is the first person of South Asian descent to be a New York appellate state court judge. His appointment has since blazed the way for the more than 30 South Asian judges who now sit on the bench in New York. Both Ashish Bhatt, the 2025 President, and Vani Upadhyaya, the 2025 President-Elect spoke. Welcoming the team and prepping them for the incoming term. The 2025 leadership team is honored to serve. What a great way to start off the year long journey!

Join us in celebrating the vibrant South Asian legal community in New York! Our members strengthen our mission year-round, and we are thrilled to host our annual holiday party to thank you all. Mark your calendars for Thursday, December 19, 2024, at Fushmi Times Square—enjoy great food, drinks, and the chance to reconnect with friends and meet new faces. See you there! Please register here: https://lnkd.in/eP7NarbJ

Join us in celebrating the vibrant South Asian legal community in New York! Our members strengthen our mission year-round, and we are thrilled to host our annual holiday party to thank you all. Mark your calendars for Thursday, December 19, 2024, at Fushmi Times Square—enjoy great food, drinks, and the chance to reconnect with friends and meet new faces. See you there! Please register here: https://lnkd.in/eP7NarbJ

The application for the SABANY 2025 Mentorship program is now live! If you would like to be a mentor or mentee please sign up at the link below. This year's program features skills development and expanded mentorship circles beyond just practice areas. The program fosters personal and professional development as you get to know other likeminded South Asian lawyers in the city. The deadline to register is November 30, 2024. The program runs January - September 2025. Participants will receive an email with their match in January. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions at [email protected]. Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/gk-nWUnn

SABANY wishes all who celebrate happy Diwali/ Deepavali and Bandi Chhor Divas ???

SABANY is pleased to announce the appointment of its Inaugural Executive Director, Harpreet Kaur Pelia. In this role, Harpreet will be responsible for collaborating with SABANY’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee to chart SABANY’s future growth and strategic response to the increasing demand of SABANY’s services. In alignment with SABANY’s mission and strategic plan, she will develop, implement, and maintain programs while also increasing SABANY’s capacity to collaborate with community stakeholders. Prior to joining SABANY, Harpreet worked for more than a decade in various business operations and program management roles. Harpreet holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Political Science from Stony Brook University, as well as Master of Business Administration from the Zicklin School of Business. Read more at https://lnkd.in/etEAFT28

Last Night… South Asian Bar Association of New York (SABANY) hosted a discussion in partnership with Anise Health on building Executive Presence. The discussion was led by a renowned psychotherapist, Israa Nair. A huge thank you to SABANY member Shermin Lakha, Esq. and LVLUP Legal, a force in our community that exudes executive presence, for hosting us in this amazing space! SABANY is committed to providing our members with amazing resources such as a discounted culturally informed mental health services theough our partnership with Anise Health and programming that helps our members achieve their goals within the broader legal community. Please reach out if you want to be a member with SABANY! #sabany #executivepresence #equity #inclusion #professional #corporate

SABANY thanks Gurbir Grewal for his long history of public service, for blazing trails for the South Asian community, and support of SABANY. Gurbir served as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Director of the Division of Enforcement from 2021 to 2024 where he oversaw all investigations, enforcement actions and litigation conducted by the SEC and oversaw a staff of more than 1,300 attorneys and accountants nationwide. Prior to serving as Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, Gurbir became the first Sikh to serve as Attorney General of the State of New Jersey. He also served as Bergen County Prosecutor, and a federal criminal prosecutor for both the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the US Attorney’s Office for New Jersey. SABANY congratulates Gurbir Grewal on joining Milbank LLP as Partner in the Litigation and Arbitration group!

Congratulations to long-time SABANY ally and 2022 gala keynote speaker Reshma Saujani for launching her new podcast, My So-Called Midlife. Reshma is the Founder of Girls Who Code and the Founder/CEO of Marshall Plan for Moms, a movement to center mothers in our economic recovery and value our labor by advocating for policies that support moms. She was also the first Indian American woman to run for U.S. Congress. My So-Called Midlife has hit the ground running with guest speakers including Emmy-winning actress/comedian Julia Louis-Dreyfus and economist/author Emily Oster. In the latest episode, Reshma speaks with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson about how to stay present while balancing it all: the kids, the marriage, and the highest of high-pressure jobs. Listen now! Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/dqm6e3Px Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dScscg4j

TRIAL BY MEDIA: SABANY was proud to co-sponor a CLE with AABANY as part of AABANY’s annual Fall Conference. The CLE included a panel discussion co-moderated by Judge Hon. L. Austin D'Souza (he/him) (NYC Civil Court) and Imran H. Ansari, Esq. (Trial Partner, Aidala Bertuna & Kamins PC) including panelists Priya Chaudhry (Founding Partner of ChaudhryLaw, PLLC); Linda Kenney Baden (Founding Partner of Michael and Linda Baden and Anchor at the Law and Crime Network); and Juda Engelmayer (CEO & President of HeraldPR). The expert panel trained lawyers on how to handle high media cases in the Court of Public Opinion covering every phase of a case from investigation to post-verdict. The panelists discussed: trial prep; messaging and PR strategy; why and how to talk to the press; and engaging with social media. SABANY congratulates the moderators and panelists for sharing their insights on such an important topic. Learn more about the moderators and panelists through the links below: Priya Chaudhry: https://lnkd.in/ekvWAUQs Linda Kenney Baden: https://lnkd.in/e-3spMaP Juda Engelmeyer: https://lnkd.in/e_iCpKnC Imran Ansari: https://lnkd.in/eeCTe9eH Hon. Austin D'Souza: https://lnkd.in/eSSFJzZQ