New York State Bar Association Will Study Alarming Increase in Anti-Asian and Antisemitic Hate Crimes
7.10.2023
The New York State Bar Association is launching a task force that will come up with recommendations on how best to prosecute hate crimes against Asian Americans and Jewish Americans and examine what can be done about the alarming increase in hate crimes.
“Hate does not belong in our communities,” said New York State Bar Association President Richard Lewis, who is launching the task force. “It is upsetting and disturbing that hate crimes and violence against Asian people and Jewish people have increased by so much over the past few years. This task force will look for strategies to stop the hate and find justice for those affected by such heinous acts.”
In 2021, 746 anti-Asian hate crimes and 817 antisemitic hate crimes were reported to the FBI by law enforcement agencies. From 2020 to 2021, recorded anti-Asian hate crimes increased by 167%. Furthermore, Jews account for 2.4% of the U.S. population, but they are the victims of 63% of reported religiously motivated hate crimes. Citing these statistics, President Joe Biden recently released a national strategy to counter antisemitism.
The Task Force on Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Asian Hate will examine the effectiveness of law enforcement in addressing hate crimes, as well as how possible underreporting by victims affects the validity of hate crime statistics. It will also examine how prosecutors use existing hate crime laws, and how those laws can be improved. The task force will also consider how education and awareness of antisemitism and anti-Asian prejudice can deter hate crimes.
Vincent Chang, partner at Wollmuth Maher & Deutsch in New York City, and Brian S. Cohen, partner at Lachtman Cohen in White Plains, will co-chair the task force.
The members of the task force are:
- Dina Bakst, co-founder and co-president of A Better Balance, New York City.
- Mayo Bartlett, principal attorney at Law Offices of Mayo Bartlett, White Plains.
- Matthew C. Butler, founding partner at Butler, Mucci & Grace, Vestal.
- Elaine Chiu, professor at St. John’s University School of Law, New York City.
- Catherine Christian, partner at Liston Abramson, New York City.
- David M. Cohn, chief appellate attorney at Bronx County District Attorney’s Office, New York City.
- Katherine Greenberg, director of strategic litigation at A Better Balance, New York City.
- John B. Harris, partner at Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, New York City.
- Joon H. Kim, partner at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, New York City.
- Chris Kwok, mediator at JAMS, New York City.
- Shelley Mayer, senator representing the 37th district, New York State Senate, Yonkers.
- Mary Beth Morrissey, associate professor and director of the Ph.D. Program at Yeshiva University Wurzweiler School of Social Work, New York City.
- Lillian Moy, former executive director of the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, Albany.
- Tejash Sanchala, executive director of the Westchester County Human Rights Commission, Scarsdale.
- Vivian Wesson, executive vice president and general counsel for the Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Philadelphia, PA.
- Pauline Yeung-Ha, founding partner at Grimaldi Yeung Law Group, New York City.
The New York State Bar Association also launched a task force to recommend how colleges and businesses can maintain diversity in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent rulings on affirmative action.
