“I basically went to law school because I did not know what to do with myself.” He uncovered his love of law after enroll-
ing at Fordham University School of Law. “I had an internship with Judge Henry F. Werker, in the Southern District of New York. And that was when I decided not only that I wanted to be a lawyer but that I would come back someday and be a federal judge.” Chin is somewhat of a hometown hero
who never forgot his roots. Chin’s judicial chambers overlook Chinatown. Every Friday at 7:30 a.m., for several years, Chin played basketball at Columbus Park, across the street from the courthouse. T is was classic New York City playground basketball, as there was a diverse group, including pros- ecutors, ACLU lawyers, big-fi rm lawyers, law clerks, interns, and folks from the community. T e Madoff case and Chin’s nomination
to the appellate court received extensive coverage in the Chinatown newspapers. As a consequence, for a period of time, when Chin walked through Chinatown,
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random strangers would congratulate him, and waiters would beam and smile at him at lunch. Chin’s photo is now on the wall of Joe’s Shanghai, home of the famous soup dumplings.
GIVING BACK It’s hard to imagine where Chin would be were it not for the exposure to new ideas and people he received during his undergradu- ate years at Princeton. “Pipeline is critical,” he says, referring to programs designed to provide students the resources and experi- ences necessary to enter the legal profession. “It’s clear that a lot of minority law students aren’t getting the right guidance.” Chin takes a personal interest in the
“IT IS CRITICAL TO BE SMART, TO WRITE WELL, AND TO BE A GOOD LAWYER BUT IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO MEET PEOPLE, TO MAKE CONTACTS, AND TO BE A GOOD, ALL-AROUND PERSON. THERE MUST BE BALANCE.”
JUDGE CHIN IN HIS COURTROOM.
pipeline. In his chambers he keeps memen- tos of past cases to show to students who tour the courts. In one corner he keeps stuff ed gorillas, toy robots, and other exhibits from copyright and other intellec- tual property cases. He has found that they make great teaching tools. In addition to being a federal judge, Chin has been making an impres- sion on students as an adjunct professor at his alma mater since 1986. Tina Matsuoka, a 2001 graduate of Fordham Law who is the executive director of the National Asian Pacifi c American Bar Association, distinctly remem- bers her fi rst-year
DIVERSITY & THE BAR® MARCH/APRIL 2012
MCCA.COM
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