Alliance for Asian American Justice includes law firms here in Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH — It’s been almost three months since the Atlanta spa shootings that left eight dead.

Several lawyers, including those here in Pittsburgh, are stepping in by offering free legal help to victims.

“It’s been a way to make us feel like we are other, that we don’t belong in the United States,” said Jimmy Kitchen with Jones Day Law Firm. “In my own experience with my family, they have been victims of certain types of events and they have never wanted to call the police, they never wanted to get law-enforcement involved, it was something they really just felt like it’s OK we’re just gonna move on.”

That’s why he is joining a group of nearly 90 law firms across the country called the Alliance for Asian American Justice, which is looking to offer free legal representation to any victims of an Asian hate crime.

“I want to make sure that they understand that they have rights, and they have the ability to say their piece and they have the ability to get compensation and restitution in cases where that’s necessary,” Kitchen said. “There is a documented history of Asian Americans being discriminated against in the country even by the government, you know in a more formal way, but certainly when it comes to hate crimes.”

One of the co-founders, Tai Park, who grew up in Pittsburgh, says he quickly realized this service was necessary.

“As soon as we announced that this alliance was being formed, the level of enthusiastic support by powerful lawyers around the country was unanimous and immediate,” he said. “What we’re seeing today, or have seen over the past year, and reaction to the pandemic is unprecedented, in the sense of the number of incidents, the viciousness of the incidents, the similarities of the incidents, the violence against Asian Americans really across the country.”

This alliance has attorneys that have gone on to represent the families of a few of the victims in Atlanta and they want others to know if you’ve been a victim: they’re there to help.

“The word will get out that these are not, you know, kind of nameless faceless vulnerable victims that anybody can push to the ground and harm,” Park said.

If you’ve been a victim of a hate crime, the alliance is urging you to reach out HERE.

Atlanta spa shootings: What you need to know (NCD)

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