WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) has selected the Orange County Asian American Bar Association (OCAABA) as its 2016 Affiliate of the Year. This award recognizes outstanding NAPABA affiliates for their best practices and accomplishments in their respective communities. OCAABA is one of approximately 75 national, state, and local bar associations that are affiliated with NAPABA.
The presentation of the 2016 Affiliate of the Year Award will take place at the NAPABA Anniversary Gala during the 2016 NAPABA Convention in San Diego, California, on Nov. 5, 2016.
“The Orange County Asian American Bar Association has the kind of energy and commitment we want to see in all of our bar associations,” said NAPABA President Jin Y. Hwang. “OCAABA has grown to become a role model for other bar associations, many of which have adopted their sponsorship and programming models. OCAABA also has a large presence within their community and a dedicated commitment to pro bono, partnering with Orange County’s Public Law Center to host monthly pro bono legal clinics for low-income, Asian language speaking residents of Orange County. I am proud of OCAABA’s strong collaboration with local organizations, and happy to name OCAABA as the 2016 NAPABA Affiliate of the Year.”
In 2016, a concerted effort was put forth to highlight OCAABA’s maturation and growth in the formerly homogenous Orange County legal community by increasing their partnerships with other local bar associations, reaching a wider part of the community through service events, and strengthening relationships with prominent bar members of all backgrounds.
OCAABA has organized innovative CLE programs to assist attorneys in the community in obtaining Ethics and Competence credits. For example, OCAABA partnered with the Newport Beach Police Department to educate attorneys on the dangers of drinking and driving through a hands-on, interactive "wet lab” that administered breathalyzer and field sobriety tests. OCAABA’s CLE programs have been so well received that the recently formed Thurgood Marshall Bar Association in Orange County, as well as AAAJ-LA, have reached out to OCAABA to collaborate on joint CLE events in the near future.
NAPABA is pleased to present its 2016 Affiliate of the Year Award to the Orange County Asian American Bar Association and congratulates its leaders on a successful year serving their members and community.
For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, at202-775-9555 or [email protected].
The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of almost 50,000 attorneys and approximately 75 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government.
NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of the federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional development of people of color in the legal profession.