Day: March 13, 2023

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NAPABA Applauds the Confirmation of Arun Subramanian to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

For Immediate Release: 
Date: March 10, 2023		Contact:  Priya Purandare, Executive Director

WASHINGTON – March 10 – On Wednesday, Arun Subramanian was confirmed to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Subramanian is the first South Asian American to serve on the Southern District of New York.

“NAPABA congratulates Arun Subramanian on his historic confirmation,” said Sandra Leung, president of NAPABA. “A child of immigrants, Mr. Subramanian is the first lawyer in his family, and this week, he became the first South Asian American judge to serve on the Southern District of New York. Like his family, we are proud to see him represent us.”

“The Southern District of New York is one of the most influential and active federal trial courts in the U.S.,” said Priya Purandare, executive director of NAPABA. “In addition to overseeing America’s largest financial institutions, it is also the location of one of the largest populations of AAPIs in the nation. We urge the Senate to continue confirming candidates that are representative of our nation.”

Subramanian was a partner at Susman Godfrey LLP where he chaired the firm’s pro bono practice and focused on consumer protection, antitrust, commercial class actions, and contract and tort litigation. In 2021, Subramanian was appointed by Chief Justice John Roberts to serve on the Advisory Committee for the Federal Rules of Evidence. Subramanian clerked on the U.S. Supreme Court for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit for Judge Dennis Jacobs, and on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York for Judge Gerald E. Lynch. He is a graduate of Columbia Law School and Case Western Reserve University.

NAPABA thanks President Biden for nominating Arun Subramanian and Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Senator Gillibrand for recommending and supporting his nomination.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), represents the interests of over 60,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting APA communities. Through its national network, 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 all backgrounds in the legal profession.

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NAPABA Opposes H.R. 734 and Discrimination Against Transgender Persons

For Immediate Release: 
Date: March 9, 2023		Contact:  Priya Purandare, Executive Director

WASHINGTON – March 9. The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) opposes H.R. 734, recently introduced in the House of Representatives as the “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023,” which would effectively ban transgender and intersex girls and women from participating in school sporting activities that align with their gender identities.

NAPABA is proud that last month, its Board of Directors ratified a policy resolution sponsored by its LGBTQ+ Network, that affirms the civil, constitutional, and human rights of transgender and non-binary youths, including those within the AAPI community, and recognizes their rights to participate in school sports and to receive the social, educational, developmental, and physical and mental health benefits of athletic participation. NAPABA’s policy resolution also expressly opposes discriminatory legislation that prohibits transgender students from participating in school sports as violative of their rights under Title IX.

Transgender youth experience disproportionately higher instances of bullying, harassment, isolation, family rejection and suicide, and exclusion from the benefits of athletic participation should not be yet another risk they face. H.R. 734 is inconsistent with NAPABA’s values of equality, community, advocacy, relationships, diversity, equity, inclusion, open-mindedness, and the health and wellbeing of our members and the Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities, and the organization’s commitment to all underserved and underrepresented communities.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), represents the interests of over 60,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting APA communities. Through its national network, 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 all backgrounds in the legal profession.