Author: Gale Alexander

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NAPABA and Fred T. Korematsu Institute Form Pioneering Affiliation to Champion Civil Rights, Combat Anti-Asian Bias, and Promote Civic Empowerment

For Immediate Release: 
Date: August 24, 2023 		NAPABA Contact:
Priya Purandare, Executive Director
Fred T. Korematsu Institute Contact:
Michelle Mitchell, Communications Director

WASHINGTON – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and the Fred T. Korematsu Institute, a 501(c)(3) national civil rights education organization based in San Francisco, announced a historic, groundbreaking affiliation formalizing their organizations’ longstanding relationship based on a shared interest in promoting civic participation, racial equity, and civil rights. The affiliation will strengthen the missions of both institutions by increasing resources and understanding and combating anti-Asian discrimination and bias through education and advocacy.

The Korematsu Institute was founded on the legacy of Fred Korematsu, a Japanese American who, in 1942, refused to comply with the World War II Executive Order to forcibly remove and incarcerate American Citizens of Japanese descent in prison camps. After he was arrested and convicted of defying the government’s order, he appealed his case to the United States Supreme Court. In an infamous decision that joins the ranks of Dred Scott v. Sandford and Plessy v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court ruled against him, holding that the incarceration was justified due to military necessity. After discovering that the government had withheld evidence and that the Solicitor General lied to the Court, Korematsu’s conviction was overturned in 1983 through a writ of Coram Nobis. In 1998, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian honor, for his steadfast advocacy.

“My father’s decades-long fight against injustice in the face of discrimination was not only a legal and constitutional achievement, but a story of individual humanity that resonates with so many in this country,” said Dr. Karen Korematsu, Founder and President of the Korematsu Institute. “While law schools teach my father’s case to dissect legal principles, we cannot forget what he and so many other incarcerated Japanese Americans experienced on a human level during that dark period in our nation’s history.”

Founded in 1989, NAPABA is the nation’s largest Asian Pacific American membership organization representing the interests of 60,000 attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. Without question, its values align with the spirit of Fred Korematsu’s advocacy and the Institute’s commitment to equality.

“Fred Korematsu’s case, and that of fellow Japanese American detainees such as Minoru Yasui, Gordon Hirabayashi and those of Fred Oyama and Sei Fujii, who challenged alien land laws after their properties were illegally seized, are not just historical precedents — they are the legal framework we use to fight discrimination against Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders,” said Sandra Leung, President of NAPABA. “It is important for all Americans to understand the leading role that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders have played in shaping the civil rights jurisprudence of this nation.”

“Fred Korematsu’s journey, now more than ever, is a seminal, timeless story — especially at a time in our nation and in the world marked by growing ignorance and intolerance, fueled by advances in technology and the swiftness of disinformation,” said Peggy Saika, Board Chair of the Korematsu Institute. “We are confident that between the Institute’s long-standing care of his legacy and NAPABA’s reach in the legal community, we will safeguard the opportunity to continue learning the lessons of Fred Korematsu’s strength for generations to come.”

“This affiliation will amplify the impact of both NAPABA and the Korematsu Institute,” said Priya Purandare, Executive Director of NAPABA and the Korematsu Institute. “With the Institute’s expertise and K-12 educational and public resources, we can collectively bring the stories of Fred Korematsu and other AANHPI civil rights legal icons to inspire future generations of Americans.”

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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 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander 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.

The Fred T. Korematsu Institute, named after Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Fred Korematsu, is a national education advocacy organization committed to promoting civic participation and education to advance racial equity, social justice, and human rights for all. Through its educational programs, media and exhibits, and speaking engagements, the Korematsu Institute inspires people and organizations to, as Fred said, “stand up for what is right.”

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Registration is Open for the 2023 Tang Moot Court Competition, sponsored by the NAPABA Law Foundation

Registration is open for the 2023 Judge Thomas Tang and Dr. Pearl Tang Moot Court Competition, sponsored by the NAPABA Law Foundation. This year marks the 30th anniversary of an annual tradition that fosters crucial advocacy skills among law students nationwide. A total of $10,000 in scholarships is being offered to the top law student competitors in brief writing and oral advocacy.  
 
This year’s competition will adopt a hybrid format with regional oral arguments occurring virtually in October and culminating in the National Competition in person in Indianapolis, Indiana, coinciding with the 2023 NAPABA Convention on November 10-11, 2023.
 
The registration fee is $550 per team and each law school may enter up to two teams. Click here to learn more and register. The registration deadline is September 8, 2023, at 11:59 PM PST.
 

 

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AABANY Participates in Battle of the Bars Trivia Night

On Thursday July 13, 2023, the Caribbean Attorney Network (CAN) hosted several bar associations in a “Battle of the Bars” Trivia Night at the Hairy Lemon on the Lower East Side.

AABANY joined the following bar associations in this fun trivia contest:

• Haitian American Lawyers Association of NY
• Dominican Bar Association
• Columbian Lawyers Association 1st Dept
• Metropolitan Black Bar Association
• Hispanic National Bar of NY

Six members represented AABANY — Yang Chen, Chris Kwok, Alysha Naik, Kevin Hsi, Beatrice Leong and Amos Kim — and each person was knowledgeable about different topics that came in handy for Team AABANY.

It was a close call for third place, which needed a tiebreaker. The question was “When was the anime character Astro Boy first published?” Chris Kwok got the right answer for Team AABANY and put us solidly in third place, behind the Columbian Lawyers Association (CLA) which finished in second place. (By the way, if you know the answer to the tiebreaker, let us know, and we might tap you for a future trivia team.)

We came in 2nd place amongst all the bar associations and nearly 40 total participants! The prize was pride and a round of shots.

Thanks to CAN for organizing this event and bringing all the bar associations together!

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NAPABA Applauds the Nomination of Lisa Wang to the U.S. Court of International Trade

For Immediate Release: 
Date: June 28, 2023		Contact: Rahat N. Babar, Deputy Executive Director for Policy 

WASHINGTON – June 28, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Lisa Wang to serve on the United States Court of International Trade. She would be the second individual from the AANHPI community to serve on this Article III court if confirmed.

“NAPABA congratulates Lisa Wang on her nomination,” said Sandra Leung, President of NAPABA. “A dedicated public servant, Assistant Secretary Wang immigrated to the United States when she was five years old and built a successful career in international trade. We applaud President Biden for nominating her to the court and urge the Senate to confirm her swiftly.”

Lisa Wang is the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Enforcement and Compliance. She is the U.S. Department of Commerce’s delegate on the Interagency Working Group for the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. In this role, Assistant Secretary Wang supports the Administration’s whole-of-government agenda to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for AANHPI communities.

Before her appointment, she was a partner at Picard Kentz & Rowe LLP where she focused on international trade law matters, including antidumping, countervailing duty litigation, and trade policy issues. Assistant Secretary Wang also served as Senior Attorney with the Office of the Chief Counsel for Trade Enforcement and Compliance at the Department of Commerce, as Assistant General Counsel in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and as Senior Import Administration Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, where she was awarded Commerce’s Bronze Medal Award for Distinguished Performance. She received her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2006 and her B.S. from Cornell University

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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 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander 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

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Empire Mock Trial Seeks 20 Volunteers to Serve as Judges / Jurors for a High School Mock Trial Program on May 20th and 21st

AABANY members are invited to volunteer to serve as judgers and jurors for the High School Mock Trial Program, scheduled for May 20th and 21st. Volunteers can earn three (3) CLE credits in the category of skills.

The upcoming Empire Mock Trial program brings together 600 remarkable high school students from 23 states for a national mock trial competition. Not only is the experience enjoyable because the students are talented, but the case is topical and interesting: it is an original fact pattern inspired by the Alec Baldwin shooting on the Rust movie set.

  • Trials take place at 10 AM and 3 PM on Saturday (5/20) and Sunday (5/21);
  • Lawyers don’t need to leave the comfort of their own home (or office) because the trials are all online;
  • If a lawyer signs-up with a friend, we can ensure that they judge together;
  • To register, send an email to [email protected] with the following information:
    • Your name
    • Trial(s) that you’d like to volunteer for:
    • Saturday AM (5/20), Saturday PM (5/20), Sunday AM (5/21), Sunday PM (5/21)
    • Role preference: judge, juror, either
    • Relevant litigation or mock trial experience
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AABANY Members Gather for the Very Big Very Asian Comedy Festival on April 29

On Saturday, April 29, 2023, AABANY members celebrated AAPI Heritage Month (a few days early) with a night of laughs at the Very Big Very Asian (VBVA) Comedy Festival at the Broadway Comedy Club on West 53rd Street. Nearly 30 AABANY members and friends enjoyed a hilarious and wildly entertaining lineup of standup comedians of Asian descent. As was the case for the VBVA Festival in 2022, the jokes continued to be “Very Big” and “Very Asian.”

Shoutout to James Han, the VBVA team and Broadway Comedy Club for putting together a great show and giving AABANY front row seats. Broadway Comedy Club regularly hosts special comedy events featuring AAPI comedians throughout the year – please check them out.

Congrats to Vishal Chander on winning the raffle, a swag bag of items featuring various AAPI vendors! Besides being an active AABANY member, Vishal is serving as a Co-Chair of the Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee this year.

After Broadway Comedy Club, the attendees enjoyed ramen and conversations at Hide-Chan Ramen next door.

Thanks also to Membership, Issues and Prosecutors Committees for organizing a great outing for AABANY. Be on the lookout for upcoming AABANY events here.

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AABANY Litigation Committee and KALAGNY Host Deposition Skills CLE Panel at Haug Partners LLP

On Tuesday, April 20th, AABANY’s Litigation Committee and KALAGNY hosted a Deposition Skills Panel at Haug Partners LLP’s New York Office. The panel consisted of Aakruti Vakharia, Antitrust Associate at Haug Partners LLP and Co-Chair of AABANY’s Litigation Committee (as moderator and speaker), Gene Kang, Partner at Rivkin Radler LLP and President of KALAGNY, and David Sohn, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Co-Chair of AABANY’s In-House Counsel Committee. The CLE took place in the boardroom of Haug Partners LLP’s New York office.

The panelists shared their wisdom on the purpose of a deposition, how to prepare to take or defend a deposition, how to deal with difficult witnesses and opposing counsel, and how to prepare your own witness to be deposed. Following the discussion, Haug Partners provided dinner and dessert, and attendees had the opportunity to network with the panelists and each other.

If you wish you could have been there, you can view a recording* of the panel here.

The Litigation Committee plans on hosting several more CLEs this coming year and values the ideas of our Committee membership. If you would like to see a CLE on any particular topic, please share your idea with the co-chairs. Go to the Litigation Committee’s page on the AABANY website to learn more about the Committee and how you can get in touch.

*Please note that CLE credit was only granted for attending in person. Credit will not be granted for viewing the recording.

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AABANY Student Outreach Committee and Tax Law Committee Present – What Do Tax Lawyers Do?

Top Row (left to right): Sarah Choi, Shu-Ping Shen, Ms. Urvi Doshi Sood
Bottom Row (left to right): Najah J. Shariff, Karen Kim

On April 26, 2023, AABANY’s Student Outreach and Tax Law Committee hosted a virtual panel: “What Do Tax Lawyers Do?” This event ran from 6:30-7:30pm EST on Zoom with remarks from Shu-Ping Shen (Tax Committee Co-Chair). The panel was moderated by Alex Lao (Pace Law) and Sharon Yang (Student Outreach Committee Co-Chair, Fordham Law), and featured the following panelists:

  • Karen Kim (Partner – Mayer Brown LLP)
  • Najah J. Shariff (Assistant U.S. Attorney, Tax Division – U.S. Attorney’s Office)
  • Ms. Urvi Doshi Sood (Vice President of Taxes and General Tax Counsel – Lockheed Martin Corporation)
  • Sarah Choi (Associate General Counsel – NY Life Insurance Company)

Panelists shared what drew them into their respective fields, interview tips and advice to be resourceful, self-starting junior associates. The main takeaways include: tax law touches a wide range of fields, panelists highly encourage gaining some understanding of tax law or accounting and be proactive as a junior associate by asking questions and picking up additional assignments. The event concluded with a Q&A and light mingling among panelists and students.

Students interested in gaining experience in tax law should check out the externship program at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Students should apply to the Tax Division. Assignments may include legal research, writing pleadings, trial preparation, observing trials and other court proceedings. Interested students can learn more about the program here.

AABANY thanks the Student Outreach Committee, Tax Law Committee and SOC Co-Chair William Lee (Associate, Mayer Brown LLP) for organizing the event.

Special thank you to our sponsors, Mayer Brown LLP and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.

To learn more about the Tax Committee, click here. To learn more about the SOC, click here. To learn more about upcoming AABANY events, click here.

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NAPABA Applauds the Confirmation of Judge Wesley L. Hsu to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

For Immediate Release: 
Date: May 4, 2023 		Contact: Priya Purandare, Executive Director

WASHINGTON – On May 4, the Senate confirmed Judge Wesley L. Hsu to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California by a vote of 53 to 43.

“NAPABA congratulates Judge Hsu on his confirmation to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California,” said Sandra Leung, president of NAPABA. “Judge Hsu, a 2005 NAPABA Best Lawyers Under 40 awardee, has shown strong leadership in his professional career and volunteer work with the AAPI community. We are proud to have supported Judge Hsu’s nomination and are delighted he was confirmed.”

Judge Hsu has an extensive legal career spanning nearly three decades. He previously served in the Los Angeles County Superior Court in 2017. Before he was appointed a judge, Hsu served for 17 years as the Executive United States Attorney and Deputy United States Attorney in the Office of the United States Attorney in the Central District of California. He has clerked for the Hon. Mariana R. Pfaelzer of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, and he has experience in the private sector from his time at a private law firm.

“President Biden has appointed 19 out of the 52 AAPI active Article III judges,” said Priya Purandare, executive director of NAPABA. “Today, as we head into the 31st Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we celebrate a judiciary more reflective of the people it serves.”

In addition to his professional work, Judge Hsu is active in his community as a member of the Board of Governors for the Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance, a Founding Member of NAPABA’s Government Enforcement and Compliance Committee, and NAPABA’s Data Security and Privacy Committee, and a Co-Chair of the California Asian Pacific American Judges Association. His service to the AAPI community has been recognized by NAPABA with its Best Lawyers Under 40. Judge Hsu has served as an adjunct professor at Loyola Marymount Law School and a writing instructor at the University of Southern California Law School and is a graduate of Yale University and Yale Law School.

NAPABA thanks President Biden for nominating Judge Hsu and Senators Feinstein and Padilla for supporting and recommending 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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AABANY Holds Kick-Off Meeting and Orientation for FY24 Committee Co-Chairs

On Monday, April 24, 2023, Co-Vice Presidents of Programs & Operations, Beatrice Leong and Jeffrey Mok, along with President Karen Kim and Executive Director Yang Chen held a Kick-Off Meeting and Orientation for the Fiscal Year 2024 Co-Chairs. The meeting was held at Alston & Bird near Grand Central. Thanks to Board Director and Bankruptcy Committee Co-Chair Will Hao, Counsel at Alston, for hosting.

This year’s class of Co-Chairs was appointed by President Karen Kim at the start of the fiscal year in April. All Co-Chairs serve for a one-year term co-terminous with Karen’s term as President during the fiscal year which ends on March 31, 2024.

Co-Chairs and Vice Chairs representing 25 out of 27 Committees were present, and the new Co-Chairs received orientation about AABANY’s protocols and goals. The returning Co-Chairs received a refresher.

After the Orientation meeting, everyone walked over to Stout Grand Central for an afterparty where Committee Co-Chairs were able to meet each other and mingle over oysters, tacos, and baos, along with drinks from the well-stocked bar.

We look forward to another productive year of AABANY programs and events brought by our hard working Committees. To see the current list of Committees and Co-Chairs, please click here. If you want to get involved with one or more Committees, email us at [email protected] and we can connect you.