NAPABA ANNOUNCES 2014 ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN-OWNED LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                               Contact: Tina Matsuoka
August 21, 2014                                                                                           (202) 775-9555

NAPABA ANNOUNCES 2014 ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN-OWNED LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR

WASHINGTON – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) has named Lim, Ruger & Kim LLP (Lim Ruger) as the 2014 Asian Pacific American (APA)-Owned Law Firm of the Year. NAPABA created the APA-Owned Law Firm of the Year Award to recognize APA-owned law firms that have achieved prominence and distinction while maintaining the highest ethical and legal standards in the profession, and have demonstrated a strong commitment to the APA community. The Award also celebrates growing APA ownership and entrepreneurship in the legal marketplace. The 2014 APA-Owned Law Firm of the Year Award will be presented at the 2014 NAPABA Annual Convention onNovember 8, 2014 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Lim Ruger has over twenty lawyers with expertise in areas including sophisticated real estate and corporate transactions that covers high-profile commercial developments, mergers and acquisitions, financing, and international business transactions. Lim Ruger’s successful legal practice includes work from Fortune 500 companies, Global 1000 companies, multinational corporations, governments, and private entrepreneurs. The firm actively supports a number of organizations that advocate for diversity in the legal profession, including NAPABA. Lim Ruger is deeply committed to giving back to the community by providing pro bono legal services and scholarships, sponsoring and supporting events for non-profit organizations, and supporting its attorneys as community leaders. Lim Ruger has also been the recipient of the NAPABA Law Firm Diversity Award, the Western Justice Center Builders of Peace Award, and the California Minority Counsel Program Client Service Award.

NAPABA is proud to honor Lim, Ruger & Kim LLP with the Asian Pacific American-Owned Law Firm of the Year Award and applauds their continued commitment to excellence within and outside the legal arena.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American (APA) attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 40,000 attorneys and approximately 70 national, state, and local 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 engages in legislative and policy advocacy, promotes APA political leadership and political appointments, and builds coalitions within the legal profession and the community at large. NAPABA also serves as a resource for government agencies, members of Congress, and public service organizations about APAs in the legal profession, civil rights, and diversity in the courts.

EDNY Magistrate Judge Vacancy

PUBLIC NOTICE

FEDERAL MAGISTRATE JUDGE VACANCY

There is one (1) full-time United States Magistrate Judge position vacancy at the Long Island Courthouse of the Eastern District of New York located at 100 Federal Plaza, Central Islip, NY 11722 effective August 5, 2014.  The duties of the position are demanding and wide-ranging, and will include: (1) conduct of preliminary proceedings in criminal cases; (2) trial and disposition of misdemeanor cases; (3) conduct of various pretrial matters and evidentiary proceedings on delegation from the judges of the district court; (4) trial and disposition of civil cases upon consent of the litigants; and (5) assignment of additional duties not inconsistent with the Constitution and the laws of the United States.

The basic jurisdiction of a United States Magistrate Judge is specified in 28 U.S.C., section 636.  To be qualified for appointment, an applicant must: (a) be a member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands for at least five years; (b) have been engaged in the active practice of law for a period of at least five years (with some substitutions authorized); © be competent to perform all the duties of the office, of good moral character, emotionally stable and mature, committed to equal justice under the law, in good health, patient and courteous, and capable of deliberation and decisiveness; (d) be less than 70 years old; and (e) not be related to a judge of the district court.  An applicant should have federal court experience and be knowledgeable in federal civil and criminal practices and procedures.

A Merit Selection Panel composed of attorneys and other residents of the district will review all applications and recommend in confidence to the judges of the district court the five persons whom it considers best qualified.  The Court will make the appointment following an FBI and IRS investigation of the appointees.  An affirmative effort will be made to give due consideration to all qualified candidates, including women and members of minority groups.  The salary of each position is now $183,172 per annum.  The term of office is eight years.

Please note that the application form can be accessed on-line at the district’s website: www.nyed.uscourts.gov.  Application forms also may be obtained from the Clerk of the Court at 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York 11201, (718) 613-2270.  Applications must be personally prepared by potential nominees and must be received no later than September 19, 2014.  A disk in Word or pdf and seventeen (17) copies of the completed application must be mailed or delivered to the office of the Clerk of Court at the above address.

NAPALSA CONFERENCE — CALL FOR ATTORNEY MENTORS

The National Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (NAPALSA) has again partnered with NAPABA this year to create a unique networking and professional event for law students to interact and learn from current Asian Pacific American legal practitioners. NAPALSA is now seeking attorneys from all sectors to volunteer for Resume Reviews on Friday, November 7, and Mock Interviews on Saturday, November 8.

The purpose of these programs is to enhance and improve students’ professional development skills for the current job market. Each session would allow law students to have a one-on-one experience with an attorney for fifteen minutes either to have their resume critiqued or to conduct an interview. If you are interested in participating in the resume reviews, mock interviews, or both, please email your bio to NAPALSA Conference Chair Jeanna Lee at conference.napalsa@gmail.com by September 22, 2014.

2014 NAPABA Prospective Partners Program

The NAPABA Prospective Partners Program (PPP) aims to increase the number of Asian Pacific American partners at major law firms through introduction, mentorship, and relationship building. In anticipation of the program’s fifth year, the PPP is inviting candidate applications and nominations for participation in PPP sessions taking place during the Convention. Applications are due September 15, 2014.

Click here for more information.

NAPABA SEEKING AT-LARGE BOARD MEMBER CANDIDATES — SEPT. 15 Deadline

The NAPABA Board of Governors will appoint two At-Large Board Members to serve a two-year term that will begin in the 2014-2015 bar year. The NAPABA Nominating & Elections Committee invites all members in good standing to submit their names and statements as candidates for At-Large Board Member to elections@napaba.org on or before September 15, 2014. For additional information, click here to review the complete At-Large Board Members Guidelines.

NYS Joint Commission on Public Ethics Seeks Recommendations for Qualified Candidates …

The Joint Commission on Public Ethics currently seeks recommendations for qualified candidates to serve as independent and impartial hearing officers to oversee the adjudication of Commission matters.

Hearing officers will preside over formal hearings, render decisions on certain appeals and consider questions of fact and of law in connection with administrative proceedings of and applications to the Commission. The hearing officers will be called on a case by case basis and compensated for their service.

Eligible candidates are requested to submit a resume, writing sample, and professional references to:

NYS Joint Commission on Public Ethics
25 Beaver Street
7th Floor
New York, N.Y. 10004

Candidates must have been admitted at least 10 years, must be in good standing, and must be a current New York City resident or be willing to move to New York City in the event of a possible appointment.

Eligible candidates should download the Uniform Judicial Questionnaire from the Committee ’s website at www.nyc.gov/judiciary, and should contact the Committee’s Office to request waivers. Applications will remain active for one year from the date of the receipt by this office. Applications will be accepted on a continuing basis for appointment to future vacancies as they arise.

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On Saturday, August 16, AABANY and KALAGNY joined their Annual Picnics together for the first time to great success. Additional first for an AABANY picnic: banh mi sandwiches (versus a 6-foot sub) and bocce ball (versus tug of war and chubby bunny). Friends and family from AABANY and KALAGNY alike met in Central Park by the Diana Ross playground for a day of leisure. The weather was ideal for a relaxing picnic. At least we didn’t get rained out, like we did last year and the year before. Members, friends, family (and even a pet) from both AABANY and KALAGNY were present. The picnic ran from noon until about 5 pm, and the photo taken at around 3 pm included some sixty attendees. Thank you to KALAGNY for co-hosting, our Young Lawyers and Litigation Committees for organizing, and all who attended to make the day a true family outing.