The 2024 NAPABA Convention in Seattle was a record-breaking event—over 3,400 attendees and 1,100 first-timers! Ours was the largest gathering of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) lawyers ever and remains cause for celebration and an achievement that will inspire us as we head into 2025.
During Convention, NAPABA members came together to connect, learn, grow, and celebrate the strength of our vibrant AANHPI community. Your presence, engagement, and enthusiasm were truly inspiring and left a lasting impact.
WASHINGTON – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) congratulates Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06) on her election as Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) for the 119th Session of Congress and Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) as she assumes the role of Chair Emerita.
“NAPABA extends its heartfelt congratulations to CAPAC Chair-Elect Grace Meng,” said Thy Bui, President of NAPABA. “Chair-Elect Meng has paved a path to public service for so many as the first Asian American elected to Congress from New York. We look forward to her tenure and continuing our close partnership with CAPAC under her leadership.”
“Chair Judy Chu’s leadership, both within the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community and for our Nation, is nothing short of extraordinary,” said Priya Purandare, Executive Director of NAPABA. “From fighting against anti-Asian hate and racial profiling in all their forms to standing up for immigrant communities and families, our community has immensely benefited from Chair Chu’s zealous and unrelentless advocacy.”
“Chair Chu’s contributions to our community and our country extends well beyond her steadfast leadership of CAPAC for the past 14 years,” continued Executive Director Purandare. “We are incredibly humbled to call Chair Chu a friend of NAPABA. We honor her service and extend our deepest gratitude.”
NAPABA congratulates the newly elected leadership of CAPAC: First Vice Chair-Elect Rep. Mark Takano (CA-39), Second Vice Chair-Elect Rep. Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Whip-Elect Rep. Ami Bera (CA-06), and Freshman Representative Rep.-elect Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10).
Finally, NAPABA congratulates all newly elected and reelected AANHPI members of the 119th Congress, who are a part of the record number of AANHPI candidates from both parties who ran for state and federal offices throughout the United States and its territories. They are: Sen. Mazie Hirono (HI), Sen. Andy Kim (NJ), Rep.-elect Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Rep. Ami Bera (CA-06), Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28), Rep. Vince Fong (CA-20), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17), Rep. Young Kim (CA-40), Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthy (IL-08), Delegate-Elect Kimberlyn King-Hinds (Northern Mariana Islands), Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-36), Rep. Doris Matsui (CA-07), Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06), Rep.-elect Dave Min (CA-47), Congressman James Moylan (Guam), Congresswoman Aumua Amata Radewagen (American Samoa), Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-03), Rep. Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Rep.-elect Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Rep. Mark Takano (CA-39), Rep.-elect Derek Tran (CA-45), Rep. Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rep. Jill Tokuda (HI-02).
WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the United States Senate confirmed Judge Anne Hwang to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
“NAPABA applauds the confirmation of Judge Anne Hwang,” said Thy Bui, President of NAPABA. “An active member of the community, Judge Hwang is a 2019 APABA Los Angeles Trailblazer in the Law awardee. She will serve in a District with nearly one million AANHPI residents.”
In 2018, former governor Jerry Brown appointed Judge Hwang to the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Prior to her appointment, Judge Hwang served as a Deputy Federal Public Defender in the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Central District of California from 2006 to 2018, becoming Chief Deputy Federal Public Defender in 2018. Before entering public service, Hwang was an associate at Irell and Manella LLP from 2002 to 2006. Hwang received a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Southern California School of Law.
“Today, 41 AANHPI Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden Administration, and 71 AANHPI active Article III judges are serving,” said Priya Purandare, Executive Director of NAPABA. “NAPABA thanks President Biden for nominating Judge Anne Hwang and Senator Padilla and Senator Butler for supporting her nomination.”
The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) represents the interests of over 80,000 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.
WASHINGTON – Today, the United States Senate confirmed Sharad Desai to the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. Mr. Desai is the first Asian American Article III judge to serve in the District of Arizona.
“NAPABA applauds the historic confirmation of Sharad Desai,” said Thy Bui, President of NAPABA. “An active member of the community and an advocate of diversity and inclusion, Mr. Desai brings experiential diversity as an in-house counsel to a District where the AANHPI population has grown over 50 percent over the last decade.”
Sharad H. Desai has been Vice President and General Counsel for Honeywell International’s Integrated Supply Chain and Information Technology divisions in Phoenix, Arizona, since 2023. He has worked in senior legal counsel roles at Honeywell since 2015. From 2007 to 2015, Mr. Desai worked as an attorney with the Phoenix law firm Osborn Maledon, P.A., first as an associate and later as a partner. He began his legal career as a law clerk for Justice Rebecca White Berch on the Arizona Supreme Court from 2006 to 2007. Mr. Desai received his J.D. from New York University School of Law in 2006 and his B.A. and B.S. from the University of Arizona in 2003.
“Nearly 20% of President Biden’s confirmed Article III judges are AANHPI,” said Priya Purandare, Executive Director of NAPABA. “Today, 40 AANHPI Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden Administration, and 70 AANHPI active Article III judges are serving.”
NAPABA thanks President Biden for nominating and Senator Sinema and Senator Kelly for supporting Sharad Desai’s historic nomination.
### The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) represents the interests of over 80,000 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.
WASHINGTON – Today, the United States Senate confirmed Amir H. Ali to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
“NAPABA congratulates Amir Ali on his confirmation to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia,” said Thy Bui, President of NAPABA. “Mr. Ali is an experienced civil rights litigator known for building coalitions, setting multiple landmark precedents at the U.S. Supreme Court and appellate courts that transcend ideology. NAPABA is proud to have supported his nomination.”
Amir H. Ali served as President and Executive Director of the MacArthur Justice Center from 2021-24 and Director of the Criminal Justice Appellate Clinic at Harvard Law School since 2018. Previously, Mr. Ali worked in private practice as an associate at Jenner & Block LLP in Washington, DC, from 2013-17. He also served as a law clerk for Justice Marshall Rothstein on the Supreme Court of Canada from 2012-13 and Judge Raymond C. Fisher on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 2011-12. Mr. Ali received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 2011 and his B.S.E. from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, in 2008.
“In President Biden’s single term, he has tied the number of AANHPI judges confirmed under the five terms of Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump,” said Priya Purandare, Executive Director of NAPABA. “Thirty-nine AANHPIs to Article III judges have been confirmed since 2021, and 69 AANHPI active Article III judges are serving.”
We thank President Biden for nominating and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton for recommending and supporting Mr. Ali’s nomination.
### The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) represents the interests of over 80,000 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.
WASHINGTON – Today, the United States Senate confirmed Judge Mustafa Kasubhai to the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. Judge Kasubhai is the first Asian American Article III judge in the District and the first American Muslim to serve within the Ninth Circuit.
“NAPABA congratulates Judge Mustafa Kasubhai on his confirmation to the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon,” said Thy Bui, President of NAPABA. “A 2018 NAPABA Trailblazer, Judge Kasubhai represents the best and brightest of our profession and membership.”
Judge Mustafa Kasubhai has been a United States Magistrate Judge for the District of Oregon since 2018. Previously, Judge Kasubhai served as a Circuit Court Judge in Lane County, Oregon, from 2007 to 2018. Prior to his appointment to the state bench, Judge Kasubhai served on the Oregon Workers’ Compensation Board from 2003 to 2007. From 1997 to 2003, Judge Kasubhai worked in three different private practice roles—as a solo practitioner, as a partner at Kasubhai & Sanchez, and as an associate at Rasmussen, Tyler & Mundorff. Judge Kasubhai received his J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law in 1996 and his B.S. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1992
“President Biden has nominated 42 AANHPIs to Article III courts, and 38 have been confirmed,” said Priya Purandare, Executive Director of NAPABA. “We thank President Biden for nominating and Senator Wyden and Senator Merkley for supporting Judge Kasubhai’s historic nomination.”
### The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) represents the interests of over 80,000 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.
WASHINGTON – As reported by the Associated Press, Donald J. Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, have earned a sufficient number of electoral votes to be the next President and Vice President of the United States. NAPABA congratulates them and is committed to working with the new administration and Congress to advance the interests of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community.
The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization representing the interests of well over 80,000 AANHPI legal professionals. Our community is diverse, spanning across cultures, language, and political ideologies. NAPABA has worked diligently with presidents, administrations, and congressional members of both parties to advance the interests of our community.
As an organization of legal professionals, we bear a special responsibility to uphold the rule of law. NAPABA will continue to advance justice, with the AANHPI community at the forefront along with all communities of color, our values, and our policy positions. We must partner together, despite our political differences, for our country to achieve progress.
With only a week remaining in this high-stakes election season, now is the time to ensure our communities are heard and empowered. The NAPABA Policy Team is sharing the following source to support you in making a lasting impact in these final days.
Join the APIAVote multilingual hotline initiative as a volunteer! NAPABA has partnered with Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) to offer our AANHPI communities a hotline providing vital voter information in multiple languages. This is a non-partisan, multilingual informational hotline designed to help members of our community find polling places, understand how to register to vote, and ensure they have timely and factual information needed to get to the polls.
APIAVote needs persons fluent in Bengali/Bangla, Cantonese, Hindi, Punjabi, Tagalog, Urdu and has a specific urgent need for persons fluent in Korean, Mandarin, and Vietnamese!
Here is what you can expect as a volunteer:
Provide live, remote assistance from Monday, October 7th leading up to Election Day on Tuesday, November 5th!
Return calls to voters who left voicemails asking for voter assistance
Be supported every step of the way by the co-captains of APIA Vote’s Hotline: Jean Ger, Zaria Guignard, Mike Messina, Hannah Locop, and Yu Jing Chen
Hotline captains will be online and available to assist every day
No prior experience is required – all training will be provided via Zoom throughout the election cycle.
This election season is one of the most significant in recent history, and your involvement is crucial. Sign up to volunteer here! After registering, you’ll have access to on-demand training and a community of dedicated leaders ready to assist every step of the way.
For additional resources, including volunteer opportunities and voting information, visit NAPABA’s 2024 Voting Hub.
Thank you for your commitment to empowering the AANHPI community. Your voice and leadership help shape a more inclusive, informed future. Let’s make this final week count.
NAPABA is committed to having a governing board that reflects the diverse AANHPI legal community and has the right blend of skill, expertise, community connections, and diverse perspectives. We value an inclusive culture that embraces our diversity and empowers leaders to engage with each other and the community in a meaningful way by building trust, increasing transparency, and maximizing impact.
The following individuals were elected by the NAPABA membership to serve on the 2024-25 NAPABA Board of Governors. Join us in welcoming these leaders.
WASHINGTON – Today, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) submitted a written statement for the record to the United States Senate Judiciary Committee that highlighted the dangers of divisive, reckless rhetoric and called on leaders to guard against the continuing demonization of immigrants and communities of color. During the Committee’s hearing on September 17, 2024, entitled, “A Threat to Justice Everywhere: Stemming the Tide of Hate Crimes in America,” a senator baselessly accused one of the witnesses, Maya Berry, an Arab American civil rights leader, of supporting foreign terrorist organizations. Despite the witness clearly and repeatedly stating that she did not support such organizations, the senator continued to interrogate her relentlessly.
“We have seen this playbook before, unfortunately, and members of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community are no stranger to such offensive, differential treatment solely because of their national origin or religion,” observed Anna Mercado Clark, President of NAPABA. “For example, in this same Committee nine months ago, Adeel Mangi, a nominee to be a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, also endured hostile treatment based solely on his religion. Our national leaders must do better to avoid dangerous rhetoric, which can lead to horrific results in our communities if left unchecked.”
Especially in this political season, NAPABA’s statement called on leaders to “avoid the reckless rhetoric” and on all Americans to “unite in common cause to tackle our Nation’s problems together.”
### The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) represents the interests of over 80,000 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.
