2023 NAPABA Lobby Day Wrap-Up

Reflecting on a Day of Advocacy and Engagement

NAPABA’s 12th annual Lobby Day, held on May 22-23, 2023, brought together a diverse group of AANHPI attorneys, law students, and community leaders from across the country to advocate for meaningful policy changes and address key issues affecting our community. Together, we engaged in productive discussions, shared compelling stories, and sought to create lasting connections with lawmakers and their staff. 

Highlights of our Lobby Day achievements include:

Robust Representation: With nearly 90 participants taking part in 52 meetings with congressional offices, NAPABA demonstrated its strength and its commitment to amplifying AANHPI voices in the halls of power.

Advocacy Training: Prior to the meetings, we organized targeted training sessions to equip our participants with the necessary tools and strategies to effectively communicate our policy priorities. 

Policy Priorities: Throughout our meetings, we passionately advocated for key issues at the forefront of our community’s concerns, which included the fair treatment of immigrants, the equal rights of the LGBTQ+ community, and the ability of the AANHPI community to pursue their livelihood. Our collective advocacy efforts ensured that these critical topics received the attention they deserve.

Meaningful Engagements: We met with several influential lawmakers and their staff, fostering meaningful dialogues and building relationships that will continue to be instrumental in advancing our policy objectives. Our Lobby Day participants skillfully articulated our positions, presented compelling arguments, and shared personal stories to humanize the issues we face.

Looking ahead, we will maintain our momentum and continue our advocacy efforts beyond Lobby Day. Learn more about NAPABA’s advocacy at napaba.org/page/advocacy 

AABANY Hosts Membership Open House At King & Spalding LLP

On July 28, 2022, AABANY hosted its first-ever Membership Open House at King & Spalding LLP. With over 50 attendees, the Membership Open House gave new and prospective members the opportunity to speak with Board Members and Committee Chairs to learn about the work AABANY does and how new and prospective members can get involved.

Membership Director Christopher Bae in his introductory remarks welcomed attendees and thanked Board Members and Committee Chairs for coming. Former AABANY President Andy Hahn (2004) then highlighted the importance of getting involved with an organization like AABANY.

This AABANY Membership Open House spotlighted the Young Lawyers Committee, the Litigation Committee, and the Prosecutors Committee. Jasmine Chean from the Young Lawyers Committee, Lois Ahn from the Litigation Committee, and David Hsin-Tai Chiang from the Prosecutors Committee each spoke on why members should get involved with their committees.

Attendees were encouraged to network, enjoy food and drinks, and meet with the chairs of 23 committees that were present at the Open House. New and recent members were given the opportunity to participate in a raffle where two winners won either a Zoom or coffee meet-and-greet with former AABANY Presidents Andy Hahn (2004) or Brian Song (2019). Congratulations to Tian Chi Ma who won the raffle to meet Andy and to Stephanie Lu who won the raffle to meet Brian.

Thank you to King & Spalding LLP for hosting AABANY’s Membership Open House, and thank you to former AABANY Presidents Andy Hahn and Brian Song for volunteering for the new member raffle! Thank you to Co-Vice Presidents of Programs & Operations Joseph Eng, Jr. and Beatrice Leong, and Membership Director Christopher Bae for putting together this successful event!

We look forward to seeing everyone at the next Open House in October. In the meantime, if you have any questions about how to get more involved in AABANY and maximize your membership experience, feel free to reach out to the Membership Committee at [email protected].

AABANY Rooftop Picnic on Oct. 2

On October 2, AABANY members and their friends gathered at the rooftop of One Union Square South for a BBQ event co-sponsored by the Young Lawyers Committee and the Litigation Committee. The BBQ was held in lieu of the annual AABANY Picnic that was canceled earlier in the year due to inclement weather warnings. Luckily, the weather was sunny and breezy during the entire BBQ event, which ran from 12 PM to 3 PM, and everyone attending had a great time catching up and connecting, some of them meeting each other for the first time after only seeing each other over Zoom during the pandemic.

It was the first in-person gathering hosted by the Young Lawyers Committee in 2021. Although the event size was capped at 30 persons, the intimate size of the event allowed for all attendees to meet and connect with one another as they enjoyed a beautiful day grilling and enjoying an assortment of food and desserts.  

Special thanks to the Young Lawyers Committee, and the co-chairs, Jane Jeong, Sheila Shen, and Janet Jun, for planning and organizing this event. Thanks also to the Litigation Committee for co-sponsoring the event. Both committees thank everyone for coming and spending part of their Saturday with AABANY at the rooftop BBQ, which was a wonderful reminder of the tremendous value of in-person bonding and building relationships. The Young Lawyers Committee is working to host additional small in-person events throughout the year. To learn more about the Young Lawyers Committee, click here. To learn more about the Litigation Committee, click here.

Academic Committee Hosts Annual Holiday Lunch at Dim Sum Palace

On Tuesday, December 17, the Academic Committee hosted their Annual Holiday Lunch at Dim Sun Palace in the East Village. Academic Committee Co-Chairs, Prof. Elaine Chiu (St. John’s), Prof. Suzanne Kim (Rutgers), and Prof. Donna Lee (CUNY) played hosts to a full table of members of friends who came to meet the Committee’s leadership and find out what events and plans they have in store for the balance of the 2019 fiscal year and beyond. Elaine, Suzanne, and Donna encouraged everyone to to save the date for a Pathways to Academia program being planned for January 24. They also asked for ideas and suggestions on how to get law students more involved with community service, such as by volunteering at the Pro Bono Clinic.

The fare at Dim Sum Palace was plentiful, varied, and delicious, and everyone enjoyed the dishes that were served. The weather outside was gloomy and damp but around our very full table, we were able to share a warm and satisfying meal among good company.

To learn more about the Academic Committee and how you can get more involved with it go to https://www.aabany.org/page/352 .

Happy Holidays!

NAPABA Annual Lobby Day and APA Heritage Month Congressional Reception

NAPABA Annual Lobby Day
and
APA Heritage Month Congressional Reception

NAPABA invites you to participate in the 4th Annual Lobby Day and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Congressional Reception on May 19-20, 2014, in Washington, DC.

Lobby Day is less than a month away! This is your opportunity to educate members of Congress and congressional staffers on issues of importance to the Asian Pacific American community and to meet other NAPABA leaders from around the country.

Lobby Day Event Schedule:

Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Lobby Day Training Webinar (part one of three)

Monday, May 19, 2014
Lobby Day Onsite Training (part two of three)
NAPABA’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Congressional Reception with Honorary Chair and Featured Speaker, Senator Mazie Hirono
Confirmed speakers also include Congresswoman Grace Meng and Congressman Mark Takano
Click here to RSVP for the Reception.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014 
NAPABA Lobby Day: Onsite Training Breakfast (part three of three)
Member Visits, Participant Debriefing & Happy Hour
*Breakfast and Happy Hour hosted by Jones Day

Register Online

There is no cost to attend.

Please visit our website for more information or email Melanie Robinson at [email protected] with any questions. We look forward to seeing you in May!

From AAARI/CUNY: Rethinking New York City’s Asian American Communities

Join the Asian American/Asian Research Institute for their annual conference, Rethinking New York City’s Asian American Communities, on Monday, May 5, 2014, from 8:30am to 5pm, at the CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue, Concourse Level, Manhattan. This event is free and open to the general public, light breakfast and lunch provided.

Over the last 2 decades, the Asian American population in New York City has exploded with 110% growth, and is more diverse than ever, hailing not only from East Asia but from South and Southeast Asia, as well as from secondary migrations such as the Indo-Guyanese. Nearly 78% of NYC’s Asian Americans are foreign born.

This conference seeks to answer the questions of who they are, where they have chosen to locate and how their communities have grown, how to preserve the culture and historical heritage of these communities for the older communities, to prepare new communities who will want to preserve their history in the US, and to connect scholars and community to identify trends and issues of concern for these communities.

Sessions

  • The Newest Asian New Yorkers
  • New York’s Indo-Caribbean Diaspora: Update
  • Preserving our Historical and Cultural Heritage
  • Community Research: Mapping & Networking
To RSVP for the conference and to view the latest program, please visit www.aaari.info/2014communities.htm. Please be prepared to present proper identification when entering the CUNY Graduate Center. 
For details on all of AAARI’s upcoming events, please visitwww.aaari.info. See you at the AAARI conference on May 5th

8th Annual National Conference of Vietnamese American Attorneys

image

We look forward to seeing you at the

8th Annual Conference in Orlando.
  
NCVAA has been the largest law conference in the United States for Vietnamese American attorneys and law students since 2006.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to network with nationally renown Judges and Law Professors, as well as top attorneys and legal leaders, from all across the country.
  
Register TODAY.  Early bird prices expire on May 1, 2014.
To register for the conference and for more information, visit:
  
We have a limited number of rooms reserved at discounted rates. To reserve your hotel room, visit:

https://resweb.passkey.com/go/NCVAAAnnualConvention

and select “Attendee” as your guest type.

  
For sponsorship or speaker information, please contact the Conference Co-Chairs:

Nguyen T. Vu, NCVAA President

[email protected]

Kim Y. Nguyen, NCVAA Vice President

[email protected]

Daniel Huynh, NCVAA Board Member

[email protected]

From the MCCA’s Diversity & the Bar: BU40

image

The National Asian Pacific Bar Association (NAPABA) celebrated its 25th Annual Convention in Kansas City, MO, last November.  The four-day convention was themed Momentum to celebrate the continuing growth and progress in the Asian Pacific American (APA) legal community, and brought more than 1,200 attendees to the show-me state.  Among awards given out at the annual convention is the highly coveted NAPABA Best Lawyers Under 40 (BU40) Award. MCCA’s bi-monthly publication, Diversity & the Bar, profiled these award recipients, including AABANY members and leaders, Mike Huang, Michael Park and Asim Rehman, in the January/February 2014 issue. Read more here.

NAPABA Announces 2014-2016 Annual Convention Host Cities

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

1612 K Street NW, Suite 1400
Washington, DC 20006


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 11, 2013

Contact: Azizah Ahmad

(202) 775-9555

NAPABA ANNOUNCES 2014-2016 ANNUAL CONVENTION HOST CITIES

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) has selected its annual convention host cities for 2014-2016. The Annual NAPABA Convention will be held in:

  • 2014: Scottsdale, Arizona
  • 2015: New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 2016: San Diego, California

“We are pleased to announce the host cities for the 2014-2016 Annual Conventions,” said Wendy Shiba, president of NAPABA. “We look forward to expanding NAPABA’s presence, engaging membership, and working with NAPABA’s affiliates and the local communities in these host cities.”

The process for selecting host cities breaks new ground from the bidding process that NAPABA has previously used. Several factors were considered during the selection process, including the presence of emerging Asian Pacific American and legal communities; hotel and convention site capacity of potential host cities; relative cost; and a desire to include regions that have not hosted a NAPABA convention recently or ever. New Orleans and San Diego will be first-time host cities and Scottsdale hosted in 2001.

“We are excited that Arizona will be hosting the NAPABA Convention in 2014,” said Mingyi Kang, president of the Arizona Asian American Bar Association. “We are grateful that NAPABA is changing the way the Convention is being hosted and are positive that this change will enable more local chapters to host the NAPABA Convention, increasing NAPABA’s profile, and encouraging more APAs to join and be more involved in our organizations and in the community in general.”

“On behalf of LAPABA, we are absolutely thrilled to have been chosen to host Convention 2015 in New Orleans! This is an unbelievable opportunity, bringing our entire NAPABA family to our great home city for the first time, ever,” said Christine C. Bruneau, president of the Louisiana Asian Pacific American Bar Association. “We look forward to fantastic speakers and programs, seeing old friends and colleagues and meeting new ones, and some truly amazing food, culture, and history!”

Brian S. Sun, president of the Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego, one of four NAPABA affiliates in San Diego, said, “Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego is excited that San Diego was chosen as the host city for NAPABA’s Annual Convention in 2016. We look forward to the opportunity to help the NAPABA convention team in any way we can. I know that everyone will enjoy our wonderful city.”

The 25th Annual NAPABA Convention, Momentum, will be held in Kansas City, Missouri from November 7-10, 2013.

###

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 over 40,000 attorneys and 66 state and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal service 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.