Tag: APA

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Matsui Writing Competition

Matsui Writing Competition

The Matsui Writing Competition is open to all law students nationwide! Submissions are due June 1, 2015. The winner of the 2015 competition will receive $1,500 and the entry will be published in UCLA’s Law School Asian Pacific American Law Journal.

The Robert T. Matsui Annual Writing Competition was established by Asian Pacific American Bar Association Educational Fund (AEF) in 2005 to honor the late Congressman Robert T. Matsui and his many accomplishments. Through this writing competition, AEF seeks to encourage legal scholarship on issues of importance to the Asian Pacific American legal community and, more generally, the publication of law review articles on topics of relevance to racial and ethnic minorities and the law.

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JUDGE MARILYN D. GO TO RECEIVE INAUGURAL NORMAN LAU KEE TRAILBLAZER AWARD FROM ASIAN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2014 

Contact: Yang Chen, Executive Director
(718) 228-7206 

NEW YORK – September 15, 2014 – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) is proud to announce that United States District Court Magistrate Judge Marilyn D. Go, Eastern District New York, will receive the inaugural Norman Lau Kee Trailblazer Award. Judge Go will be honored at AABANY’s Fifth Annual Fall Conference held at the law firm Morgan Lewis Bockius on September 20, 2014.

Named for Norman Lau Kee, a revered legal and community pillar of New York City’s Chinatown for decades, this Trailblazer Award honors an accomplished leader in the legal profession of Asian Pacific American (APA) descent or dedicated to APA issues who has carved a path for others to follow, served the community as a mentor and role model, and has made a lasting impact on the APA community through his or her dedication and commitment.

Marilyn D. Go, United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of New York, was the first Asian American woman to serve as a judge in a federal court.  After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1977, she clerked for the late Honorable William M. Marutani in Philadelphia, who was the only Asian American judge on the East Coast at the time. She then served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the EDNY and was later a partner at Baden Kramer Huffman Brodsky & Go, P.C.  Committed to promoting diversity and professionalism in the bar, Judge Go was a founding member, officer and director of the Asian American Bar Association of New York; chair of the Voting Rights Committee of NAPABA; Vice Chair of the Standing Committee on Minorities in the Judiciary of the American Bar Association; and a member of Governor Cuomo’s Task Force on Minority Representation on the Bench.

 “Judge Go is a true trailblazer in our community,” Yang Chen, AABANY’s Executive Director, states. “She rose to the top of the legal profession as an attorney and judge at a time when women leaders, particularly APA women, were few and far between. Through her achievements, accomplishments and leadership, she has paved the way for future generations of lawyers to succeed and attain prominence. As one of the founding Board members of AABANY, she helped to lay the foundation for future leaders to grow the organization into the great bar association it is today. Because of the trails she has blazed, Judge Go has made a real difference for APA attorneys and the legal profession. We are proud to count her as a leading member of our association and our community.”

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For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (718) 228-7206, or direct any inquiries to [email protected].

The Asian American Bar Association of New York is a professional membership organization of attorneys concerned with issues affecting the Asian Pacific American community.  Incorporated in 1989, AABANY seeks not only to encourage the professional growth of its members but also to advocate for the Asian Pacific American community as a whole.  AABANY is the New York regional affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).

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NAPABA APPLAUDS APPOINTMENT OF JENNY R. YANG AS CHAIR OF EEOC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Septemeber 2, 2014

Contact: Tina Matsuoka
(202) 775-9555

WASHINGTON – Today, President Obama appointed Jenny R. Yang as Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Yang’s appointment will make her the first Asian Pacific American to serve as permanent Chair.

“NAPABA applauds the Administration for the appointment of Jenny Yang as Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission,” said William J. Simonitsch, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “Ms. Yang is a talented and accomplished lawyer and advocate who understands the mission of the EEOC. Her elevation to EEOC Chair is much deserved and highlights the Administration’s dedication to elevating women of color to leadership positions.”

Prior to her appointment as EEOC Chair, Yang was Vice Chair of the EEOC where she led its efforts on behalf of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. She also worked with former EEOC Chair Jacqueline Berrien to improve enforcement of equal pay laws with the White House Equal Pay Task Force. After graduation from law school, Yang clerked for the Hon. Edmund Ludwig of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and worked with the 1992-93 Presidential Transition Team. She later became a senior trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Employment Litigation Section. From the Department of Justice, Yang joined the law firm of Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC until her appointment to the EEOC.

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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.

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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.

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NAPABA CELEBRATES CONFIRMATION OF NORMAN C. BAY TO THE FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                        
July 15, 2014
Contact: Azizah Ahmad
(202) 775-9555                                                              

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Norman C. Bay to be Commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) by a vote of 52-45. He is the first Asian Pacific American to lead this powerful regulatory agency. Commissioner Bay is only the third Asian Pacific American to serve as head of a government department or agency during President Obama’s second term.

“Norman C. Bay is a dedicated public servant with the stellar credentials and professional background to be an outstanding leader of FERC. We are proud of Commissioner Bay, who is a longtime NAPABA member. We applaud him on his much deserved confirmation,” said William J. Simonitsch, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “NAPABA thanks President Obama for nominating Commissioner Bay to lead FERC, and appointing well-qualified, diverse candidates to the bench and to positions in his Administration. More qualified people of color like Commissioner Bay need to be given the opportunity to lead.”

Prior to his confirmation, Commissioner Bay served as Director of the Office of Enforcement at FERC, where he received the FERC Chairman’s Medal in 2013. Before joining FERC, he was a Professor of Law at the University of New Mexico from 2002 to 2009. His career in academia was preceded by time in public service — Mr. Bay served as the U.S. Attorney for the district of New Mexico, and spent many years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice and also as an Attorney-Advisor at the U.S. Department of State. Commissioner Bay graduated from Dartmouth College summa cum laude and Harvard Law School cum laude. After law school, he clerked for the Honorable Otto R. Skopil, Jr., of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Portland, Oregon.

NAPABA thanks Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii for their strong support of Norman C. Bay’s nomination.

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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.