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 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.
Karis Consulting Group provides community organizing, strategic advising, and coalition-building support for Asian American and Pacific Islander organizations to empower the voice and capacity of the community. Interns will provide support for client work in a variety of sectors, gaining valuable community organizing skills and building relationships with top leaders in the nonprofit and government sectors. Individuals of all ethnicities and backgrounds located in the US are encouraged to apply.
About Karis Consulting Group (KCG)
Karis Consulting Group’s mission is to advance equity and empower communities to thrive by activating diverse voices and engaging in meaningful civic participation.
Internship Responsibilities
Interns will be expected to have strong administrative and communication skills.
Event Planning: Plan outreach, prepare memos, draft invitations, support fundraisers, manage logistics
Office Administration: Create/update spreadsheets, use office tools and Google Suite to manage tasks
Graphic Design: Design flyers using Canva
Communication: Draft emails, take meeting notes, strong writing and verbal skills for internal communication with firm and external stakeholders
Social Media/Podcast: Create social media posts
Compensation
Interns will receive $15 an hour.
Requirements
Applicants are expected to submit a resume, cover letter, and references (none from family members).
Open to high school graduates, college students, and graduate students
Interns are expected to work 10-15 hours per week. How you break up those hours can be discussed.
Interns must be located in the US but can work virtually (preference for DC or New York).
Application deadline is November 27, 2024 by 11:59 PM ET.
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.
During the 2024 General Election, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) will conduct a nonpartisan multilingual exit poll of Asian American voters to capture their candidate preferences and party enrollment, and to identify important issues for the Asian American community. Since 1988, AALDEF has conducted exit polls of Asian American voters and monitored polls in every major election to provide election protection.
AALDEF is seeking volunteers interested in phone banking or on-the-ground polling in the following states:
Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington
This year, AALDEF will be polling:
During Early Voting in late October and early November (specific dates TBA)
And on Election Day (Tuesday, November 5)
You do not need to know an Asian language (although helpful) and you do not need to be a lawyer.
For the Volunteer Interest Form, please click here.
WASHINGTON – Today, President Joe Biden nominated Sharad Desai to the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. If confirmed, Desai would be the first Asian American Article III judge to serve in the District of Arizona.
“NAPABA applauds President Biden’s historic nomination of Sharad Desai,” said Anna Mercado Clark, President of NAPABA. “Active in the community and an advocate of diversity and inclusion, Desai will serve in 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 partner. He began his legal career serving 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.
“President Biden has nominated 42 AANHPIs to Article III courts, and 37 have been confirmed, a legacy of more than double the number of AANHPIs judges than any president’s first term,” said Priya Purandare, Executive Director of NAPABA. “We thank President Biden for nominating and Senator Sinema and Senator Kelly for supporting Sharad Desai’s historic nomination.”
Deadline to Register: August 25, 2024 at 11:59 PM PST
Registration is now open for the 2024 Judge Thomas Tang and Dr. Pearl Tang Moot Court Competition! This is the 31st anniversary of an annual tradition that fosters crucial advocacy and legal skills among law students nationwide.
This year students will need to satisfy two new requirements in order to compete:
Each competitor must be a member of an Asian American/Pacific Islander bar association (e.g. APALSA chapter at a law school, NAPALSA, NAPABA, a NAPABA local affiliate, South Asian Bar Association, Korean American Bar Association, etc.); and
Each competitor is required to submit a short written statement (no more than 150 words) addressing the legacy and/or impact of Dr. Pearl Tang and/or Judge Thomas Tang on the competitor personally and describing the competitor’s commitment to supporting the Asian American/Pacific Islander community in the future.
Teams will be able to choose between online and in-person regional competitions. Regional Competitions will be held on the following dates, subject to possible changes at the discretion of the National Committee:
Regional 1 | In-person in Dallas, Texas: Friday, September 20, 2024
Regional 2 | In person in Los Angeles, California: Saturday, September 21, 2024
Regional 3 | In-person in New York, New York: Friday, September 27, 2024
Regional 4 | Virtual on Zoom: Saturday, September 28, 2024
This year, we are encouraging local NAPABA Members, Affiliates, and National Associates to sponsor moot court teams, including providing support by paying registration fees for teams, providing coaching on written and oral advocacy skills, and paying for students’ travel to compete in regional and national competitions. Each law school is limited to two teams but local NAPABA Affiliates and National Associates are not limited in the number of teams they may sponsor. Students are encouraged to reach out to local NAPABA Affiliates and National Associates to obtain support from sponsors.
Please note: attorneys and/or judges who coach law students may not judge the moot court competition in the same year.
Click the images below to download flyers you can share.
WASHINGTON – Yesterday, [July 31, 2024,] the United States Senate confirmed Judge Meredith A. Vacca to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. Judge Vacca is the first Asian American and woman of color to serve in the Western District, which includes Buffalo, Rochester, and Elmira.
“NAPABA congratulates Judge Meredith A. Vacca on her confirmation to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York,” said Anna Mercado Clark, President of NAPABA. “We are pleased to have supported the 50 AANHPI judges confirmed over the past eight years, spanning two Presidents. Our bipartisan judicial nominations approach and diverse membership have resulted in greater AANHPI representation on our judiciary across the country and political spectrum.”
Judge Vacca has been a judge on the Monroe County Court since 2021 and an Acting Justice on the New York State Supreme Court since 2023. She previously served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office in Rochester, New York, from 2007 to 2020 and as an associate at Hamberger & Weiss LLP from 2005 to 2007. Judge Vacca received her J.D. from the University of Buffalo School of Law in 2005 and her B.A. from Colgate University in 2002.
“Judge Vacca, a board member of the Asian American Judges Association of New York, is active in our community,” said Priya Purandare, Executive Director of NAPABA. “As the 37th AANHPI judge confirmed by the Biden Administration, Judge Vacca will serve a rapidly growing Asian American district in upstate New York. We thank President Biden for nominating, Senate Majority Leader Schumer, and Senator Gillibrand for supporting Judge Vacca’s historic nomination.”
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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 – NAPABA applauds President Biden’s executive action on June 17, 2024 to keep American families together. It creates critical protections for undocumented spouses of United States citizens who have resided in this country for over 10 years and streamlines work visa access for Dreamers. Over half of the Asian American population is composed of immigrants, and NAPABA has for years advocated for the government to treat the immigrant community with fairness, dignity, and humanity. The new policy will grant formal work authorization to persons who are already contributing to this country in the shadows. NAPABA has long viewed family unity as the cornerstone of commonsense immigration reform, and we commend President Biden for focusing on keeping families together.
The Administration’s action today, however, is no excuse for Congressional inaction. During NAPABA Lobby Day last month, NAPABA members from across the country pressed Congress to protect the right to counsel within the immigration system and prioritize the reunification of families. NAPABA continues to call on Congress to advance commonsense immigration reform that upholds the basic values of the Nation and delivers statutory protections for our Dreamers.
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.
AABANY members pose in front of the U.S. Capitol at NAPABA Lobby Day 2024.
On May 22, 2024, AABANY members met with the staff of New York Senate and Congressional representatives in Washinton, D.C. at this year’s NAPABA Lobby Day. Each year, members of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) travel from across the United States to Washington D.C. and advocate on critical issues facing the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community.
NAPABA and local bar association members discussed a number of issues with Congressional offices including legislation to address Anti-Asian Hate, Civil Rights, Immigration, and to support the confirmation of AANHPI judicial and executive nominees.
Wen Xue discusses alien land laws with Rebecca Lee, Legislative Assistant for Congresswoman Grace Meng.
Wen Xue, Associate at Greenberg Traurig, LLP, discussed state bills barring Chinese nationals from owning real property and a federal bill to preempt those laws. She shared, “Lobby Day is a great opportunity to meet and connect with people. I enjoyed the opportunity to see my fellow NAPABA colleagues in action, hear their words, and be inspired.”
Sandy Chiu, intellectual property attorney at Greenberg Traurig, LLP, stated, “Lobby Day continues to inspire and reengage me in the civic process, reminding me of our power as a collective NAPABA voice in shaping policy.”
Michelle Lee, Counsel for Stand with Asian Americans which advocates against workplace discrimination, discussed legislation to ensure AANHPI history is taught as part of American history. She stated, “As a first-time attendee of Lobby Day, I experienced a sense of empowerment and relevance as we advocated on behalf of our AANHPI community directly with our Senators’ and Representatives’ offices. Every lawyer should take advantage of this privilege especially when NAPABA makes the experience so seamless and collaborative.”
Nandar Win Kerr, Human Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Consultant and Co-Chair of AABANY’s Professional Development Committee, stated, “For the past three years, I have participated in NAPABA Lobby Day, transitioning from grassroots activism to high-level policy advocacy, a journey that seemed intimidating at first…. Engaging in NAPABA Lobby Day has enriched my sense of community and empowered me to contribute to collective advocacy efforts. Together, we strive to foster a peaceful, equitable, inclusive, and sustainable democratic society where everyone feels they belong.”
Rachel Lee discusses civil rights legislation with Bre Sonnier-Thompson, Legislative Correspondent for New York Senator Chuck Schumer.
Rachel Lee, Associate at A&O Shearman, stated, “Lobby Day 2024 was another incredibly rewarding experience. Marching through the hallways of the House and Senate buildings with a team of like-minded AANHPI attorneys was a reminder that our democratic process requires hard work and advocacy and gave me hope that as a team we can serve as a voice on issues important to our often-forgotten community. Whether it’s an important election year or not, with or without prior lobbying experience, I strongly encourage our members to take part in this amazing program.”
NAPABA is the largest AANHPI grassroots membership association, representing the interests of over 80,000 lawyers, judges, law students and other legal professionals around the country. Approximately 90 local bar associations are affiliated with NAPABA.
Anna Mercado Clark, Partner at Phillips Lytle LLP, currently serves as President of NAPABA. She stated, “Lobby Day is the premier advocacy event for NAPABA and one of the most visible ways that we celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. We are proud to have gathered 150 members for a Congressional reception and 50 meetings with legislators from both sides of the aisle. It is so powerful to see so many AANHPIs roaming the halls of Congress. It sends the message that we are here, we matter, and we will not tire of pursuing issues of importance to our communities. Thank you, AABANY, for joining NAPABA and all you are doing to advocate for our communities and strengthen democracy. This work is more important now than ever.”
NAPABA President Anna Mercado Clark and Nandar Win Kerr attending the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Congressional Reception.Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA), Senator Mazie Hirono (HI), and Director of Domestic Policy Counsel Neera Tanden speak at the AANHPI Congressional Reception.
NAPABA Lobby Day coincides with the annual Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Congressional Reception. Several AANHPI congressional and administration officials spoke including Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA), Senator Mazie Hirono (HI), and White House Director of the Domestic Policy Counsel Neera Tanden.
Thanks to all the AABANY members who participated in Lobby Day this year, especially Vishal Chander, Issues Committee Co-Chair and Board Director, who submitted this report.
