PRESS RELEASE: AABANY TO HONOR VERNON JORDAN WITH I4 LEADERSHIP AWARD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE         Contact: Yang Chen, Executive Director

February 5, 2014                                                                  (718) 228-7206

AABANY TO HONOR VERNON JORDAN WITH “I4 LEADERSHIP AWARD”
AT 25TH ANNUAL DINNER TO BE HELD AT CIPRIANI WALL STREET

NEW YORK – On Wednesday, February 26, 2014, the Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) will hold its 25th Anniversary Annual Dinner at Cipriani Wall Street.  Attendees of the 2014 AABANY Annual Dinner will include prominent federal and state judges, elected officials and dignitaries, attorneys from large and small law firms, corporate law departments, prosecutors’ offices and government agencies.  AABANY’s 2013 Annual Dinner attracted more than 750 members of the legal and business communities from New York and beyond.  This year AABANY is pleased to announce that the 2014 honorees will be:

  •  Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., Senior Managing Director, Lazard Freres & Co., LLC
  • Randal S. Milch, Executive Vice President, Public Policy, and General Counsel Verizon Communications Inc.
  • AALDEF (Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund)

Vernon E. Jordan, Jr. will receive the AABANY I4 Leadership Award.  The I4 Leadership award is presented to a leader who is an ICON, embodying the highest IDEALS and INSPIRING others while making a real and lasting IMPACT in the community and society.  Mr. Jordan, a Senior Managing Director at Lazard, the financial advisory and asset management firm, also remains Senior Counsel at the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, where he practices general, corporate, legislative and international law in Washington, D.C.  Prior to joining Akin Gump in January 1982, Mr. Jordan served as president and chief executive officer of the National Urban League, Inc.; executive director of the United Negro College Fund, Inc.; director of the Voter Education Project of the Southern Regional Council; attorney-consultant at the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity; assistant to the executive director of the Southern Regional Council; Georgia field director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; and as an attorney in private practice in Arkansas and Georgia.  Upon graduation from Howard University School of Law in 1960, he joined the firm of a civil rights activist in Atlanta and became involved in a case against the University of Georgia to challenge racist policies.  In 1962, Mr. Jordan became a Georgia field director for the NAACP and his leadership was an instrumental part of the civil rights movement.  In particular, Mr. Jordan, as director of the Voter Education Project, coordinated voter registration drives and counseled the electorate, helping to dramatically increase the number of African-American elected officials.  

Mr. Jordan has served as a key strategist and advisor to multiple U.S. Presidents from Lyndon Johnson to Bill Clinton, as well as to many prominent civil rights leaders.  His presidential appointments include:  the President’s Advisory Committee for the Points of Light Initiative Foundation; the Secretary of State’s Advisory Committee on South Africa; the Advisory Council on Social Security; the Presidential Clemency Board; the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission; the National Advisory Committee on Selective Service; and the Council of the White House Conference “To Fulfill These Rights.”  Jordan served as the chairman of the Clinton Presidential Transition Team in 1992.

”We are deeply honored and humbled that such a legendary defender of legal rights as Vernon Jordan will be helping AABANY commemorate our 25th anniversary at our Annual Dinner, along with Randal Milch, recipient of AABANY’s Corporate Counsel Leadership Award, and AALDEF, recipient of AABANY’s Public Advocacy Award,” said Mike Huang, AABANY President. 

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

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The Asian American Bar Association of New York was formed in 1989 as a not-for-profit corporation to represent the interests of New York Asian-American attorneys, judges, law professors, legal professionals, paralegals and law students.  The mission of AABANY is to improve the study and practice of law, and the fair administration of justice for all by ensuring the meaningful participation of Asian Americans in the legal profession.

AABANY TO RECEIVE 2013 NEW YORK STATE CONFERENCE OF BAR LEADERS INNOVATION AWARD FOR “IVA: THE MYTH OF TOKYO ROSE” PROGRAM

PRESS RELEASE

NEW YORK – January 27, 2014 – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) is proud to announce that it will receive a 2013 Bar Leaders Innovation Award for its Asian Pacific American Heritage Month production, “Iva: The Myth of Tokyo Rose.”  The award bestowed by the New York State Conference of Bar Leaders Executive Council of the New York State Bar Association recognizes bar associations that introduce new programs, ideas and methodologies that benefit its members and the community at large.  AABANY’s “Tokyo Rose” program was evaluated based on its ingenuity and creativity, effect on the bar and general public, and its overall quality.

“Iva: The Myth of Tokyo Rose,” which was co-produced by AABANY and the Asian American Arts Alliance (the “Alliance”), tells the story of Iva Toguri, a Japanese American citizen, who was accused of treason during World War II.  Original court transcripts were edited and compiled under the leadership of the Honorable Denny Chin and Kathy Hirata Chin.  This material was then adapted by playwright Soriya Chum and culminated in a production addressing issues concerning race, civil rights, prosecutorial abuse and social injustice.  “Tokyo Rose” was directed by Soriya Chum and Elena Chang and performed on stage at the Asia Society in New York City on May 16-17, 2013.  Following the performances, talkbacks were held with esteemed speakers and guests, including the Honorable Denny Chin (U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit), Kathy Hirata Chin (Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP), Gurjot Kaur (Sikh Coalition), Andrea Louie (the Alliance), Yang Chen (AABANY), Rehana Mirza (Ma-Yi Theater’s Writer’s Lab) and Eileen Rivera (Leviathan Lab).

The New York State Conference of Bar Leaders will honor AABANY along with its sister bar associations for their innovative programs at the Annual Breakfast for Bar Leaders to be held at the Hilton New York Midtown on Friday, January 31, 2014.  “On behalf of AABANY, we thank the New York State Conference of Bar Leaders for this prestigious award and recognizing our continuing efforts to produce programs that address significant legal issues and social matters of importance to our members and the Asian Pacific American community as a whole,” said Mike Huang, AABANY’s President. 

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The Asian American Bar Association of New York was formed in 1989 as a not-for-profit corporation to represent the interests of New York Asian American attorneys, judges, law professors, legal professionals, paralegals and law students.  The mission of AABANY is to improve the study and practice of law, and the fair administration of justice for all by ensuring the meaningful participation of Asian Americans in the legal profession.

A performance review of “Iva: The Myth of Tokyo Rose,” is available at http://blog.asianinny.com/films/iva-the-myth-of-tokyo-rose/

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AABANY turned out in force for the 25th annual NAPABA National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri.

Among the highlights was the highly popular trial re-enactment “22 Lewd Chinese Women: Chy Lung v. Freeman,” led by Hon. Denny Chin and Kathy Hirata Chin, with a cast that included AABANY members Vince Chang, Yang Chen, Theo Cheng, Francis Chin, Andy Hahn, Lauren U.Y. Lee, Linda Lin, Anna R. Mercado, Vinoo Varghese, Ona T. Wang, and Jessica C. Wong.

Other speakers from AABANY during the convention included: Hon. Pamela K.M. Chen, James R. Cho, Hon. Doris Ling-Cohan, Don Liu, Hugh H. Mo, Chul Pak, Sapna Palla, Helen Wan, Michael Wu, Pauline Yeung-Ha, Michael Yim and James Yu.

AABANY congratulates its Best Under 40 Award Recipients, Mike Huang, Michael Park and Asim Rehman.

All the attendees enjoyed terrific program offerings, well-attended social events, sightseeing excursions, re-connecting with old friends, making new ones, and plenty of barbeque.

Next year’s convention will be held in Scottsdale, Arizona, Nov. 6-9, 2014.

Passing along an announcement from the Asian American Business Development Center

Don’t miss the 12th Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business Award Gala!

We thank you for your continued support of the Asian American Business Development Center. AABDC is a non-profit organization and it relies on the support of sponsors and table sales to fund and organize this outstanding event.

We welcome any additional donations to help support our organization. Similar to last year, all tickets and donations are tax-deductible. Click here to purchase your tickets and make your donation.

Please RSVP to&nbspStefan Rajiyah at [email protected]Deadline to purchase discounted tickets is Friday June 7.

Also, please enjoy our new promotional video for the Outstanding 50 Gala. I hope to see you at the event. Thank you!

NAPABA Congratulates Bonnie M. Youn on the White House Cesar Chavez Champion of Change Award

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

1612 K Street NW, Suite 1400 
Washington, DC 20006


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
March 26, 2013

Contact: Azizah Ahmad 
(202) 775-9555

NAPABA CONGRATULATES BONNIE M. YOUN ON 
THE WHITE HOUSE CESAR CHAVEZ CHAMPION OF CHANGE AWARD

WASHINGTON – Today, the White House honored 10 individuals with the Cesar Chavez Champions of Change Award. Among the 10 honorees is Bonnie M. Youn, who is a member of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).

The Cesar Chavez Champions of Change Award honors citizens who demonstrate a commitment to improving their communities, the country, or the lives of their fellow citizens. Ms. Youn was honored for her dedication to the Asian Pacific American (APA) and immigrant communities of Georgia. “We are proud that the White House recognized Bonnie Youn for her efforts on behalf of the growing immigrant and APA populations in Georgia,” said Wendy C. Shiba, president of NAPABA. “Bonnie is an energetic and accomplished advocate and NAPABA member and we congratulate her for being named a Champion of Change.”

Ethnically Korean but born in the Philippines, Ms. Youn was inspired by her own immigrant experiences to dedicate herself to the APA and immigrant communities of the Southeast. She began practicing law as an immigration attorney in 1997 and is now principal of her own law firm, the Youn Law Group. Recently, she led teams that organized the 2013 Georgia APA Legislative Day, gathering the largest number of APAs in history at the Georgia State Capitol to meet and lobby elected officials. In 2012, she worked closely with the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to organize its Southeast Regional Action Summit at Emory University in Atlanta. The Summit brought together over 500 participants to meet federal agency officials, culminating in a town hall meeting for participants to discuss concerns about immigration, healthcare and mental health issues, small business matters, and housing needs. She is an advocate for increasing the number of APA judges and political appointees, challenging state legislation that disenfranchises immigrants, and creating a legacy of a sustainable APA Commission for Georgia. Ms. Youn is a co-chair of NAPABA’s solo and small firm committee and was a member of the NAPABA 2012 Annual Convention host committee.

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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 63 local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members represent 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 federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes professional development of people of color in the legal profession.