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NAPABA | Taking Action in 2025

Dear NAPABA Community,

Before the start of this new year, I wrote to you and shared not only my gratitude for an incredible 2024, but also our commitment to advance NAPABA’s mission heading into 2025. Though we are merely two months into the new year, we have already witnessed several developments that impact NAPABA’s work and the broader Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community.

On his first day in office on January 20, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued executive orders that jeopardized the constitutional guarantee of citizenship for all persons born in the United States, the right to seek asylum, the refugee resettlement system, and the LGBTQ+ community, among others. NAPABA swiftly condemned these actions, which ran counter to our values. Since then, the federal government has enacted a slew of policies, which have already drawn significant concern for the rule of law, in addition to attacks on lawful diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives both within the federal government and the private sector.  

When it comes to our values, our words of disagreement are not enough. NAPABA is charged to promote justice and equity for the AANHPI community. My team is closely monitoring developments from the federal government, and we are working with stakeholders, coalition partners, policymakers, and others to respond appropriately.

NAPABA is prepared to act. I have outlined below, in broad strokes, our intended course of action and how you can get involved. In the coming weeks and months, and with your partnership, we plan to meaningfully support our community and actively counter policies that detrimentally affect the AANHPI community.

I. Direct Support for NAPABA Affiliates and National Associates

NAPABA stands ready to deliver financial support to our affiliates and national associates for their work in the community. As leaders in their respective regions, affiliates and national associates can act as trusted messengers delivering pivotal information and services to their members and broader AANHPI communities. We will prioritize projects that speak to the challenges today: for example, educational seminars on the state of immigration, pro bono initiatives to support heightened immigration needs of the Asian American population, funding language translations for educational materials and resources, and local and state advocacy efforts that align with NAPABA values and positions. To apply for funding, please visit our website.

Building on the work of the NAPABA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force, we plan to create toolkits for our affiliates and national associates. They will include resources to advance the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and immigration resources such as hosting naturalization clinics and the creation of attorney directories that address priority areas like immigration law.

II. NAPABA Engagement with Policymakers

The NAPABA Policy Team leads our engagement with stakeholders and policymakers at the federal and state levels. We advance our policy priorities, whether it be in our opposition to anti-Asian hate and discriminatory alien land law policies to our support for voting rights. Now, as our engagement will necessarily go deeper, we are investing in an expansion of our Policy Team.  

Plus, the planning is well underway for our upcoming Lobby Day, which is scheduled for May 20-21, 2025, in Washington, DC. As the largest AANHPI advocacy effort on Capitol Hill, NAPABA Lobby Day will bring our members from across the Nation to the halls of Congress to demonstrate not only the strength of our community, but also to advance the critical issues facing the AANHPI community. Our members will meet with Congressional offices on both sides of the aisle to highlight the causes important to us and our communities. Your voice is pivotal. For more information on Lobby Day and to register, please visit our website.

III. Narrative Change and Education
In the coming weeks and months, NAPABA will highlight how recent actions from the federal government not only impact our communities, but also the critical role that the AANHPI communities played in the development of the rights that we cherish today. Whether it be on birthright citizenship, the right to asylum and the refugee resettlement program, or the barriers that our community faces in the legal profession, NAPABA will uplift those stories and our history, which are intertwined with the fabric of American life today. Please be on the lookout through our social media channels, our website, and email for additional educational resources and programming. These efforts will be on top of the multitude of informative programs during the Nation’s largest convening of legal professionals: the NAPABA Convention in Denver, Colorado, on November 6-8, 2025.

NAPABA has an exceptionally talented and enthusiastic full-time staff, but we cannot carry out our work without you. The strength of NAPABA is comprised of passionate and energetic volunteers like you. As I mentioned above, here are some ways where you can get involved:

  1. Submit a CLE Program Proposal for the 2025 NAPABA Convention. Submission. deadline is March 14, 2025.
  2. Register and participate in NAPABA Lobby Day on May 20-21, 2025.
  3. Join a NAPABA Committee and Network to engage with professionals in your practice area or who share your affinity.
  4. Register and attend the 2025 NAPABA Convention. Registration opens in June 2025.

Lastly, we want to hear from you with any suggestions. Please don’t hesitate to email us at [email protected] with your thoughts.

Regardless of the challenges, NAPABA remains focused on the work ahead, and I hope that you will join us in the journey.

Very truly yours,


Priya Purandare
Executive Director

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NAPABA Applauds the Nominations of Nusrat Choudhury, Robert S. Huie and Nina Y. Wang to U.S. District Courts

WASHINGTON –Today [January 19th], the Biden administration announced the nominations of three AAPIs to the following U.S. District Courts: Nusrat Choudhury to the Eastern District of New York, Robert S. Huie to the Southern District of California, and Judge Nina Wang to the District of Colorado.

“NAPABA applauds the Biden administration for honoring its commitment to nominate a more representative judiciary,” said A.B. Cruz III, Acting President of NAPABA. “To date, there are a total 45 AAPI Article III judges, ten of whom were confirmed within President Biden’s first year in office.

“Ms. Choudhury, Mr. Huie and Judge Wang have impeccable careers, serving our nation in government and civil rights. We thank Senators Schumer, Feinstein, Bennet, Gillibrand, Padilla and Hickenlooper for recommending them and NAPABA urges the Senate to quickly confirm them.”

Nusrat Choudhury is the Roger Pascal Legal Director at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois where she oversees a team advancing civil rights and civil liberties. She has more than a decade of experience advocating for underserved communities in her previous roles at the ACLU Foundation in New York. Choudhury clerked for the Honorable Barrington D. Parker of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and for the Honorable Denise Cote of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. She received her B.A. from Columbia University, M.P.A. from Princeton University and J.D. from Yale Law School. If confirmed, Choudhury would be the first Bangladeshi American to serve as an Article III judge.

Robert S. Huie is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of California where he served as deputy chief of the Major Frauds and Public Corruption Section. He has also served in the U.S. Department of Justice as a resident legal advisor and diplomat in the U.S. Embassies in North Africa and Eastern Europe. He currently serves as counsel at Jones Day San Diego. Huie clerked for the Honorable José A. Cabranes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and is a graduate of Calvin College and Yale Law School.

Judge Nina Y. Wang is a U.S. magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. Previously, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Colorado and was a partner at Faegre Baker Daniels LLP. Judge Wang clerked for the Honorable Peter J. Messitte of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland and is a graduate of Washington University and Harvard Law School. Active in the AAPI community, Judge Wang is a recipient of NAPABA’s Best Under 40 Award and served as president of NAPABA’s Colorado affiliate APABA Colorado.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), represents the interests of over 60,000 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 APA 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.
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NAPABA Congratulates Regina M. Rodriguez and Zahid N. Quraishi on their Historic Confirmations by the U.S. Senate as United States District Court Judges

WASHINGTON – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) congratulates Regina M. Rodriguez and Zahid N. Quraishi on their historic confirmations by the U.S. Senate as United States District Court Judges.

Rodriguez will become the first Asian Pacific American (APA) judge to sit on the District Court for the District of Colorado, and the first to serve as an Article III judge within the 10th Circuit.  Quraishi, already a federal magistrate judge, will become the first APA to serve as a district court judge in New Jersey and the first Muslim American Article III judge in the country.

“Regina Rodriguez and Zahid Quraishi represent the promise of justice, equity, and opportunity that is so critical for the success of our federal judiciary,” said A.B. Cruz III, President of NAPABA. “NAPABA applauds the Senate for the strong bipartisan confirmation of these two highly qualified and experienced nominees.” 

Regina M. Rodriguez has a distinguished reputation as one of Colorado’s most accomplished attorneys with deep experience in both the public and private sectors and a demonstrated commitment to serving the public interest. Rodriguez served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado, rising to become Deputy Chief and later Chief of the Civil Division, where she oversaw all civil litigation for the District.  She was the youngest person and the first of Japanese and Mexican descent to hold that role. She received her J.D. from the University of Colorado School of Law and her B.S. with honors from the University of Iowa. Rodriguez is endorsed by NAPABA’s affiliate, the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Colorado. 

Judge Quraishi has a distinguished legal career with extensive experience as a prosecutor, in the private sector, and serving his country in uniform. In 2019, Judge Quraishi was appointed as a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of New Jersey. His previous government service includes over five years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey and as a decorated military prosecutor with the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Judge Quraishi is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. He received a J.D. from Rutgers Law School in Newark. Quraishi is endorsed by NAPABA’s affiliate, the Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey. 

NAPABA thanks President Biden for nominating Rodriguez, Quraishi, and other highly qualified judicial candidates to the federal bench.

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) in the largest Asian Pacific American membership organization representing the interests of approximately 60,000 legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American 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 color in the legal profession.

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Collaborative Bar Leadership Academy | Apply Now!

Collaborative Bar Leadership Academy

Application Deadline: April 5, 2019 at 4 p.m. CST

Apply Here

Apply for the seventh annual Collaborative Bar Leadership Academy (CBLA) in Denver, Colorado from June 23 to 25, 2019. The CBLA is a collaborative effort among the American Bar Association, Hispanic National Bar Association, National Bar Association, National Native American Bar Association, and NAPABA. The CBLA will strengthen the pipeline of diverse bar association leaders through leadership training and professional development programs.

The CBLA is intended for up-and-coming bar leaders who have been in practice for 5-15 years and have served as officers of a NAPABA affiliate and/or chair/co-chair of a NAPABA committee.

Deadline | Apply by Wednesday, April 5

The application can be accessed here.

Applicants will be asked to submit a brief essay of 250-500 words, a CV/resume, and two letters of recommendation.

Questions?

More information about the program can be found on the CBLA website. Please contact CBLA Steering Committee members Gary Zhao ([email protected]), Greg Schwartz ([email protected]), Kristin Haugen ([email protected]) and Marianne Chow Newman ([email protected]) with any questions.

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