Official blog of the Asian American Bar Association of New York
The NAPABA Prospective Partners Program (PPP) aims to increase the number of Asian Pacific American partners at major law firms through introduction, mentorship, and relationship building. In anticipation of the program’s fifth year, the PPP is inviting candidate applications and nominations for participation in PPP sessions taking place during the Convention. Applications are due September 15, 2014.
Click here for more information.
There is still time to submit program proposals for the 26th Annual NAPABA Convention, Convergence: Collaborating for a Grand Tomorrow, taking place in Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ from November 6–9, 2014. Topics that celebrate the diversity and unity of NAPABA and provide practical solutions and advice for our attendees’ development are encouraged.
Please note the extended deadline. Program proposals must be submitted to this online form by 8:00 pm ET on Friday, April 25. The program proposal submission guidelines can be viewed here. Please email NAPABA Special Events Coordinator Pia Rivera with any questions.
Don’t miss out on the 2014 Annual NAPABA Convention! There are many ways to get involved starting now. You can:
For more information on the Convention, including how to make your room reservation at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa, click here.
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.
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
1612 K Street NW, Suite 1400
Washington, DC 20006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 12, 2013
Contact: Azizah Ahmad
(202) 775-9555
NAPABA BESTOWS SPECIAL HONORS AT 25TH ANNUAL CONVENTION
WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) honored individual and law firm recipients of its annual awards at its 25th Annual Convention in Kansas City, MO, on Nov. 7-10, 2013. The awards bestowed were the Senator Daniel K. Inouye NAPABA Trailblazer Award, Best Lawyers Under 40 Award, President’s Award, Women’s Leadership Award, Affiliate of the Year, APA-Owned Law Firm of the Year, and Law Firm Diversity Award.
The Trailblazer Award, which is NAPABA’s highest honor, recognizes individuals who have demonstrated vision, courage, and tenacity, and who have made substantial and lasting contributions to the Asian Pacific American (APA) legal profession, as well as to the broader APA community. On Friday, November 8, 2013, NAPABA held a special ceremony to rename the Trailblazer Award in honor of the late Senator Daniel K. Inouye and presented the 2013 Senator Daniel K. Inouye NAPABA Trailblazer Award to the following recipients:
The 2013 Best Lawyers Under 40 Awards were presented at NAPABA’s Anniversary Gala and Celebration Dinner on November 9, 2013. This award recognizes talented APA attorneys under the age of 40 who have achieved prominence in the practice of law while demonstrating an unwavering dedication to the APA community. NAPABA proudly announces the 2013 Best Lawyers Under 40 Award recipients:
NAPABA Past President Paul O. Hirose was honored with the 2013 President’s Award for his continued dedication to NAPABA and the broader APA community, and, in particular, for his work in fighting human trafficking.
This year, J. Weili Cheng, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC, was awarded the 2013 Women’s Leadership Award for her significant contributions to the advancement of women in the legal profession.
The 2013 Affiliate of the Year Award was presented to the Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts. This award was established to recognize outstanding local NAPABA affiliates and their best practices and accomplishments in their respective local communities.
The 2013 Law Firm Diversity Award honors law firms that recruit and retain APA lawyers and promote them to equity partnership and firm leadership. The award celebrates law firm successes in recognizing the potential, supporting the promise, and raising the influence of APA lawyers. The recipients of the inaugural Law Firm Diversity Award were:
Last year, NAPABA established the APA-Owned Law Firm of the Year Award to recognize law firms that have achieved prominence and distinction in the legal profession while advancing the goals and ideals of NAPABA and APA legal advocacy groups. The award celebrates law practices that embrace the APA community while maintaining the highest ethical and legal standards in our profession. The 2013 APA-Owned Law Firm of the Year Award was presented to Kobre & Kim LLP.
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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 67 national, 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.
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
1612 K Street NW, Suite 1400
Washington, DC 20006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 13, 2013
Contact: Azizah Ahmad
(202) 775-9555
NAPABA CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION
WASHINGTON — Over 1,200 Asian Pacific American (APA) judges, attorneys, law professors, and law students attended the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) 25th Annual Convention in Kansas City, MO, from November 7-10, 2013. The Annual Convention’s MOmentum theme highlighted and celebrated the monumental achievements of APA attorneys over the past 25 years at the highest levels of the legal profession while also encouraging attendees to collaborate for future progress and successes.
The four-day convention included an annual International Law Symposium, Pro Bono & Public Interest Summit, and over 50 panels and plenaries with some of the brightest minds in the legal profession. Special events included a lunch plenary with special guests Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Representative Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI), who talked about their experiences as APA women in Congress. The Convention’s sold-out annual basketball tournament tested the talents of attorneys and law students against the Benchwarmers—an all-star line-up of APA judicial luminaries, including Judge Denny Chin of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Justice Goodwin Liu of the California Supreme Court.
The Honorable Sri Srinivasan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit gave the keynote address during the 25th Anniversary Gala and Installation Dinner on Saturday, November 9, 2013. During the Gala, Judge Alok Ahuja of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District swore in the following members of the 2013-2014 NAPABA Board of Governors:
Executive Committee
President: William J. Simonitsch, Partner, K&L Gates LLP
President-Elect: George C. Chen, Partner, Bryan Cave LLP
Vice President for Communications: Cyndie M. Chang, Partner, Duane Morris LLP
Vice President for Finance & Development: Alexander M. Lee, Principal, Law Offices of Alexander M. Lee
Vice President for Membership: Brad Yamauchi, Partner, Minami Tamaki LLP
Vice President for Programs and Operations: Jin Y. Hwang, Assistant General Counsel, Verizon Enterprise Solutions
Secretary: Tacie Yoon, Associate, Crowell & Moring LLP
Treasurer: Pankit J. Doshi, Associate, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
Immediate Past President: Wendy C. Shiba, retired (former Executive VP, General Counsel & Secretary, KB Home)
Regional Governors
Central Region: David S. Kim, Attorney, Armstrong Teasdale LLP
Northeast Region: Judy H. Kim, Associate Counsel, New York Liquidation Bureau
Northeast Region: Sophia Lee, Chief Counsel – Litigation, Sunoco, Inc.
Northwest Region: Trung D. Tu, Partner, McEwen Gisvold LLP
Southeast Region: John Truong, Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia
Southwest Region: Eileen Sullivan, Principal, Sullivan Law Firm, PC
Northern California Region: Quyen Ta, Partner, Keker & Van Nest LLP
Eastern California/Nevada Region: Marlo Nisperos, Deputy District Attorney, Solano County District Attorney Office
Central California Region: Audra Mori, Partner, Perkins Coie
Southern California Region: Lloyd S. Costales, Partner, Page, Lobo, Costales & Preston, A.P.C.
At-Large Members
Curtis Hom, Principal, Innova Legal Group, PLLC
Steven Y. Reeves, Partner, Faegre Baker Daniels LLP
Janet Shih Hajek, Of Counsel, Holland & Hart LLP
Marla Tun Reschly, Of Counsel, Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Please join us next year in Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ, from November 6-9, 2014, for the 26th Annual NAPABA Convention, Convergence.
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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 67 national, 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.
NAPABA encourages prospective law students to register for the National Asian Pacific American Pre-Law Conference hosted by NAPABA. The Conference will be held on Saturday, November 9, during the Annual Convention and is open to all prospective law students regardless of age, race, background, goals, and experience. The Conference welcomes Annual Convention attendees’ family members, and any other prospective law students who may have an interest in learning more about law school and a JD degree. There is no cost to attend but registration is required. Interested prospective students can learn more on the Convention website and register by clicking here. Limited travel stipends are available to participants traveling from outside the area. Apply for a stipend before October 11 by clicking here.
This year’s theme – “Momentum” – bespeaks our goal of highlighting and celebrating the monumental achievements of APA attorneys over the past 25 years at the highest levels of our profession while simultaneously inspiring and encouraging attendees to collaborate for future successes.
Join us for a series of remarkable events at the 25th Annual NAPABA Convention in Kansas City, MO, from November 7-10, 2013! Register today through Monday, September 23, to take advantage of the extended early bird discount rates.
We look forward to seeing you in November! For registration and more information, please visit: 2013convention.napaba.org.