NAPABA is committed to having a governing board that reflects the breadth of the AANHPI legal community and brings together the right blend of skills, expertise, and community connections. We value a culture that welcomes a wide range of perspectives and empowers leaders to engage with each other and the community in meaningful ways—building trust, increasing transparency, and maximizing impact.
The NAPABA membership elected the following individuals to serve on the 2025-26 NAPABA Board of Governors. Join us in welcoming these leaders.
2025 NAPABA President’s Award Recipient: Susman Godfrey LLP
WASHINGTON — The 2025 National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) President’s Award will be presented to Susman Godfrey LLP. The award recognizes the firm’s steadfast commitment to uplift the legal profession and the rule of law in the United States.
The NAPABA President’s Award is given annually to individuals or entities who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to NAPABA and the broader legal community.
“I am proud to confer the President’s Award to Susman Godfrey LLP,” said NAPABA President Thy Bui. “As both a legal professional and civil rights organization with a core commitment to diversity and upholding the rule of law, NAPABA knows the vital importance of standing up against the wave of attacks against the legal community and upholding our values. Susman Godfrey LLP not only shares our commitment but also lives it. I am thrilled to commend the firm for its unwavering focus to defend the legal profession and the rule of law when it mattered the most.”
Susman Godfrey LLP challenged the executive order, and in June 2025, the firm succeeded when the District Court permanently enjoined the executive order. The court found that the executive order amounted to “unlawful retaliation…for activities that are protected by the First Amendment, including [the firm’s] representation of certain clients…and its expression of its beliefs regarding diversity.” An independent judiciary, as the court recognized, presumes an “informed, independent bar,” which is a “necessity for the rule of law.”
We agree. The firm, in advancing those principles, currently represents the American Bar Association in a lawsuit against the current Administration that challenges the unwarranted attacks against lawyers and law firms.
NAPABA congratulates Susman Godfrey LLP as this year’s recipient of the NAPABA President’s Award, which will be bestowed on Friday, November 7, 2025, during the President’s and Trailblazer Awards Reception at the 2025 NAPABA Convention in Denver, Colorado.
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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 over 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.
Deadline June 30 The Nominations and Elections Subcommittee is accepting nominations for Officer and Director candidates and applications for At-Large Board Member candidates for the 2022-23 NAPABA Board of Governors.
As the nation’s largest Asian Pacific American membership organization, NAPABA continues to grow exponentially—maturity, stature, and staff. The NAPABA Board of Governors is an oversight and governing body committed to the mission and purpose of NAPABA. The governing Board of 23 and national staff of nine complement and support each other—together focused on NAPABA’s mission through different perspectives and actions.
NAPABA is committed to having a governing board that reflects the diverse Asian Pacific American legal community and has the right blend of skill, expertise, community connections, and diverse perspectives as a whole. We seek outstanding individuals of high character and integrity with proven leadership and board governance skills and who have demonstrated a strong commitment to NAPABA. The deadline for Officer and Director nominations and At-Large Board Member applications is June 30, 2022 at 8:00 pm ET.
To be considered for a NAPABA Officer, Director, or At-Large position, candidates must be a current individual member in good standing as of the date that the nominations or applications are submitted.
In order to vote in the 2022-23 NAPABA Elections, you must be licensed to practice law in the United States or Canada (or have previously been licensed and now retired) and you must have activated your membership with NAPABA on or before July 1, 2022 at 11:59 PM ET. To check your status, please email membership@napaba.org.
On June 12 2020, the Membership Committee hosted their weekly Zoom Membership Mixer, with 19 participants in attendance. The icebreaker question posed to the participants was: “What is a motivational or inspirational moment or story that sticks out in your mind?” Members reported some favorite quotes: “I’m not saying I’m gonna change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that will change the world.” (Tupac); “Tomorrow’s world is yours to build.” (Yuri Kochiyama); “The people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.” (Steve Jobs). Other members recalled moments with mentors which stayed with them. One partner told a young associate: “Speak up for what you want, you have to ask.” “There is the argument you prepare, the argument you make and the arguments you wish you made.” “Learn from your mistakes.” “Apply to every scholarship and opportunity and you can reach your goals.”
The Membership Committee previously hosted Monthly Mixers at bars, ballparks, stadiums, operas, etc, but due to COVID, we have moved online to offer members a weekly outlet to share their feelings, see old friends, and make new connections. Mixers start at 6:30pm on Friday and the main event ends at 7:30pm but feel free to stay on after 7:30pm for smaller breakout groups.
This week, after the main mixer, a breakout group of 6 members stayed to discuss the upcoming elections, civil unrest and the latest news.
We are giving away door prizes in some weeks. In order to win, you must be a member and must RSVP on the aabany.org calendar entry to get a raffle number. Non-members can join the Zoom mixer but won’t be eligible to win a prize. Congratulations to Chris Kwok for winning a PBS Passport subscription this week!
To be eligible to vote in this year’s NAPABA elections, you must be a current direct NAPABA member OR activate your NAPABA affiliate membership online by July 1, 2019.
AABANY is a NAPABA affiliate, and if you are an AABANY member you are eligible for free NAPABA affiliate membership but you must activate it for it to be effective. For directions on how to activate your NAPABA affiliate membership in time to vote, please contact Margaret Langston at margaret.langston@aabany.org, between the hours of 9:30 am – 1:30 pm, until FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 2019.
AABANY thanks everyone who submitted nominations for the election taking place at the Annual Meeting scheduled for February 13, 2019. We did not receive any qualified submissions for the position of Secretary and therefore it was marked as vacant for the meeting. The Board will fill this vacancy pursuant to Section 7.05 of the bylaws. If you are interested in applying for the Secretary position, please submit your nomination materials by no later than 5:00 PM on Wednesday, March 6. Note that you may be meeting with the Nominations Committee on March 13, in the evening, so please save the date.
As set forth in the Bylaws, section 5.4 (f):
The Secretary shall:(i) be the recording secretary of the Board, shall act as clerk, record all votes and prepare the minutes of all Board, Special and Annual meetings; (ii) prepare all correspondence to inform the Members and the Board as to the status of all orders, votes and resolutions that call for some action or steps to be taken, give any required notice of all meetings, and inform the Board of all correspondence; (iii) keep the seal of the organization; (iv) safeguard the indemnity insurance of the Association (see Section 4.18); (v) manage and review handbooks and manuals of the Association; and (vi) assist the other Officers in the performance of their respective duties and shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board or by the President.
To apply for this Officer position, please submit:
(i) a statement of interest declaring your intent to run; and
(ii) a current resume, biography or CV listing your experience and accomplishments and any honors received to date.
As part of item (i), please indicate your experience with AABANY if you have been an active member, describing any activities that you have participated in or helped to organize. If you have not been an active member in AABANY, explain what capabilities, resources, talents, skills, expertise, experience or any other contributions you would be able to make as the Secretary. Please also identify any activities indicating a dedication and commitment to issues of importance to the Asian Pacific American community.
You may email your application in Word or PDF to nominations@aabany.org. You may fax your nomination to (718) 228-7206. If you wish to submit by regular mail, it must reach AABANY by no later than close of business, March 6, at the following address: 45 Rockefeller Plaza, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10111.
On Wednesday, February 13, 2019, AABANY held its Annual Meeting of Members at Wachtell Lipton. President James R. Cho called the meeting to order and established quorum. Elections were held for the 2019 Board of Officers & Directors and President James R. Cho presented the Year in Review. President James R. Cho also announced a new initiative to help AABANY law students find summer internship positions.
Executive Director, Yang Chen, presented the report of the Committees and then presented awards honoring several members and committees for their dedication to AABANY over the past year. Immediate Past President Dwight Yoo and President-Elect Brian Song tallied the votes.
The following officers were elected and will begin their term on April 1, 2019:
Sapna Palla President-Elect
Tiffany Miao Vice President, Programs and Operations
David Sohn Vice President, Programs and Operations
Margaret Ling Development Director
William Hao Treasurer
Secretary – Vacant
Beatrice Leong Membership Director
The following candidates were elected as Directors to serve two-year terms starting on April 1, 2019:
Dai Wai Chin Feman
Suzanne Kim
Chris Kwok
Edward Lee
Marianne Chow Newman
Terrence Shen
Andy Yoo
The following awards were presented:
Committee of the Year: The In-House Counsel Committee
For their excellent programming and activities that have benefited AABANY’s members and the community of legal professionals in New York.
Program of the Year: The AABANY Leadership Development Program
For helping to develop future leaders and contributing to the promotion of diversity and inclusion in the legal profession in New York.
Member of the Year: Edwin Kim
For his exemplary record of service and leadership as Co-Chair of the Student Outreach Committee and Labor and Employment Law Committee and in coordinating volunteers for numerous programs and events.
Congratulations to all the officers and directors who were elected to the Board.
Congratulations to all the honorees for the recognition of their achievements and hard work in 2018.
We would like to thank our members for attending and participating in the annual meeting, and we also thank Edward J. Lee and Wachtell Lipton for hosting the meeting in a beautiful space, treating us to a delectable selection of food and light refreshments.
(Thanks to AABANY Program Associate Dave Singh for the write-up and photos.)
AABANY thanks everyone who submitted nominations for the election taking
place at the Annual Meeting scheduled for February 13, 2019. At this
time, we have not received any nominations for the Officer position of
Membership Director. If you are interested in applying for this
position, please submit your nomination materials by no later than 5:00
PM on Friday, December 28.
As set forth in the Bylaws, section 5.4 (g):
The Membership Director shall: (i) receive and process applications or
renewals of membership, and promptly notify acceptance or non-acceptance
of the same; (ii) create and maintain accurate and up-to-date records
of the membership of the Association, including categorizing the Members
into their respective membership categories; (iii) maintain mailing
addresses for each Member and person or organization doing business with
the Association; (iv) advise members when their membership will expire
and request renewal of the same; (v) at the request of the President or
the Board, prepare a list of Members; and (vi) assist the other Officers
in the performance of their respective duties and shall perform such
other duties as may be prescribed by the Board or by the President.
The Membership Director is supported in the above functions by AABANY
staff, and per the bylaws, section 6.05, “shall be the Chair of the
Membership Committee. The Membership Committee shall develop
recommendations for programs and services that will meet the needs of
the membership and encourage new Members to join the Association. The
Membership Committee shall assist with the provision of general
membership functions, such as application, renewal, and notice of
expiration of membership.”
To apply for this Officer position, please submit:
(i) a statement of interest declaring your intent to run; and
(ii) a current resume, biography or CV listing your experience and accomplishments and any honors received to date.
As part of item (i), please indicate your experience with AABANY if you
have been an active member, describing any activities that you have
participated in or helped to organize. If you have not been an active
member in AABANY, explain what capabilities, resources, talents, skills,
expertise, experience or any other contributions the Membership
Director. Please also identify any activities indicating a dedication
and commitment to issues of importance to the Asian Pacific American
community.
You may email your application in Word or PDF to nominations@aabany.org.
You may fax your nomination to (718) 228-7206. If you wish to submit by
regular mail, it must reach AABANY by no later than close of business,
December 28, at the following address:
NAPABA congratulates the newly-elected officers of the NAPABA Board of Governors for the 2018-19 board year. They will be sworn into office at the 30th Anniversary Gala during the 2018 NAPABA Convention in Chicago, IL. The following individuals were elected by the NAPABA membership:
President-Elect | Bonnie Lee Wolf
Vice President for Finance and Development | Courtney Fong*
Vice President for Membership | Alen Hsu
Vice President for Programs and Operations | Charles Jung
Vice President for Communications | Avanti Bakane
Treasurer | Gary Zhao
Secretary | Jeffrey Javinar
*Courtney Fong has withdrawn his candidacy to be Vice President for Finance and Development. You can read a statement from him here. As a result, the Nominating and Elections Committee is accepting nominations for election as the Vice President for Finance and Development of the NAPABA Board of Governors for the 2018-19 term. Submit a nomination here by October 22 at 5 PM. The updated Elections Timeline for this position is included below.
– Oct. 22, 2018: Nominations may be submitted until 5pm ET/2pm PT – Oct. 24, 2018: Vice President for Finance and Development candidates announced and endorsements accepted – Oct. 25, 2018: Election ballot will be distributed to eligible voters by email on this date (Members must have joined or renewed by July 1, 2018, to be eligible to vote.) – Nov. 1, 2018: Candidate endorsements may continue to be submitted until 12pm ET/9am PT on this date. Votes must be cast by 9pm ET/6pm PT on this date in order to be counted – Nov. 2, 2018: Election results will be announced.
The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is holding its 2018-2019 Board of Governors election. The NAPABA Board of Governors makes the organization’s policies for the given year, and consists of nine officers, ten regional governors, and four appointed At-Large Board Members. The responsibilities of board members include, but are not limited to, supporting NAPABA’s mission statement, endorsing NAPABA events and programs, securing financial supporters, and demonstrating the highest standards of integrity and decorum. For a full list of governor responsibilities, click here. With these responsibilities in mind, AABANY endorses the following candidates (whose statements, biographies, and endorsements can be found by clicking their name):
AABANY members who joined or renewed their NAPABA membership by July 1, 2018, are eligible to vote. Ballots have been delivered by email, and must be cast on or before Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2018. If you have any questions, you may contact the NAPABA Nominating & Elections Committee Chair George Chen, george.chen@bclplaw.com, or NAPABA Executive Director Tina Matsuoka, tmatsuoka@napaba.org. For general inquiries, please contact elections@napaba.org.
More information on elections can be found here, and the elections schedule has been reproduced below:
Oct. 9 | Votes must be cast by 9 p.m. EDT/6 p.m. PDT on this date in order to be counted. Questions or concerns about voting and elections may be directed to elections@napaba.org.*
*Staff will be available to assist you throughout the voting period until 5 p.m. EDT/2 p.m. PDT on Oct. 9, 2018, which is several hours before the voting period closes. If you have questions or anticipate a need for assistance, please plan accordingly and contact us in advance of the deadline. No one will be able to assist you during the last few hours of voting. Oct. 11 | Election results will be announced to the membership.
