Tag: NAPABA

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Support the Multilingual Voter Hotline for the 2026 Election

Bilingual Legal Volunteers Needed
Volunteer remotely during early voting and on Election Day to help ensure voters can access election information in their preferred language.

Why Volunteer?
Our partners at Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) and

Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC are recruiting bilingual volunteers with legal backgrounds to support the 888-API-VOTE Asian Language Voter Hotline for the 2026 Election.

Volunteer service hours may be eligible to satisfy pro bono requirements for legal professionals. Eligibility is subject to the rules of your jurisdiction and/or employer. Please consult the applicable requirements for more information.

Languages Needed

  • Bengali
  • Cantonese
  • Hindi
  • Urdu
  • Korean
  • Mandarin
  • Punjabi
  • Tagalog
  • Vietnamese

Volunteer Responsibilities
As a hotline volunteer, you will:

  • Answer live calls from voters during early voting and on Election Day
  • Help voters locate polling places and access election resources
  • Document calls in the hotline tracking system
  • Report emerging issues to hotline captains
  • Receive support from experienced hotline captains throughout every shift

No previous hotline experience is required.
Training is available on demand after you register, and all volunteers—including returning volunteers—must complete the training and sign the Volunteer Code of Conduct before serving.

Volunteer Schedule

Early Voting (October 15 – November 2)

  • Weekdays: 12:00 – 3:00 pm ET
  • Weekends: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm ET

Election Day (Tuesday, November 3)

  • 8:45 am – 1:00 pm ET
  • 12:45 pm – 5:00 pm ET
  • 4:45 pm – 9:00 pm ET

Sign Up to Volunteer

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NAPABA Welcomes 2026-27 NAPABA Board of Governors

NAPABA is proud to announce the 2026-27 Board of Governors, who will be sworn in during the 2026 NAPABA Convention in Los Angeles.

Our NAPABA community thrives because of dedicated members who step into leadership roles across the organization. From the national Board of Governors to our affiliate leaders, substantive committees, affinity networks, and professional development programs, NAPABA’s impact is fueled by the vision, energy, and service of our volunteers.

We are grateful for all of our leaders and their commitment to advancing NAPABA’s mission and strengthening the AANHPI legal community.

If you are interested in serving and shaping the future of NAPABA, please contact Priya Purandare to learn more.

2026-27 NAPABA Board of Governors

Executive Committee
President | Jason DeJonker, Seyfarth Shaw LLP

President-Elect | Sapna Palla, White & Case LLP

Treasurer | Arlene Yang, Center for Employment Opportunities, Inc.

Secretary | Brian Wong, ServiceNow, Inc.

Immediate Past President | Joseph Yao, Retired

Executive Director | Priya Purandare, Ex-Officio, NAPABA

Regional Governors
Central | Beth Olivera, Cozen O’Connor

Central California | Jason Liang, Liang Ly LLP

Eastern California/Nevada | Glicel Sumagaysay, Law Office of Glicel Sumagaysay

Northeast | Alan Y. Wong, KabaFusion

Northeast | Jack Yu, Fasken

Northern California | Raymond Rollan, State Bar of California

Northwest | Lily Zhang, Owen Bird Law Corporation

Southeast | Onchantho Am, University of Central Florida

Southern California | Julie Houth, Thomas Jefferson School of Law

Southwest | Phil Kim, Jackson Walker LLP

At-Large Board Members
Benes Aldana, Judicial Pathways and Leadership Strategies, LLC

Kainoa Asuega, Crowell & Moring

Anushree Bagrodia, Starbucks

Phil Bautista, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP

Vishal Chander, The Chander Law Firm, P.C.

Eemaan Jalili, Jalili Law PC

Eugene Kim, Vanguard Cleaning System

Alicia Limtiaco, Former Attorney General of Guam & U.S. Attorney for Guam and NMI

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NAPABA Statement in Response to DHS Tipline and Condemning Racial Profiling

For Immediate Release:
September 15, 2026		Contact
[email protected]

WASHINGTON – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) condemns the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s use of certain irresponsible and potentially dangerous promotions for a new tipline for reporting suspected commercial driver’s license fraud. The federal government has chosen to advance this initiative by, among other things, calling on the public to “report illegal aliens on American roads” and using racist imagery that targets the Sikh community and those of Asian descent. These actions invite turning a government tipline into a vehicle for racial profiling.

NAPABA has long and unequivocally opposed racial profiling and actions that cast suspicion on entire communities because of their race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin. The federal government should be working to prevent such discrimination, not creating conditions that invite it. The South Asian and broader Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities should not have to fear being reported to federal authorities, investigated, or harassed simply because of who they are, how they look, or where someone assumes they are from. The government ought to immediately cease this stigmatizing campaign and ensure that its actions do not amount to impermissible racial and national origin profiling.

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2026 NAPABA Awards: Announcing the Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award Honorees

The Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award is NAPABA’s highest honor, celebrating the outstanding achievements of lawyers whose leadership and dedication have left a profound mark on both the legal profession and the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community. This lifetime achievement award recognizes those whose vision, courage, and commitment have opened doors and paved the way for future generations of attorneys.

Trailblazers are leaders who have not only excelled in their practice but have also made enduring contributions to advancing equity, opportunity, and justice within the legal community and beyond.

NAPABA is honored to celebrate the 2026 Trailblazer Award recipients and their extraordinary impact at this year’s NAPABA Convention in Los Angeles.

Alicia Garrido Limtiaco, Esq.
Former Attorney General of Guam & U.S. Attorney for Guam and NMI, NAPABA At-Large Board Member, ABA Representative to UN ECOSOC

Alicia Limtiaco’s distinguished career in public service has been marked by historic firsts and an enduring commitment to justice, representation, and the communities she serves. She made history as the first woman elected Attorney General of Guam and later as the first woman appointed United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Throughout her career, Alicia has championed protections for vulnerable communities, including efforts addressing family violence, human trafficking, child exploitation, civil rights, and public safety. Her leadership has also brought the experiences and perspectives of Pacific and Indigenous communities to national and international forums. Within the AANHPI legal community, Alicia broke another barrier as the first Pacific Islander and first attorney from Guam to serve on NAPABA’s Board of Governors, helping ensure that Pacific Islander voices have a place in national legal leadership.

The Honorable Elwood Lui
Administrative Presiding Justice, California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District

Justice Elwood Lui’s more than five decades of service have left an enduring mark on California’s judiciary and AANHPI legal community, opening doors and building institutions for generations of attorneys and judges. In 1981, he became the first Chinese American appellate judge in California and later became the first Asian American to serve as Administrative Presiding Justice of any California Court of Appeal. His influence extends well beyond his own historic appointments. Justice Lui co-founded the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association in 1975 and founded the California Asian Pacific American Judges Association in 1981, creating institutions that have supported and connected generations of AANHPI attorneys and judicial officers. Throughout his career on the bench, in private practice, in public service, and as an educator and mentor, Justice Lui has consistently opened doors that were previously closed to Asian American attorneys and judges and helped build the infrastructure for future generations to lead.

Hugh H. Mo
Founder & Principal, The Law Firm of Hugh H. Mo, P.C. (“Mo Law”)
Hugh H. Mo has spent nearly five decades shaping Asian American representation in law, government, and civic life through a career marked by historic firsts, institution-building, and service to his community. He broke significant barriers as the first Asian American Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and later as the first Asian American Deputy Commissioner in Charge of Trials for the New York City Police Department, becoming, at the time, the highest-ranking Asian American official in New York City government. Just as significant has been his commitment to creating opportunities and institutions for those who followed. Hugh co-founded the Asian American Bar Association of New York, the Chinatown Health Clinic, now the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, and the NYPD Asian American Police Executives Council. Throughout his career, he has paired professional achievement with sustained civic leadership, mentorship, and advocacy, leaving an enduring legacy within New York’s AANHPI legal community and beyond.

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NLF Calls for Student Volunteers and Volunteer Judges for Regional 2026 Judge Thomas Tang and Dr. Pearl Tang Moot Court Competition

The NAPABA Law Foundation (NLF) is calling for volunteers for its annual Judge Thomas Tang and Dr. Pearl Tang Moot Court (TTMC) Competition. This competition was founded in 1993 and is named in honor of the late Honorable Thomas Tang, who served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for more than eighteen years. In honor of Judge Tang and his wife Dr. Pearl Tang, this appellate advocacy competition aims to help law students develop advocacy skills and to foster legal talent of the future.

The in-person regional round will take place at the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York City on October 9, 2026. The online regional round will take place on October 17, 2026. Top teams from both regional rounds will advance to the National Competition, held at the NAPABA Convention in Los Angeles, CA, on November 13-14, 2026.

Click here for the bailiff volunteer sign up.

Click here for the general volunteer sign up.

Click here for the judge volunteer sign up (eligible for New York CLE credits).

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Registration is Now Open for the Judge Thomas Tang and Dr. Pearl Tang Moot Court Competition

From scholarships and fellowships to the annual Thomas Tang Moot Court Competition, the NAPABA Law Foundation offers many ways to advance your career and deepen your connection to the legal community.

Two important deadlines are coming up. Be sure to mark your calendars:

Judge Thomas Tang and Dr. Pearl Tang Moot Court (TTMC) Competition
Registration Deadline: September 10, 2026

Sponsored annually by the NAPABA Law Foundation, the TTMC appellate advocacy competition helps law students develop advocacy skills and fosters future legal talent.

Learn More & Register

Fall Scholarships
Application Deadline: September 23, 2026

Scholarships are awarded nationwide to law students who demonstrate a commitment to serving or contributing to the Asian Pacific American community as future leaders. Check out the opportunities available!

Learn More & Apply

Don’t miss your chance to take the next step.

To the attorneys, judges, and legal professionals in our network: share this email with law students in your network. A single message from you could open the door to a defining moment in their career.

Let’s lift up the next generation together.

Visit the NAPABA Law Foundation website for more information and to apply today.

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2026-27 NAPABA Elections: Now Accepting Candidate Endorsements

The Governance, Elections, and Nominations (GEN) Committee is pleased to present for your consideration the following Officer candidates for 2026-27. The GEN Committee has approved candidates who have demonstrated leadership capabilities, are passionate about NAPABA’s mission, and who have skill sets and perspectives that align with NAPABA’s strategies, goals, and needs—not just now, but into the future. In preparation for exercising your right to vote, the GEN Committee encourages you to take the time to consider each candidate’s vision for NAPABA and the diversity of the Board as a whole.

We thank each of the candidates for their willingness to serve the organization and the community.

2026-27 NAPABA Board of Governors | Officer Candidates

Candidate for President-Elect

Sapna Palla

Candidate for Treasurer

Arlene Yang

Candidate for Secretary

Brian Wong

About Endorsements

The GEN Committee believes that the active participation of member affiliates and individuals is essential to a vibrant and diverse organization. The GEN Committee encourages the engagement of NAPABA’s members in the nomination and election process. For these reasons, the GEN Committee desires to facilitate the ability of members to inform other members of candidate qualifications and support candidates through endorsements, advertisements, articles, etc. NAPABA supports the use of endorsements in the nomination and election process that determines NAPABA leadership for future years.

Click here to view the candidates’ statements and biographies, including information on how to submit an endorsement. Any NAPABA member in good standing may endorse. Any bar association that is a NAPABA affiliate in good standing may endorse any candidate with confirmation of such endorsement provided by the current president of the bar association. NAPABA will accept endorsements through August 31 at 8 pm ET.

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NAPABA Statement in Response to Second Executive Order Restricting Birthright Citizenship

For Immediate Release:Contact:
August 7, 2026[email protected]

WASHINGTON – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) strongly opposes the Administration’s renewed effort to undermine the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship.  In an executive order issued yesterday, and just over a month after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a previous executive order limiting birthright citizenship, the Administration purports to create additional categories of children born on American soil who would be denied birthright citizenship based solely on the status of their parents.

The law is clear. Under Trump v. Barbara, 609 U.S. ____ (2026), children born in the United States—even to parents unlawfully or temporarily present—are subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and are citizens at birth.  The Supreme Court recognized longstanding yet narrow exceptions to this rule, which include those born to foreign diplomats or invading armies. In reaffirming birthright citizenship, the Court upheld United States v. Wong Kim Ark, 169 U.S. 649 (1898), which rejected consideration of the status of the parents outside of the narrow exceptions.

Yesterday’s executive order attempts to unilaterally expand the categories of children ineligible for birthright citizenship.  It would, among other things, deny citizenship to children born to parents employed by a foreign government or designated as an “alien enemy,” a term that invokes the spectrum of historical injustices during World War II when the federal government removed and incarcerated approximately 120,000 individuals of Japanese ancestry.

Since last year, NAPABA and a large coalition of its affiliated bar associations from across the country defended birthright citizenship in the lower federal courts and the Supreme Court. In several amicus briefs, we highlighted how the past generations of Asian Americans faced discrimination, exclusion, and loyalty-based suspicion, yet their American-born children—including, as another amicus curiae argued, children of parents designated as “enemy aliens”—were nonetheless recognized as citizens at birth.

NAPABA will remain vigilant and stands ready to ensure that the Fourteenth Amendment’s promise of citizenship to all persons born in the United States, regardless of the stature or circumstances of their parents, is kept.

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APALA-NJ, SABA-NJ, and NAPABA Applaud the Enactment of the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act of New Jersey

For Immediate Release:
August 6, 2026		Contact:
[email protected]

WASHINGTON – As we commemorate the 61st anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey (APALA-NJ), the South Asian Bar Association of New Jersey (SABA-NJ), and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) applaud the recent enactment of the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act of New Jersey. As one of the most comprehensive state-level voting rights laws in the country, the Act strengthens and enhances language access rights for all New Jersey voters, which includes a large and growing Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) population.

As we collectively noted in our written testimony to the New Jersey Legislature, New Jersey is one of the most diverse states in the country, which is due in large part to the AANHPI communities in the state.  AANHPIs—the fastest growing demographic group in the country—make up more than 11% of the state’s residents.  New Jersey is home to the nation’s fourth largest Asian American population, accounting for an 83% share of the state’s overall growth over the past two decades.

Barriers to voting, however, persist for the Asian American population.  Approximately one third of all Asian Americans in this country are limited English proficient, with over 100 distinct languages and dialects spoken amongst over 50 AANHPI ethnic groups.  

The Act, which builds on the language access provisions of Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act, strengthens and enhances language rights for Asian American communities in New Jersey.  It represents one of the strongest language access protections for voters in the country.  At a time when the federal government has removed certain language access guarantees in the delivery of critical federal services, New Jersey’s choice to improve meaningful access to the ballot box for limited English proficient voters is a welcome action for the AANHPI communities that we serve.

We thank Governor Mikie Sherrill for signing the Act into law.  We also thank the New Jersey Legislature for passing the legislation ahead of this year’s midterm elections along with all of the sponsors and champions of the law.

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NAPABA 2026 Convention: Thursday Specialty Programs

Kick Off Your Convention Experience with NAPABA Specialty Programs!

The Convention Thursday Specialty Programs are intentionally designed to create dedicated spaces for attendees with shared identities, career stages, or professional interests. These programs offer a more intimate, focused environment where you can build meaningful relationships, exchange experiences, and strengthen your network within NAPABA’s community. This year’s Specialty Programs are:

  • Women’s Leadership Workshop
  • International Law Symposium
  • Public Service Network Workshop
  • Solo & Small Firm Boot Camp
  • Young Lawyers Workshop

CLE Information: All Thursday Specialty Programs except for the Young Lawyers Workshop are eligible for continuing legal education.

Registration Information:

  • Thursday Specialty Programs are included in Convention Registration.
  • One-day registration is available for anyone interested in attending only the Thursday Programming.
Register Now

Additional Thursday Activities

The Thursday Specialty Programs is just the beginning of Thursday’s activities. The NAPABA Village, our reimagined exhibit hall opens at 11 am. After an afternoon of learning and exploring the village, join us at the NAPABA Welcome Reception and Best Under 40s Awards Celebration. Our welcome reception is followed by NAPABA Committee and Network receptions.

See Full Agenda

Not a Member Yet or Need to Renew?

Your membership pays for itself. Members save up to $675 on Convention registration, receive early access to registration and the hotel block, and unlock exclusive year-round professional development, leadership, and networking opportunities. Join or renew now.  

Become a NAPABA member and enjoy savings that go beyond the cost of membership!

Join or Renew Today

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