In anticipation of the program’s tenth year, the NAPABA Prospective Partners Program (PPP) is inviting candidate applications and nominations for participation in the PPP sessions taking place at the 2019 NAPABA Convention in Austin, TX from Nov. 7-10. The application will close on Aug. 15, 2019.
The PPP aims to increase the number of Asian Pacific American partners at major law firms through introduction, mentorship, and relationship building. Between 2010 and 2018, 72 percent of PPP participants have been promoted to partner or moved to senior in-house positions—84 percent of them within two years of participation! Click here to read their success report.
On June 27, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the Southern District of New York ’s decision to block the addition of the citizenship question to the 2020 Census in Department of Commerce v. New York (18-966) and remanded the case for further proceedings. The Court agreed that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and the Department of Commerce’s rationale for adding a citizenship question to the census was pretextual stating, “the evidence tells a story that does not match the explanation the Secretary gave for his decision.”
Based on the totality of the evidence, the Court’s decision affirms the lower court’s finding of pretext on the part of the Secretary of Commerce. Agencies must “offer genuine justifications for important decisions.” The Commerce Department’s “sole stated” rationale for including the citizenship question—better Voting Rights Act (VRA) enforcement—is “incongruent with what the record reveals.” Overwhelming evidence about the timeline of the Secretary’s decision to add the citizenship question “reveal[s] a significant mismatch between the decision the Secretary made and the rationale he provided.” Accordingly, although the Court recognized the Secretary’s right to add a citizenship question under the Census Act and Constitution, the reasoning provided is not consistent with the review required by administrative law.
The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) both support the decision of the Court in blocking the Department of Commerce from adding their untested citizenship question. In addition to the evidence of intentional discrimination, NAPABA and AALDEF both hope the lower courts will engage in a careful and deliberate reconsideration of the full record, including the newly discovered evidence.
NAPABA President Daniel Sakaguchi said: “We are pleased that the Court ultimately rejected the Department of Commerce’s argument to include the citizenship question as pretextual and ‘contrived.’ Permitting the question to be added would have resulted in a significant undercount of immigrants and communities of color, leading to discriminatory cutbacks in resources and underrepresentation in Congress, in state houses, and in local government. The courts should continue to discredit the post-hoc reasoning of the Administration in its attempts to stop a fair and accurate count. It is incumbent on community leaders and attorneys to ensure that everyone is counted as part of 2020 Census.”
AALDEF Executive Director Margaret Fung said: “We are glad that the Supreme Court agreed with what AALDEF and NAPABA asserted in our joint amicus brief opposing the census citizenship question: that ‘the VRA enforcement rationale—the sole stated reason—seems to have been contrived.’ The government never intended to better enforce the VRA, as reflected in the fact that this administration has not brought any VRA enforcement actions. Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial group in this country and the largest segment of new immigrants. We will continue the fight to ensure that everyone in our country is properly counted in the 2020 Census and that our community receives its fair share of resources and representation.”
NAPABA and AALDEF led sixty-four Asian American and Pacific Islander organizations in filing an amicus brief outlining the negative impacts the addition of the citizenship question would have on the AAPI community, due to the resulting undercount.
NAPABA and AALDEF are grateful to lead pro bono counsel Albert Giang, 2018 Recipient of the NAPABA Pro Bono Award, NAPABA Amicus Committee Co-Chair, and Partner at Boies Schiller Flexner LLP (BSF) in Los Angeles; Miguel A. Gradilla and Ziwei Hu of BSF; NAPABA Amicus Committee Co-Chair, Radha Pathak of Stris & Maher LLP; Meredith Higashi of the NAPABA Civil Rights Committee; Jerry Vattamala and Patricia Yan of AALDEF; and Navdeep Singh and the NAPABA staff for their joint efforts in this case.
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 [email protected], between the hours of 9:30 am – 1:30 pm, until FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 2019.
Accepting Nominations for Officer Candidates and Applications for At-Large Board Members for NAPABA’s 2019-20 Bar Year
The NAPABA Board of Governors consists of nine Officers who are elected by the membership, ten Regional Governors who are chosen by the NAPABA Regions, and four At-Large Board Members who are appointed by the Board of Governors. Now through July 8 at 5 p.m. EDT, the NAPABA Nominating & Elections Committee will be accepting nominations for members who want to stand for election as Officers and applications from members who want to be considered for At-Large Board Member positions.
The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is conducting a survey to assess Asian Pacific American attorney and law student engagement with bar associations and in particular affinity bar associations. The results of the survey will aid NAPABA in measuring our reach and effectiveness and assessing our priorities.
We need a few minutes of your time to complete a survey. Your feedback will help guide us as we strive to further NAPABA’s mission to:
Be the national voice for the Asian Pacific American legal profession;
Promote justice, equity, and opportunity for Asian Pacific Americans; and
Foster professional development, legal scholarship, advocacy, and community involvement.
The survey should take approximately 10-18 minutes to complete. Responses to the survey will be kept strictly confidential. The last day to complete this survey is May 13, 2019.
To show our appreciation to those that complete the survey, we will enter you into a drawing for one of the following prizes:
Complimentary registration for the NAPABA Convention in Austin, Texas from November 7-10, 2019;
Complimentary room upgrade to a Junior Suite at the Convention hotel, JW Marriott Austin; or
One of three $100 Amazon gift cards.
We would greatly appreciate your candid, thoughtful, and detailed responses.
Should you have any questions about the survey or need help completing it, please contact [email protected]
NAPABA election season has kicked off! Below is information about nominating Officer candidates and applying for At-Large Board Member positions. Please share with your networks!
Remember, you must be a NAPABA direct member OR activate your affiliate membership online by July 1 to be eligible to vote in this year’s elections. Click here to join/renew today.
The NAPABA Board of Governors consists of nine Officers who are elected by the membership, ten Regional Governors who are chosen by the NAPABA Regions, and four At-Large Board Members who are appointed by the Board of Governors. Now through July 8 at 5 p.m. EDT, the NAPABA Nominating & Elections Committee will be accepting nominations for members who want to stand for election as Officers and applications from members who want to be considered for At-Large Board Member positions.
A block of rooms has been reserved at Hotel Alexander at a discounted rate. The room block will be available until July 26 at 5 p.m. ET or until the block has sold out.
The NAPABA Central Regional Conference will include a viewing of the film, And Then They Came For Us, followed later in the evening by special guest speaker George Takei, which will include a book signing of his new book, They Called Us Enemy. Copies will be available at the conference.
Northeast Regional Conference
September 21 Fordham Law School for NYC New York, NY
A block of rooms has been reserved at Empire Hotel at a discounted rate. The room block will be available until Aug. 30 at 5 p.m. ET or until the block has sold out.
NAPABA’s Leadership Advancement Program is a year-long program to develop mid-career Asian Pacific American attorneys’ leadership skills, while providing an opportunity to foster genuine relationships with peers within the profession, especially between in-house counsel (IHC) and law firm attorneys. This year, the first part of the program will be held in Washington D.C. The program will commence with a weekend of team-building and leadership training from Friday, July 19 through midday Sunday, July 21. The first two days will consist of leadership assessments, training on understanding and improving your leadership style, team building, and better understanding your career vision to help support you in pursuing career goals, including addressing the unique hurdles facing Asian Pacific Americans. The last half-day is devoted to launching team-based community projects that will allow participants to forge meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships.
NAPABA’s Leadership Advancement Program (LAP) is distinct from the In-House Counsel Summit (IHC Summit). NAPABA’s LAP is a professional and personal development program for mid-career IHC and law firm attorneys through leadership skills development, candid and open dialogue, and relationship-building. The IHC Summit is offered only to IHCs looking for professional leadership development and opportunities in association with NAPABA 20/20 initiative focused on career advancement for APA in-house counsel.
Applications for NAPABA’s LAP program will be accepted through May 13 at 8:00 p.m. EDT.Apply now!
Enrollment
Enrollment in the program is limited to 24 participants, with an even balance between IHC and law firm attorneys. All NAPABA members are encouraged to apply, although the selection committee will focus on the following criteria this year:
Law firm candidates: this year’s program will prefer candidates with between six and 10 years of experience
In-house candidates: preference for a minimum of three to four years of IHC experience, with six to 10 years of overall practice experience
NAPABA will provide the trainers, program materials, venue, and in-program meals. If accepted, attendees will be expected to commit $100 as a program fee and provide their own travel to Washington, DC and accommodations, if required.
Tentative Schedule
Fri., July 19 Leadership Assessment and Team Building: The program will consist of leadership exercises, assessments, and team-building.
Sat., July 20 Leadership Training: The program will consist of leadership training sessions aimed at helping attorneys achieve the highest level of leadership and success in law firms and corporations.
Sun., July 21 Community Project (Half-day): Participants will design a community project that will encourage team-building and leadership development throughout the year.
Join us for NAPABA’s annual Lobby Day hosted in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. from May 20-21, 2019. This event brings NAPABA members from across the country to meet and discuss with members of Congress and congressional staffers on issues of importance and help promote NAPABA’s mission of advocating for justice, equity, and opportunity for APAs.
Registration | DEADLINE NOW APRIL 25, 2019 Registration includes a webinar training prior to Lobby Day as well as onsite training the day of, so that all participants are prepared for meetings with congressional members and staffers. For more information about the 2019 Lobby Day, visit our page.
Congressional Reception | May 20, 2019 In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May, NAPABA will be hosting a Congressional Reception. The reception will bring together Lobby Day participants, members of Congress and their staff, and leaders in the APA community. This event is open to the the public.
Hotel | RESERVATION DEADLINE EXTENDED to April 25, 2019 The official 2019 Lobby Day hotel, the Hyatt Place Washington DC/National Mall, is at the heart of Washington DC and walking distance of the Federal Center SW Metro Station, and the newly built Wharf.
You may also call Hyatt’s reservations department at 1-800-993-4031 and ask for “NAPABA Group” or Group Code “G-NAPA” Rate: $239 king plus applicable taxes & fees.
If you have any questions about any of the events above, please email Oriene Shin at [email protected].
More 2019 Lobby Day information can be found here.
On April 1, 2019, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), joined by Sixty-four (64) bar associations and AAPI-serving community organizations, submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in Department of Commerce v. New York (18-966) opposing the addition of a proposed citizenship question to the 2020 Census.
In a press release, NAPABA stated:
On April 23, the Supreme Court will hear an appeal in Department of Commerce v. New York (18-966). In January, the Southern District of New York found that the Administration’s decision to add the question was ‘arbitrary’ and ‘capricious,’ and that it violated the Administrative Procedure Act. In a related challenge, California v. Ross, the Northern District of California found the Administration violated the Administrative Procedure Act and the Enumeration Clause of the Constitution. A decision is pending in a third challenge, involving AAPI and Hispanic plaintiffs, in the District of Maryland.
The AAPI organizations urge the Court to uphold the district court’s ruling to enjoin the addition of the citizenship question: Amici agree with the district court ’s finding that the addition of a citizenship question will likely lead to an undercount of noncitizen households of at least 5.8 percent. . . . This chilling of participation in the 2020 Census will have a disproportionate effect on the AAPI community. . . . These heightened concerns for the AAPI community come at a crucial moment, because Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial group in the country and stand to make substantial gains in political representation based on that population growth.
AABANY is pleased to announce that it is a co-signatory to NAPABA’s amicus brief in the Supreme Court opposing the addition of a proposed citizenship question to the 2020 census. The addition of the citizenship question will negatively impact the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. It will depress response rates from Asian Americans, the fastest growing racial group and the largest segment of new immigrants in the country, and impact our ability to protect our rights and ensure political representation.
To read the full press release and the amicus brief, click here.
