NAPABA Archives - Page 39 of 75

October 16, 2017

NAPABA Announces Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area as Its 2017 Affiliate of the Year

WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) has selected the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area (AABA) as its 2017 Affiliate of the Year. This award recognizes outstanding NAPABA affiliates for their best practices and accomplishments in their respective communities. AABA is one of over 80 national, state, and local bar associations that are affiliated with NAPABA.

The presentation of the 2017 Affiliate of the Year Award will take place at the 29^th Anniversary Gala during the 2017 NAPABA Convention in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 4, 2017.

Since its inception in 1976 in the San Francisco Bay Area as one of the nation’s first Asian American bar associations, AABA has stood up for justice by coming together as a community and mobilizing its members to defend the civil rights of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) and other minorities. In the early 1980’s, a group of AABA members, including NAPABA Trailblazers Dale Minami, Don Tamaki, and the Honorable Edward Chen, mobilized with others to overturn Fred Korematsu’s conviction. In 2017, AABA redoubled its efforts to protect the rights of APAs and other minorities. The significant work AABA accomplished in 2017 includes, among others:

Leading an immigration and naturalization clinic for communities affected by the immigration Executive Order of early 2017, where AABA trained over 100 volunteers on immigration issues and served more than 50 clients in just a few hours;

Organizing semi-monthly pro bono legal clinics in Oakland and San Francisco, serving over 200 indigent clients, including many APA immigrants; and

Working directly with local and national leaders to urge a District Attorney to investigate the attack on Maan Singh Khalsa in Richmond, California as a hate crime; ultimately, two men were sentenced to three years in prison for felony assault and a hate crime.

Throughout 2017, AABA set out to inspire, equip, and mobilize its over 1,200 members to defend civil rights and to help its members advance to higher positions of influence and leadership within the profession. AABA accomplished this by organizing regular CLEs on hot topics and developing areas in the law, offering training on substantive legal and soft skills tailored for different sectors and career stages, and creating opportunities to actualize these skills through speaking engagements, referrals, clinics, and networking events.

NAPABA is pleased to present its 2017 Affiliate of the Year Award to the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area and congratulates its leaders on a successful year serving their members and community.

For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, at 202-775-9555or [email protected].

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 almost 50,000 attorneys and over 80 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services 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.

To learn more about NAPABA, visit www.napaba.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter (@NAPABA).

October 6, 2017

NAPABA Announces Nassiri & Jung LLP as its 2017 Asian Pacific American-Owned Law Firm of the Year

WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) has named Nassiri & Jung LLP as its 2017 Asian Pacific American-Owned Law Firm of the Year. NAPABA created the Asian Pacific American-Owned Law Firm of the Year Award to recognize Asian Pacific American-owned law firms that have achieved prominence and distinction while maintaining the highest ethical and legal standards in the profession, and have demonstrated a strong commitment to the Asian Pacific American community. The Award also celebrates growing Asian Pacific American ownership and entrepreneurship in the legal marketplace.

The presentation of the 2017 Asian Pacific American-Owned Law Firm of the Year Award will take place at the NAPABA Anniversary Gala during the 2017 NAPABA Convention in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 4, 2017.

Nassiri & Jung was founded in June 2006 by two friends — Kassra Nassiri and Charles Jung — focusing on sophisticated litigation as a small firm for both plaintiffs and defendants. On the plaintiff’s side, Nassiri & Jung has represented attorneys, executives, and classes of workers and consumers, earning several tens of millions of dollars at trial and through settlements. On the defense side, they have represented global companies such as eBay, Hitron Technologies, and Flextronics in multimillion dollar lawsuits.

Nassiri & Jung’s foundation has made it a priority to support pro bono direct legal services to their local and Asian Pacific American communities. Since 2013, they have supported public interest attorney scholarships to NAPABA and provide an annual scholarship to a public interest attorney through the Filipino Bar Association of Northern California. They also began a partnership with the Asian American Bar Association – Bay Area’s Law Foundation in 2015 and have awarded a total of $80,000 in grants to direct legal services providers. This year, the Jung Foundation donated $30,000 to the NAPABA Law Foundation to support an annual public interest scholarship.

With the spike of hate crimes and incidents in the days after the 2016 presidential election, some in their San Francisco-based community suspected that incidents against Asian Pacific American were underreported. After discussions with community members, Nassiri & Jung launched a website,www.standagainsthatred.org, to collect and report hate crimes and incidents against Asian Pacific Americans. The website gained attention after stories ran in the Huffington Post and NPR, and has since been donated to Asian Americans Advancing Justice and Advancing Justice who use it to track hate crimes nationally.

For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, at202-775-9555 or [email protected].

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 50,000 attorneys and over 80 national, state, and local bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government.

To learn more about NAPABA, visit www.napaba.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter (@NAPABA).

October 2, 2017

NAPABA Celebrates Confirmation of BJay Pak to be the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia

WASHINGTON — Yesterday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Byung J. “BJay” Pak to be the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. Pak is the first Asian Pacific American to hold this position.

“We congratulate BJay Pak on his confirmation to serve as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia,” said Cyndie M. Chang, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “A respected community leader and attorney, Mr. Pak’s confirmation is an inspiration for young Asian Pacific American attorneys across the country.”

A longtime member of the Asian Pacific American legal community, Pak has served on the board of the Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association, a NAPABA affiliate, and was a former chair of the NAPABA Government Enforcement and Compliance Committee. He has also spoken on legal education courses sponsored by NAPABA and is a recipient of the NAPABA Best Under 40 Award.

An experienced litigator and former prosecutor, Pak is currently a partner at Chambers Pak Burch & Adams LLC, where he focuses on complex litigation. Previously, he was an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Georgia for six years, a partner at Ballard Spahr LLP and Schiff Harding LLP, and an associate at Alston & Bird LLP. Mr. Pak also served in the Georgia House or Representatives.

Pak clerked for Judge Richard Mills of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois. He received his B.B.A. from Stetson University in 1995 and his J.D., summa cum laude, from University of Illinois College of Law in 1998.

NAPABA is proud to have supported Pak during his nomination and thanks President Trump for nominating him to the position.

For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, at202-775-9555 or [email protected].

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 50,000 attorneys and over 80 national, state, and local bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government.

To learn more about NAPABA, visit www.napaba.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter (@NAPABA).

October 2, 2017

NAPABA Applauds the Nomination of James C. Ho to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

WASHINGTON — Today, President Trump nominated James C. Ho to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. If confirmed, Ho would be the first Asian Pacific American to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and would be the sixth active Asian Pacific American federal appellate judge in the nation.

“Jim is one of the foremost appellate litigators in the nation and we strongly support and applaud his nomination to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit,” said Cyndie M. Chang, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “Jim has been a leader in NAPABA for close to a decade. He is widely respected throughout the NAPABA membership and he is consulted by both sides of the aisle.”

NAPABA recommended Ho to Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit earlier this year.

He is co-chair of the Appellate and Constitutional Law practice group at the law firm of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher. He has presented over 45 oral arguments in federal and state courts nationwide, including 16 arguments before the Fifth Circuit. He has argued and won cases before both the U.S. Supreme Court and the entire Fifth Circuit en banc.

Ho has extensive experience in all three branches of government: as former chief counsel for Senator Cornyn, as an appointee at the U.S. Department of Justice, and as a law clerk for Justice Clarence Thomas of the U.S. Supreme Court and Judge Jerry E. Smith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Most recently, he was the first Asian Pacific American ever appointed to serve as the solicitor general of Texas, the state’s chief appellate and Supreme Court litigator, responsible for defending the state’s most important programs and policies against legal attack.

Born in Taiwan, Ho arrived in the U.S. at the age of 1, and became a U.S. citizen at age 9. He is an active member of the Asian Pacific American community. He is co-chair of the NAPABA Judiciary & Executive Nominations & Appointments Committee, and he has written and spoken on a variety of occasions about the role of Asian Pacific Americans in the law. Ho has been recognized for his leadership and honored by organizations throughout the Asian Pacific American community, both nationally and in Texas, including the President’s Award from NAPABA, the Award for Outstanding Contributions to Asian Pacific American Leadership from the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership, the Justice David Wellington Chew Award from the Asian Pacific Interest Section of the State Bar of Texas, the Community Leader Award from the Dallas Asian American Bar Association, the Award for Outstanding Contributions in Law from the Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber of Commerce, and the Outstanding Achievement Award from the SMU Asian Pacific American Law Students Association.

Ho has also received numerous other awards and recognitions, including the Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service from the Secretary of Defense. He is a three-time recipient of the Supreme Court Best Brief Award from the National Association of Attorneys General. He has also been named as a leading appellate lawyer by Chambers, Benchmark, Law360, The Best Lawyers in America®, The Legal 500, Texas Super Lawyers, and D Magazine.

NAPABA commends President Trump for nominating Ho to the bench, and thanks Senators Cornyn and Cruz of Texas for recommending him to the White House. NAPABA also urges the Senate to quickly confirm Ho to the bench.

For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, at 202-775-9555 or [email protected].

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 50,000 attorneys and over 80 national, state, and local bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government.

To learn more about NAPABA, visit www.napaba.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter (@NAPABA).

September 29, 2017

NAPABA 2017 Officers Election Results

NAPABA congratulates the newly-elected officers of the NAPABA Board of Governors for the 2017-18 board year. They will be sworn into office at the 29th Anniversary Gala during the 2017 NAPABA Convention in Washington, D.C.

The following individuals were elected by the NAPABA membership:

President-Elect | Daniel Sakaguchi
Vice President for Finance and Development | Courtney Fong
Vice President for Membership | Tacie H. Yoon
Vice President for Communications | Sun E. Choi
Vice President for Programs and Operations | Charles H. Jung
Treasurer | Eugene Kim
Secretary | Bonnie Lee Wolf

In addition to these newly-elected officers, Pankit J. Doshi will serve as President and Cyndie M. Chang will serve as Immediate Past President. Joining the officers on the NAPABA Board of Governors will be 10 regional governors and four at-large board members.

September 29, 2017

NAPABA Names Jae Park as Its 2017 Pro Bono Award Winner

WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is proud to present the 2017 Pro Bono Award to Jae Park, senior managing associate, Dentons US LLP, in San Diego, California. The NAPABA Pro Bono Award recognizes attorneys for outstanding achievements in pro bono service that: 1) involved impact litigation to advance or protect civil rights, and 2) provided direct legal services to individuals in the furtherance of the administration of justice.

The 2017 Pro Bono Award will be presented at the NAPABA Anniversary Gala at the 2017 NAPABA Convention in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 4, 2017.

Mr. Park began his legal career with a deep commitment and dedication to providing assistance to the underserved in his community by utilizing his skills and expertise as a lawyer. Over the course of his career, Mr. Park has amassed over 1,000 hours of pro bono service helping countless people and non-profits along the way.

Having spent much of his childhood moving from country-to-country — he was born in Seoul, South Korea, and lived in Korea, Australia, and India before he and his family immigrated to the United States when he was 12 — Mr. Park empathized with the plight of refugees who are trying to adjust to a foreign country and culture. Early in his career, he was presented with opportunity to represent an Ethiopian refugee in Immigration Court. Since then, he has represented numerous victims of abuse, torture, political attacks, and other human rights violations from across the globe and helped them to obtain asylum in the United States. For his work on behalf of refugees, Mr. Park was named Distinguished Pro Bono Attorney of the Year by the Casa Cornelia Law Center, a non-profit law firm providing pro bono legal services to victims of human and civil rights violations.

Additionally, Mr. Park has worked with several non-profit organizations whose mission is to serve the Korean American community in San Diego. He has helped establish the Korean American Community Center of San Diego and Total Youth Productions, a non-profit community group that provides mentoring and counseling to Korean American middle and high school students.

Mr. Park is a litigator at Dentons US LLP where he focuses on complex commercial litigation and construction litigation. He represents businesses in commercial disputes involving commercial torts, breach of contract, trade secrets, fraud, unfair competition, and employment issues from pre-litigation counseling and negotiations through trial. Mr. Park also works with public and private developers and contractors on a wide variety of disputes arising out of public infrastructure projects, as well as private commercial and residential developments.

NAPABA congratulates Jae Park as the 2017 NAPABA Pro Bono Award recipient.

For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, at202-775-9555 or [email protected].

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 50,000 attorneys and over 80 national, state, and local bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government.

To learn more about NAPABA, visit www.napaba.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter (@NAPABA).

September 29, 2017

NAPABA Responds to Revisions to Muslim and Refugee Ban

On Sunday evening, the president announced revisions to the Muslim and Refugee ban, following a review required under the March 6, 2017, Executive Order. North Korea, Venezuela, and Muslim-majority Chad, were added to the list of restricted countries that continues to include Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen. The restrictions on travel vary from country to country, ranging from limits on the entry of government officials to bars on immigrant and nonimmigrant admission.

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) has consistently opposed this series of discriminatory executive orders. The addition of new countries does not correct the problems inherent in the original action, including its anti-Muslim underpinnings and statutory deficiencies. NAPABA will continue to oppose discriminatory immigration policies.

Read more about NAPABA’s position on the executive orders and the brief it filed in the Supreme Court here.

September 22, 2017

NAPABA Names WilmerHale as Its 2017 Law Firm Diversity Award Recipient

For Immediate Release

Sept. 20, 2017

WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) has named WilmerHale as its 2017 Law Firm Diversity Award recipient. NAPABA created the Law Firm Diversity Award to recognize law firms that actively, affirmatively, consistently, and enthusiastically recruit, retain, and promote Asian Pacific American lawyers to equity partnership and firm leadership.

The award will be presented at the NAPABA Anniversary Gala at the 2017 NAPABA Convention in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 4, 2017.

Commitment to diversity and inclusion starts at the top and cascades throughout WilmerHale. It is one of very few AmLaw 100 firms with a woman co-managing partner and an even smaller number of such firms that have had both a woman and a person of color as a co-managing partner. As an equity-only partnership, Asian Pacific American partners represent 6 percent of U.S.-based partners and partners of color represent 11 percent of the partnership.

WilmerHale’s commitment to diversity is also illustrated in its recruitment efforts. The summer associate classes over the past three years have averaged around 31 percent law students of color, with Asian Pacific American summer associates representing the majority of the diverse associates. Similarly, of the firm’s lateral partner hires over the past three years, diverse partners represented 24 percent and Asian Pacific American partners represented 10 percent.

In 2017, WilmerHale was recognized in The American Lawyer’s “A-List” for the 14th time. The “A-List” is an annual compilation that includes the 20 leading U.S. firms and honors overall excellence, including financial success, commitment to pro bono work, workforce diversity, and associate satisfaction.

NAPABA congratulates WilmerHale as its 2017 Law Firm Diversity Award recipient.

For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, at202-775-9555 or [email protected], or Molly Nunes, WilmerHale Public Relations Director, at617-710-0590 or [email protected].

September 22, 2017

NAPABA Congratulates Noel Francisco on Confirmation to be Solicitor General of the United States

For Immediate Release
Sept. 19, 2017

For More Information, Contact:
Brett Schuster, Communications Manager
202-775-9555; [email protected]

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Noel Francisco to serve as the Solicitor General of the United States. Francisco is the first Asian Pacific American to be confirmed to the position.

“We congratulate Noel Francisco on his historic confirmation,” said Cyndie M. Chang, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) president. “Mr. Francisco’s confirmation is a testament to his experience and the esteem of his colleagues. It is inspiring to see the Senate confirm the first Asian Pacific American and Filipino American to serve as the nation’s Supreme Court lawyer.”

A graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, Francisco clerked for Judge J. Michael Luttig of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and for the late Justice Antonin Scalia of the U.S. Supreme Court. He served as Associate Counsel to President George W. Bush and was Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Counsel, U.S. Department of Justice. In 2005, Francisco entered private practice, where he was the chair of the government regulations practice and where he argued three cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2017, he was appointed Principal Deputy Solicitor General and Acting Solicitor General of the United States.

NAPABA supported Noel Francisco during his nomination. We thank President Trump for nominating him to the position.

After the confirmation of Justice Elena Kagan in 2010, Neal Katyal served as Acting Solicitor General under President Obama for the 2010-11 U.S. Supreme Court Term.

For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, at 202-775-9555 or [email protected].

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American (APA) attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 50,000 attorneys and over 75 national, state, and local bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government. NAPABA engages in legislative and policy advocacy, promotes APA political leadership and political appointments, and builds coalitions within the legal profession and the community at large. NAPABA also serves as a resource for government agencies, members of Congress, and public service organizations about APAs in the legal profession, civil rights, and diversity in the courts.

To learn more about NAPABA, visit www.napaba.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter (@NAPABA).

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association | 1612 K St. NW, Suite 510 | Washington, D.C. 20006 | www.napaba.org

September 18, 2017

AABANY CONGRATULATES THE HONORABLE DORIS LING-COHAN ON RECEIVING NAPABA 2017 WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP AWARD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK – September 18, 2017. The Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) congratulates the Honorable Doris Ling-Cohan on being honored with the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s (NAPABA) 2017 Women’s Leadership Award. The Women’s Leadership Award, which will be presented on November 4, 2017 at the 2017 NAPABA Convention in Washington, D.C, recognizes Justice Ling-Cohan’s barrier-breaking career, her commitment to the advancement of women and Asian Pacific Americans, and her role as a force for change and progress in the Asian Pacific American (APA) legal community.

A native New Yorker, Justice Ling-Cohan’s professional career is a narrative of service to the law, the community, and the disadvantaged. Justice Ling-Cohan served as a legal services attorney and Assistant Attorney General before joining the bench. Justice Ling-Cohan was the first APA public official to be elected in the Chinatown district in 1995, the first APA woman elected to the New York State Supreme Court in 2002, and the first APA woman appointed to an appellate court in New York State in 2014.

Justice Ling-Cohan is a pioneer, not only for women and APAs, but also for justice and social equality. In her 2005 ruling in Hernandez v Robles, Justice Ling-Cohan became the first trial judge in the state to rule in favor of marriage equality, a stand for social justice long before it entered popular favor. Justice Ling-Cohan’s commitment to fairness and to uplifting the vulnerable in our society make her leadership exemplary.

Inspired by the experiences of her youth, when her immigrant mother endured a confusing and upsetting Family Court hearing after being assaulted in Brooklyn, Justice Ling-Cohan has dedicated her professional life to promoting equal access to justice. Her efforts have been recognized by the National Law Journal, New York Post, and the New York State Dispute Resolution Association. One of the many ways that Justice Ling-Cohan gives to the community is through Womankind, an organization she helped to found, committed to serving APA women suffering from domestic violence. Justice Ling-Cohan makes it clear that inequalities and injustice can be effectively addressed, and inspires us to take up that fight.

“Justice Ling-Cohan is a Founding Board Member of AABANY and prior Vice President,” states AABANY President Dwight Yoo. “In the over 27 years since she helped to found the organization, AABANY has witnessed first-hand Justice Ling-Cohan’s commitment to women and the APA community. Justice Ling-Cohan’s historic rise to the bench as an APA woman, her dedication to women’s issues, her tireless pursuit of justice, and her support of the APA community make her an ideal candidate to receive NAPABA’s 2017 Women’s Leadership Award. We commend NAPABA on recognizing Justice Ling-Cohan with this prestigious and well-deserved honor.”

For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (212) 332-2478, or direct any inquiries to [email protected].

The Asian American Bar Association of New York is a professional membership organization of attorneys concerned with issues affecting the Asian Pacific American community. Incorporated in 1989, AABANY seeks not only to encourage the professional growth of its members but also to advocate for the Asian Pacific American community as a whole. AABANY is a New York regional affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).

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