Tag: NAPABA

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American Bar Association Spirit of Excellence Award Nomination

Due Monday, May 22, 2017 | 5 p.m. EDT

Each year, the NAPABA Awards Committee reviews the pool of well-qualified NAPABA members and selects an individual to be nominated on behalf of NAPABA for the ABA Spirit of Excellence Award. Most recently, NAPABA nominated Hon. Jacqueline Nguyen and Peggy Nagae, both of whom were honored with this prestigious award in 2015 and 2017, respectively. The Awards Committee now seeks nominee recommendations for consideration of the 2018 award.

The Committee is looking for NAPABA members who have:

  1. achieved professional excellence in their fields;
  2. served as role models in overcoming hardships or barriers and achieved success and excellence in the legal profession;
  3. influenced racially and ethnically diverse individuals to pursue and/or to succeed in legal careers;
  4. opened doors, broken down barriers, or otherwise promoted the full and equal participation of racially and ethnically diverse individuals in the legal profession; and
  5. worked with or on behalf of racially and ethnically diverse lawyers from racial or ethnic groups other than their own.

Please e-mail nominee recommendations to NAPABA Membership Manager AuriaJoy Asaria at [email protected] by5 p.m. EDT on May 22, 2017. You will be notified if the NAPABA Awards Committee selects your recommendation for nomination.

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

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At-Large Board Member Applications

Deadline | Aug. 4, 2017, at 8 p.m. EDT

Submit an Application

The NAPABA Elections and Nominating Committee is now accepting applications for At-Large Board Members.

  • Review the complete guidelines and apply here.
  • The deadline to submit an application is Aug. 4, 2017, at 8 p.m. EDT.

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

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2017 Call for Nominations

2017 Call for Nominations
NAPABA Board of Governors Officer Positions
Deadline | July 11, 2017, at 8 p.m. EDT

Submit a Nomination

The NAPABA Nominating and Elections Committee is accepting nominations for election to the officer positions of the NAPABA’s Board of Governors for the 2017-18 term. Please submit your nominations for the following positions:

  • President-Elect
  • Vice President for Finance and Development
  • Vice President for Membership
  • Vice President for Programs and Operations
  • Vice President for Communications
  • Treasurer
  • Secretary

Click here for more information or to submit a nomination. The submission deadline is July 11, 2017, at 8 p.m. EDT.

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Collaborative Bar Leadership Academy

Applications are now available for the fifth annual Collaborative Bar Leadership Academy (CBLA) in Minneapolis on June 25-27, 2017. The CBLA is a collaborative effort among the American Bar Association, Hispanic National Bar Association, National Bar Association, National Native American Bar Association, and NAPABA. The CBLA will strengthen the pipeline of diverse bar association leaders through leadership training and professional development programs.

The CBLA is intended for up-and-coming bar leaders who have been in practice for 5-15 years and have served as officers of a NAPABA affiliate and/or chair/co-chair of a NAPABA committee.

Apply by Friday, May 12

  • Applications can be found here.
  • Deadline to submit an application is Friday, May 12 at 8 p.m. EDT.
  • Applicants will be asked to submit a brief essay of 250-500 words, a CV/resume, and two letters of recommendation.

More information about the program can be found on the CBLA website. Please contact CBLA Steering Committee member Gary Zhao with any questions at [email protected] or at 312.894.3377.

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

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NAPABA Submits Testimony in Support of the Nomination of  Judge Amul Thapar for the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

For Immediate Release
April 26, 2017

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

WASHINGTON — Today,
Judge Amul R. Thapar sat before the Senate Judiciary Committee during a
hearing on his nomination to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Sixth Circuit.

“Today’s hearings demonstrate that Judge Amul Thapar is
a highly qualified nominee,” said Cyndie M. Chang, National Asian
Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) president. “He is an experienced and fair jurist who was confirmed by the Senate by voice vote to his current position on the bench. Judge Thapar is a trailblazer and role model for many in our community, as the first South Asian American to serve on the federal bench.”

“The
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association extends its strong
support for Judge Thapar’s nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for
the Sixth Circuit. NAPABA urges the Senate to hold a prompt vote and
swiftly confirm Judge Thapar.”

Judge
Amul Thapar was confirmed by the Senate by voice vote to the U.S.
District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky in 2007. NAPABA
supported his nomination to the bench at that time. He has a long record
of public service, including serving as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern
District of Kentucky. If confirmed, Judge Thapar would become the second
South Asian American to serve as a federal Article III appellate judge
and the fifth currently active Asian Pacific American federal Article
III appellate judge.

NAPABA
provided testimony in support of Judge Thapar, stating: “Judge Thapar
would make an immediate contribution as a federal circuit court judge.
His qualifications, integrity, intellect, and commitment to the justice
system are unquestionable. He brings dedicated talent and understanding
of the issues before the court, and a willingness to tackle complex
issues, that is inspiring… [T]he swift confirmation of Judge Thapar is
important to NAPABA and the Asian Pacific American community.”

Read NAPABA’s statement on the nomination of Judge Thapar here. Read NAPABA’s testimony here.

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.

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).

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

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NAPABA Leads 43 APA Bar Associations in Ninth Circuit Amicus Brief to Continue Fight in First Legal Challenge to President’s Revised Muslim and Refugee Ban

News Release

For Immediate Release
April 21, 2017

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

WASHINGTON — The
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) led 43 of its
national associate and affiliate bar associations in filing an amicus brief
in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to support the
preliminary injunction of President Trump’s March 6, 2017, revised
executive order barring refugees and individuals from six
Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States.

The Trump Administration’s appeal in this case, State of Hawaii v. Trump, arises from the first legal challenge to the revised executive order, which was
brought on March 7, 2017, on behalf of the State and Ismail Elshikh,
Imam of the Muslim Association of Hawaii. NAPABA filed an amicus brief
on March 12 supporting the plaintiffs’ request for a temporary restraining order. On March 15,
Judge Derrick K. Watson of the U.S. District Court for the District of
Hawaii granted the temporary restraining order, which he converted into a
preliminary injunction on March 29
to extend the block on the travel and refugee restrictions. The U.S.
district court in Maryland has also enjoined the six-country visa ban,
and the Administration’s appeal in that case is pending in the Fourth
Circuit, where NAPABA filed an amicus brief on April 19.

“Having
challenged the revised executive order from this initial lawsuit,
NAPABA is proud of the growing momentum across our national network as
we continue our advocacy in the courts,” said NAPABA President Cyndie M.
Chang. “As leaders in the legal profession and as Asian Pacific
Americans whose communities have experienced the harms of exclusionary
laws, NAPABA has an imperative to stand against this unlawful
anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant order.” 

NAPABA’s
amicus brief describes decades of statutory exclusion of citizens of
Asian and Pacific Island countries under early U.S. immigration law,
including the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 — the first federal law to
ban a group of people on the basis of their race. The Civil Rights Era
marked a dramatic turning point that saw Congress dismantle
nationality-based discrimination with the Immigration and Nationality
Act of 1965. The brief explains that presidential discretion in the area
of immigration and refugee admission, while broad, is limited by
statute. NAPABA argues that President Trump’s revised order, with its
anti-Muslim underpinnings, violates the unambiguous prohibition on
discrimination established by Congress.

NAPABA recognizes lead pro bono counsel, James W. Kim, a NAPABA member and partner at McDermott
Will & Emery LLP, in Washington, D.C., Mr. Kim’s team (including
Andrew Genz, Philip Levine, Joshua Rogaczewski, Matthew Girgenti, and
Michael Stanek), and NAPABA Amicus Committee co-chairs, Professor Radha
Pathak of Whittier Law School and Albert Giang, a partner at Boies,
Schiller & Flexner LLP in Los Angeles, for their leadership drafting
the brief, which also involved the efforts of NAPABA staffers.

The Ninth Circuit will hear the case on May 15, 2017, in Seattle.

NAPABA’s brief was endorsed by:

  • Arizona Asian American Bar Association              
  • Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area              
  • Asian American Bar Association of Greater Chicago              
  • Asian American Bar Association of New York              
  • Asian American Bar Association of Ohio              
  • Asian American Criminal Trial Lawyers Association              
  • Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts              
  • Asian Bar Association of Washington              
  • Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Central Ohio              
  • Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles County              
  • Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania              
  • Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Silicon Valley              
  • Asian Pacific American Bar Association of South Florida              
  • Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Tampa Bay              
  • Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Virginia              
  • Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey              
  • Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance              
  • Asian/Pacific Bar Association of Sacramento              
  • Austin Asian American Bar Association              
  • Chinese American Bar Association of Greater Chicago              
  • Connecticut Asian Pacific American Bar Association              
  • Filipino American Lawyers Association of Chicago              
  • Filipino American Lawyers of San Diego              
  • Filipino Bar Association of Northern California              
  • Japanese American Bar Association              
  • Korean American Bar Association of Chicago              
  • Korean American Bar Association of Northern California              
  • Korean American Bar Association of Southern California              
  • Korean-American Bar Association for the Washington, DC Area              
  • Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York              
  • Michigan Asian Pacific American Bar Association              
  • Minnesota Asian Pacific American Bar Association              
  • Missouri Asian American Bar Association              
  • National Asian Pacific American Bar Association – Hawaii Chapter   
  • National Filipino American Lawyers Association              
  • Orange County Asian American Bar Association              
  • South Asian Bar Association of Chicago              
  • South Asian Bar Association of Northern California              
  • South Asian Bar Association of Southern California              
  • South Asian Bar Association of Washington              
  • Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association              
  • Tennessee Asian Pacific American Bar Association              
  • Thai American Bar Association         
    —-

Read the amicus brief here.

Read NAPABA’s amicus brief in the district court in State of Hawai‘i v. Trump.

Read NAPABA’s amicus brief the parallel Fourth Circuit case, International Refugee Assistance Project v. Trump.

Read the March 6, 2017, statement of NAPABA and the South Asian Bar Association – North America, joined by 14 affiliates, against the revised executive order.

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 almost
50,000 attorneys and approximately 75 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).

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

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NAPABA Seeks Volunteer General Counsel

NAPABA Seeks Volunteer General Counsel

NAPABA is searching for a pro bono General Counsel to advise the NAPABA Board of Governors and the NAPABA Executive Director on a broad range of legal issues. The General Counsel also acts as a key strategic partner to the Board and Executive Director by providing guidance on many non-legal governance matters.

The General Counsel should be a senior-level, highly respected lawyer who has been active in NAPABA and who has some familiarity with the organization’s history and leadership. The General Counsel does not need to possess any particular legal background, but s/he should have access to other lawyers at his/her firm who could provide specialized expertise in areas such as non-profit governance, Illinois corporate law, employment, contracts, privacy, public communications, and non-profit tax. Although NAPABA is incorporated in Illinois and based in Washington, D.C., issues do arise from time to time that require expertise in the law of other jurisdictions. For these reasons, although association with a large firm is not required, it could be very helpful to the General Counsel in executing his/her duties.

To recommend a candidate or for more information, please contact NAPABA Executive Director Tina Matsuoka at [email protected].

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

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APPLY TO BE A NAPALSA MENTOR!

Apply to be a NAPALSA Mentor!

NAPALSA is looking for NAPABA members to serve as mentors for NAPALSA’s new Mentorship Program. The NAPALSA and NAPABA communities brim with passionate, generous, and tenacious individuals. This year, NAPALSA will be selecting and pairing a small group of NAPABA and NAPALSA members together to participate in a nationwide mentorship program that highlights NAPALSA students’ ambition for greatness and NAPABA members’ wisdom and goodwill.

As a mentor, you will guide current students as they develop crucial networking skills, plan their career, and navigate the legal world. Mentees will be expected to contact their mentor(s) at least two times before the NAPABA Convention, but are encouraged to reach out more frequently. As such, mentors will be expected to be accessible and receptive to the student. All mentorship pairs will be expected to attend a the Mentorship Gathering during the NAPABA Convention.

To be considered as a mentor, please fill out an application form here. The deadline to submit an application is Friday, May 5, 2017, at 7 p.m. EDT.

For more information about this mentorship program, please contact [email protected].

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

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NAPABA and CA APA Bar Assns Share Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye’s Concerns on Access to Justice

News Release

For Immediate Release
April 21, 2017

For More Information, Contact: 

Brett Schuster, Communications Manager

[email protected], 202-775-9555

NAPABA and California Asian Pacific American Bar Associations Share
Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye’s Concerns on Access to Justice

WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and 21 of its California-based affiliates join California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye in expressing concern over the arrests of individuals by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers at California state courts and the impact of these arrests on the administration of justice.

“NAPABA and Asian Pacific American lawyers in California share Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye concerns over the arrest of individuals for immigration-related violations at courthouses,” said NAPABA President Cyndie M. Chang. “Our legal system is based on the idea that our courts are open to every person who seeks redress and due process. Our courts are not able to fulfill their fundamental role when victims and witnesses fear coming to the courthouse. Public safety is ultimately damaged when the administration of justice is thwarted.”

As organizations representing lawyers committed to the fair administration of justice and open access of the courts, we remain concerned that individuals may be deterred from participating in our legal system out of fear of arrest based on their immigration status. Our courts must be able to hear and obtain all evidence to fairly adjudicate the disputes and questions before them, including from undocumented individuals.

During her State of the Judiciary Address, the Chief Justice stated: “…when we hear of immigration arrests and the fear of immigration arrest in our state courthouses, I am concerned that that kind of information trickles down into the community, the schools, the churches, the families and people will no longer come to court to protect themselves or cooperate or bear witness.”

She made these points in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly expressing her concern “…about the impact on public trust and confidence in our state court system.”

The following Asian Pacific American bar associations join in this statement:

  • National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
  • Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area
  • Asian American Prosecutors Association
  • Asian Americans Criminal Trial Lawyers Association
  • Asian Pacific American Bar Association – Los Angeles
  • Asian Pacific American Bar Association – Solano County
  • Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Silicon Valley
  • Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance
  • Asian/Pacific Bar Association of Sacramento
  • Filipino American Lawyers of San Diego
  • Filipino Bar Association of Northern California
  • Japanese American Bar Association
  • Korean American Bar Association of Northern California
  • Korean American Bar Association of Southern California
  • Orange County Korean American Bar Association
  • Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego
  • South Asian Bar Association of Southern California
  • South Asian Bar Association of Northern California
  • South Asian Bar Association of San Diego
  • Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association
  • Taiwanese American Lawyers Association
  • Vietnamese American Bar Association of Northern California

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 almost 50,000 attorneys and approximately 75 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).

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

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2017 NAPABA Regional Conferences

NAPABA Western Regional Conference

Silicon Valley | July 20-22, 2017

Hosted by APABA Silicon Valley

Official Conference Location
Silicon Valley U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, 26 S. 4th St, San Jose, CA 95112

Hotel Accommodation
A room block is available at the San Jose Marriott. For more information on hotel reservations and to book a room, click here.

Questions?
Contact the Western Regional organizers at [email protected].

Click here to visit the APABA Silicon Valley Western Regional Conference website.

NAPABA Central Regional Conference

St. Louis, MO | August 24-25, 2017

Hosted by Missouri Asian American Bar Association

Call for Programs
The Call for Programs for the Central Regional Conference is now open! The deadline to submit a program proposal isMay 31, 2017. Submit a program proposal here.  

Questions?
Contact Richard Juang at [email protected].

Click here to visit the Central Regional Conference website.

NAPABA Northeast Regional Conference

Philadelphia, PA | Sept. 8-10, 2017

Hosted by the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania (APABA-PA)

“Diversity in the Face of Adversity”

Call for Programs
The Call for Programs for the Northeast Regional has been extended to April 15! If you would like to submit a program proposal for the Northeast Regional Conference, please complete our Call for Programs available online here.

Questions?
Contact the Northeast Regional organizers at [email protected].

Click here to visit the APABA-PA Northeast Regional Conference website.

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