Press Release: NAPABA Extends Condolences on the Passing of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Scalia

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For Immediate Release
Feb. 14, 2016

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

NAPABA Extends Condolences on the Passing of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia

WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) extends its sincere condolences to the family of United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who unexpectedly passed away Saturday morning in Texas. Justice Scalia, who served on the Supreme Court for 30 years, was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986.

“Justice Scalia’s contribution to the United States and legal jurisprudence was immense,” said NAPABA President Jin Y. Hwang. “I had the opportunity to observe Supreme Court oral arguments as a law student and meet with Justice Scalia afterwards, and his intelligence, marked wit, and strong devotion to originalism left an indelible impression on me.  He freely spoke his mind on the bench, and he will be remembered for his nearly 30 years of dedicated public service on the Supreme Court.”

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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 nearly 50,000 attorneys and over 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).

NAPABA Lobby Day 2016

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NAPABA Lobby Day 2016

Washington, D.C. | May 23-24, 2016

Join us for NAPABA Lobby Day 2016, which will be held in Washington, D.C., from May 23-24, 2016. This event is an opportunity for NAPABA members from across the country to educate members of Congress and congressional staffers on issues of importance to the Asian Pacific American (APA) community. Lobby Day also gives members an active role in promoting NAPABA’s mission of advocating for justice, equity, and opportunity for APAs.

Participants will meet with legislators and voice their perspectives on a range of topics. As a participant, you will be given all the information and materials you need to meet with legislators on Capitol Hill. Registration for Lobby Day 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.

Registration
Register for all Lobby Day events here.
Deadline to register is April 13, 2016.  
*Please note: some events have early deadlines.

Stipend
Stipends are available for NAPABA direct members traveling to Lobby Day from out-of-town.
Deadline to submit an application is March 21, 2016.
*Stipend application is included in the Lobby Day Registration page.

NAPABA U.S. Supreme Court Bar Group Admission
Apply to be admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court Bar and join NAPABA members for a group swearing-in ceremony and Supreme Court Tour.
All application materials and processing fee must be submitted to the NAPABA office by Feb. 24, 2016.

Congressional Reception
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 public, including NAPABA members who are unable to participate in Lobby Day.

Hotel
NAPABA has secured a room block through Hyatt Place Washington DC/U.S. Capitol.
Rate: $189 single/double plus applicable taxes & fees.

More 2016 Lobby Day information can be found here.

ABA Presidential Appointments – NAPABA Endorsements Deadline Jan. 29

NAPABA needs your help and involvement to ensure that Asian Pacific Americans are represented in the ranks of the American Bar Association leadership. We encourage you to self-nominate for a Presidential Committee Appointment by the ABA deadline of Feb. 26, 2016. 

In addition to your self-nomination, NAPABA will be recommending candidates for appointments to committees, commissions, and other ABA entities for the upcoming bar year. To be considered for a NAPABA endorsement, you must submit a request to NAPABA by 12 p.m. EST on Jan. 29, 2016.

We look forward to receiving your applications and value your participation in this process. For more information on submitting a NAPABA endorsement request, please click here.

Prudential 2016 1L Summer Internship Program

NAPABA is now accepting applications for the Prudential Summer Internship Program. NAPABA
is pleased to partner with Prudential Financial, Inc. (Prudential) to
provide a meaningful summer internship opportunity for a
highly-motivated first-year law student. Through this partnership,
NAPABA will select 1 student to join the 2016 summer law intern class at
Prudential for a 10-week internship at Prudential’s Newark, New Jersey
offices for a stipend of approximately $10,000.

Deadline to apply is Jan. 29, 2016, by 5 p.m. EST. More information here.

Pro Bono General Counsel Program – APPLY TODAY!

This program seeks to
provide organizations serving the Asian Pacific American (APA) community
with access to high ­quality, pro bono legal advice and counsel that
they cannot afford. The program is intended to help APA­-serving
organizations promote good governance practices and comply with relevant
laws and regulations. Attorneys will have the opportunity to work with
organizations engaged in a broad range of activities to better the lives
of the APA community through policy advocacy, leadership development,
capacity building, and research.

Interested organizations and volunteer attorneys should complete the designated application forms. Applications will be submitted to the database, and organizations will be provided an opportunity to interview and hire a volunteer attorney.

Questions? Contact AuriaJoy Asaria at [email protected].

Learn more about the program and apply here.

ORGANIZATIONAL STATEMENT: NAPABA Stands Up Against Anti-Muslim Hate and Bigotry

Today,
NAPABA will convene with members of the Asian Pacific American
community at the National Japanese American Memorial to stand in
solidarity with the Muslim, Sikh, Arab, and South Asian American
communities. This rally is in response to anti-Muslim hate and rhetoric
that has increased following recent terrorist attacks.

Below is NAPABA’s organizational statement:

The
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) — together
with 34 fellow member organizations of the National Council of Asian
Pacific Americans — stands with its members and in solidarity with all
Arab, Muslim, Sikh, and South Asian American communities to oppose
anti-Muslim hate, bigotry, and xenophobia and calls on the American
people and allied groups to do the same.

Fourteen years ago, NAPABA came together with members of the Asian
Pacific American (APA) community to denounce anti-Muslim hate and
violence in the days following the 9/11 attacks. Sadly, a resurgence of
that same kind of hate and xenophobia has prompted the APA community and
NAPABA to again speak out against anti-Muslim sentiment.

In recent weeks and months, hate crimes committed against Muslim
Americans and those perceived to be Muslim have increased at an alarming
and unprecedented rate. Since the Paris attacks, there has been an
average of two attacks against Muslims every day in the U.S.

Xenophobic and divisive rhetoric from political candidates, elected
officials, and other public figures have helped to promote an
environment of fear, suspicion, and hatred for Muslims in America. This
fear and suspicion has led to unfounded and unfair targeting of Muslims
and individuals perceived to be Muslim engaging in unthreatening
behavior — such as speaking Arabic at an airport, wearing a turban to a
football game, or simply having black or brown skin — which can
normalize anti-Muslim violence and threats and make them more likely to
occur.

Recent terror attacks — including those in Paris and San Bernadino — are
no excuse for violence or prejudice against the Arab, Muslim, Sikh, and
South Asian Americans, who are contributing and valuable members of
NAPABA and our nation. We must refuse to be guided by stereotypes, fear,
and mistrust. We must stand up against anti-Muslim hate, bigotry, and
xenophobia and help make this country a better place for all of us.

NAPABA encourages its members and affiliates to show solidarity with the Arab, Muslim, Sikh, and South Asian American communities. We
hope that you will be the voices of tolerance through your actions to
support your neighbors, respond to acts of hate, and denounce rhetoric
that encourages discrimination and profiling. We encourage you to look for community-based resources and campaigns to become strong partners and advocates in this effort to denounce anti-Muslim hate.

2016 NAPABA Law Foundation Summer Public Interest Internship

The NLF Public
Interest Internship is to provide support for one law student to gain
meaningful legal experience during a 2016
summer internship at a public interest organization that provides
direct legal services, impact litigation, and/or legal advocacy on
behalf of the Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) community. 

The deadline for Host application submission is January 15, 2016.  Find out more at http://bit.ly/2016nlfsmrpiintrnshp

Press Release: NAPABA Statement on Today’s Arguments in Fisher v. University of Texas

For Immediate Release
Dec. 9 , 2015

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

Today,
the Supreme Court heard arguments in Fisher v. University of
Texas-Austin, a challenge to the University’s race-conscious admissions
policy. As the arguments demonstrated, the Court should continue to
uphold the long-standing precedent that diversity is a compelling
interest in college admission policies, and uphold the University of
Texas-Austin’s admissions plan.

The
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), along with
its fellow members of the Coalition of Bar Associations of Color, filed
an amicus brief demonstrating the importance of building a diverse
pipeline of students who will enter the legal profession. As future
leaders and custodians of the legal system, it is important that
students have wide-ranging experiences, engage with diverse populations,
and be representative of varied backgrounds. As current events
demonstrate, it is equally imperative that today’s students develop
empathy, understanding, and acceptance — traits which will become
essential throughout their lives and careers.

Diversity
and inclusion benefit all communities. Asian Pacific Americans, like
other groups, have endured discrimination and a lack of opportunities
that continue to impact us today. NAPABA urges the Court to recognize
that race-conscious admissions policies ultimately benefit the American
community as a whole.

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
approximately 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).

FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIP & INTERNSHIPS – National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIP & INTERNSHIPS – National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

PRESS RELEASE: NAPABA Condemns Roanoke Mayor’s References to Japanese American Internment

For Immediate Release
Nov. 19, 2015

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

NAPABA Condemns Roanoke Mayor’s References to the Japanese American Internment to Justify Suspension of Aid to Syrian Refugees

WASHINGTON — We are outraged by Mayor David Bowers’ disgraceful comments about his decision to suspend assistance from both government and nongovernmental agencies to Syrian refugees in Roanoke, Virginia. His inflammatory remarks invoke the distrust and xenophobia that led to the unjustifiable internment of thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II. This is unacceptable and such intolerance has no place in our country.

As Asian Pacific Americans, we are shocked that Mayor Bowers would justify his actions by referring to one of the darkest chapters in American history, when an entire community was unjustly held in suspicion, taken away from their homes and livelihoods, and interned because of their ethnicity. Instead, we must learn from that tragic time and refuse to demonize Muslims, Syrians, and others seeking safe haven in America, as many of our forebears once did.

Earlier this week, President Obama announced that Minoru Yasui, an internee who challenged the internment of Japanese Americans in the U.S. Supreme Court, would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The U.S. Congress apologized for internment in 1988. Sadly, Mayor Bowers has shown that many of the same prejudices Mr. Yasui faced in 1942 still exist today and, unfortunately, he is not alone in promoting this intolerance. More than half of the nation’s governors, members of Congress, and state and local lawmakers around the country have echoed this xenophobia, which vilifies entire communities.

We must recognize the humanitarian needs of refugee populations and we must refuse to act based on fear and intolerance. As history has shown, such actions do not make our country safer and rejects the basic tenants of what it means to be an American and betrays our deepest values.

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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 approximately 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).