Tag: NAPABA

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NAPABA BOARD ELECTIONS: CALL FOR NOMINATIONS — JULY 14

The NAPABA Nominating and Elections Committee is accepting nominations for election to the officer positions of NAPABA for the 2014-2015 term. NAPABA is a nonprofit, voluntary, professional organization founded in 1989, representing the interests of over 40,000 APA lawyers, law students, and judges throughout North America and abroad.

The qualifications for NAPABA office are listed in the NAPABA Nominating and Election Rules. In order to be nominated as a candidate for a NAPABA officer position, candidates are required to submit a completed nomination petition form and a personal statement on or before July 14, 2014.

Click here for the nomination petition form or more information on the election guidelines.

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NAPABA CELEBRATES LGBT PRIDE MONTH

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 4, 2014

WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is proud to join the National Queer Asian Pacific American Alliance (NQAPIA) in celebrating the month of June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month. In recognition of LGBT Pride Month, this month the NAPABA logo will proudly display the colors of the rainbow flag that is often flown as a symbol of LGBT pride.

“This month, we celebrate our family and friends in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities,” said William J. Simonistch, president of NAPABA. “NAPABA has long recognized the contributions and struggles of the LGBT community. And as we recognize LGBT Pride Month, we are reminded once again of the need to commit ourselves to fight for the equal civil liberties of all.”

LGBT equality has long been a priority for NAPABA. Most recently, The Hill published an op-ed by NAPABA’s President opposing Arizona Senate Bill 1062, which would have given businesses the right to discriminate under the guise of religion, including discrimination based on sexual orientation. NAPABA also sent a letter to Arizona Governor Jane Brewer urging her to veto the bill, noting that if she did not do so, NAPABA would have to seriously consider relocating its 26th Annual Convention from Scottsdale.

NAPABA has for many years supported marriage equality, and has joined amicus briefs in support of marriage equality in federal and state courts throughout the nation, including amicus briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court in Hollingsworth v. Perry and Windsor v. United States in 2013.

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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 over 40,000 attorneys and 68 state and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal service 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.

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From NAPABA: ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN LEGAL GROUPS URGE CHICAGO OFFICIALS TO INVESTIGATE ANTI-ASIAN AND ANTI-IMMIGRANT VIDEO INCIDENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 27, 2014

WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and its Chicago-based affiliates — the Asian American Bar Association of Greater Chicago (AABA), Chinese American Bar Association of Greater Chicago (CABA), and Korean American Bar Association of Chicago (KABA) — along with the Filipino American Lawyers Association of Chicago (FALA) and the Indian-American Bar Association of Chicago (IABA) express concern over the actions of certain Chicago police officers captured by recently-released video surveillance, which depicts officers using racist and anti-immigrant language during an arrest last summer.

“The actions shown in the video raise questions about how people of color and immigrants, particularly those who are limited English proficient, are treated by Chicago police officers,” said Bill Simonitsch, president of NAPABA. “We urge Mayor Emanuel and Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy to fully investigate this incident and work with the local Asian Pacific American community to ensure that immigrants and all people of color feel protected by local law enforcement officials.”

According to a lawsuit filed in federal court on May 14, 2014, Chicago police officers verbally harassed and physically abused a Chinese American spa manager during a raid on a local business in July 2013. The security video shows officers entering the spa, apprehending the woman and striking her while she was kneeling and handcuffed. Police officers can be heard on the video making racist and anti-immigrant remarks during the arrest. One officer refused to believe that the woman was an American citizen and told her “You’re not f—— American! I’ll put you in a UPS box and send you back to wherever the f— you came from.“

NAPABA, AABA, CABA, KABA, FALA, and IABA urge the City of Chicago and the Chicago Police Department to fully investigate the specific allegations raised by the video, determine whether any systemic problems of official misconduct exist, and take appropriate action to ensure that all visitors and residents, regardless of gender, race, national origin, immigration status, or English proficiency, feel welcome and safe in the City of Chicago.

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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 over 40,000 attorneys and 68 state and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal service 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.

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NAPABA ACKNOWLEDGES THE SUFFERING OF WWII COMFORT WOMEN AND OTHER HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIMS

May 27, 2014

WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) acknowledges the suffering of WWII Comfort Women and other victims of human trafficking and opposes human trafficking in all of its forms.

In 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives passed House Resolution 121, which recognized that the Government of Japan, in the 1930’s through the end of World War II, forced women to provide sex to soldiers in its Imperial Armed Forces. The U.S. Department of State in its 2003 Japan Report referenced thousands of these victims of sexual slavery, commonly referred to as “Comfort Women,” who were kidnapped or coerced from countries including China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, and the Philippines.

Memorials in honor of Comfort Women have been erected in the U.S. and throughout the world. One such Comfort Women memorial was erected in July 2013 in Glendale, California, and a lawsuit, Gingery et al. v. City of Glendale, was filed earlier this year to force its removal, which caused controversy and spurred dialogue, particularly about differing Japanese and Korean viewpoints of the wartime and post-war treatment of Comfort Women.

“NAPABA members and affiliates across the country—including members of Korean American and Japanese American bar associations—have long worked together in multiethnic coalitions to support civil rights and justice for all of our communities,” said Bill Simonitsch, president of NAPABA. “I am heartened to see that the Asian Pacific American legal community refused to allow historical disagreements and the controversy over the Glendale memorial to divide us.”

NAPABA strongly condemns human trafficking, past and present, and supports fact-based measures to educate the public about Comfort Women and other victims of human trafficking.

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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 over 40,000 attorneys and 68 state and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal service 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.

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NAPABA Members Lobby Congress During Asian Pacific Heritage Month

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2014

Contact: Azizah Ahmad

(202) 775-9555

NAPABA MEMBERS LOBBY CONGRESS DURING
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

WASHINGTON — Today, Asian Pacific American (APA) attorneys from around the country are gathered on Capitol Hill for the second day of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Annual Lobby Day.

The NAPABA Annual Lobby Day kicked off yesterday with the APA Heritage Month Congressional Reception. The reception featured speaker and honorary Lobby Day Chair and former NAPABA regional governor, Senator Mazie Hirono. Other members of Congress, including chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Congresswoman Judy Chu, Congresswoman Grace Meng, and Congressman Mark Takano also addressed NAPABA members and leaders from the APA community during the reception.

“This month we celebrate the obstacles Asian Pacific Americans have overcome, the contributions they have made, and the opportunities America has given,” said William Simonitsch, president of NAPABA. “So we are excited to once again meet with legislators in Washington to discuss issues affecting APA, and all Americans.”

Lobby Day continues today with Hill visits where NAPABA members will lobby in support of the 14 policy resolutions that the NAPABA Board of Governors adopted earlier this year. These policy resolutions include issues regarding commonsense immigration reform, affirmative action, and voting rights. A complete list of the resolutions can be found at http://bit.ly/NAPABA_Resolutions. More information about Lobby Day can be found at http://bit.ly/2014NAPABALobbyDay.

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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 over 40,000 attorneys and 68 state and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal service 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.

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PRESS RELEASE: NAPABA Applauds Confirmation of Indira Talwani to the Federal District Court for Massachusetts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 8, 2014

Contact: Emily Chatterjee (202) 775-9555

NAPABA APPLAUDS CONFIRMATION OF INDIRA TALWANI
TO THE FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT FOR MASSACHUSETTS

WASHINGTON — Today, Indira Talwani was confirmed to United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts with a 94-0 vote. Talwani will be the first person of Asian descent to serve as a federal judge in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the first person of Asian descent to serve as an Article III judge in the courts covered by the First Circuit, and only the second female Article III judge of South Asian descent nationwide.

“Indira Talwani’s confirmation is cause for further celebration as we observe Asian Pacific American Heritage Month,” said William J. Simonitsch, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “With her confirmation, Judge Talwani makes history as ‘the first’ of many titles and we congratulate Judge Talwani on her accomplishments.”

Prior to her confirmation, Judge Talwani was partner at the Massachusetts law firm of Segal Roitman and the San Francisco law firm of Altshuler Berzon LLP. After graduating for law school, she clerked for the Honorable Stanley A. Weigel on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Judge Talwani has been recognized for several awards, including: Best Lawyers in America (2013); Massachusetts Super Lawyers (2012); Top 10 Lawyers of the Year, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (2010); and Chinese Progressive Association’s Workers Justice Award (2012). Judge Talwani received her J.D. from the University of California Berkeley School of Law and B.A. from Harvard/Radcliffe College.

NAPABA applauds President Obama for this nomination, and thanks Senator Elizabeth Warren for her support of Judge Talwani. Her confirmation today increases the number of active Asian Pacific American Article III judges to 25 nationwide: 4 federal appellate court judges and 21 federal district court judges.

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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 over 40,000 attorneys and 68 state and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal service 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.

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Congratulations to Margaret Ling & Will Wang!

Margaret Ling, Co-Chair of AABANY’s Real Estate Committee and a member of AABANY’s Board of Directors, and Will Wang, President-Elect, have been selected to attend the 2014 Collaborative Bar Leaders Academy held in Minneapolis! The Collaborative Bar Leaders Academy is a joint initiative of the American Bar Association, Hispanic National Bar Association, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, National Bar Association, and the National Native American Bar Association. 

Please join AABANY in congratulating Will and Margaret on their achievement and wishing them safe travels this June as they head to Minneapolis.