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On Thursday, January 30, the AABANY Re-enactment Team performed “22 Lewd Chinese Women: Chy Lung v. Freeman” at Cadwalader in New York City.  Because not all the cast members who were part of the original production in Kansas City at the NAPABA National Convention were available, we welcomed John Bajit, Yasu Saito, Janicelynn Asamoto and the Hon. Kiyo Matsumoto to the New York staging. More than 250 people registered to attend this event, which played to a full house. After the performance, the audience engaged in a lively Q&A, followed by a reception. Thanks to everyone who came out to see the re-enactment!

From the MCCA’s Diversity & the Bar: BU40

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The National Asian Pacific Bar Association (NAPABA) celebrated its 25th Annual Convention in Kansas City, MO, last November.  The four-day convention was themed Momentum to celebrate the continuing growth and progress in the Asian Pacific American (APA) legal community, and brought more than 1,200 attendees to the show-me state.  Among awards given out at the annual convention is the highly coveted NAPABA Best Lawyers Under 40 (BU40) Award. MCCA’s bi-monthly publication, Diversity & the Bar, profiled these award recipients, including AABANY members and leaders, Mike Huang, Michael Park and Asim Rehman, in the January/February 2014 issue. Read more here.

2014 NAPABA-PRUDENTIAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM: Feb 16 Deadline

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is pleased to announce a partnership with Prudential Financial, Inc. (Prudential) and Gibbons, P.C. (Gibbons) to provide a fellowship opportunity to a highly-motivated, third-year law school student. Through this partnership, NAPABA will select a third-year law school student to be the 2014 NAPABA-Prudential Law Fellow.

The Fellow will be hired to the position of a full-time, fall associate at Gibbons and will be expected to begin work on a date to be determined between the Fellow and Gibbons. The date is expected to be set after law school graduation and completion of the July 2014 bar examination.

The deadline to apply is February 16.  Go to the AABANY Fellowships page for more details.

News from NAPABA: Perkins Coie Diversity Fellowship

During the summer of 2014, many Perkins Coie offices will offer a 1L Diversity Fellowship to students who have completed one year of law school. These fellowships provide students with a paid summer associate position and a $7,500 academic scholarship that is paid at the completion of the summer program.

More information on participating offices, eligibility, and application deadlines can be found at this link: http://bit.ly/ID30xb.

News from NAPABA: JABA Scholarship

JAPANESE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION

Every year, the Japanese American Bar Association (JABA) Educational Foundation awards scholarships to deserving law students and recent law school graduates based on a number of criteria, including community service, academic achievement, and financial need. Applications for the JABA Educational Foundation’s annual scholarships are now being accepted. The deadline to apply is January 17, 2014.

For more information or for copies of the application and instructions, please visit the JABA Educational Foundation Scholarship page at http://www.jabaonline.org/scholarships or contact us via email at [email protected].

News from NAPABA: 25th Annual Convention Follow-up

Thank you to everyone who attended 25th Annual NAPABA Convention in Kansas City, MO. Without sponsors and members like you, we could not continue to serve as the national voice for the Asian Pacific American (APA) legal profession and to promote justice, equity, and opportunity for the APA community. We truly appreciate your commitment to NAPABA and to diversity in the legal profession.

Please take a few moments to read these convention updates:

Survey: Your feedback is very important to us. Click here to take our convention survey and you may be eligible to receive an iPad mini!
CLE Credits: Click here to confirm your bar number, jurisdiction, sessions attended, and to download your certificate(s) of attendance. Please note that approval is still pending in New Hampshire and Virginia. Kansas attorneys must submit an affidavit to the Kansas Continuing Legal Education Commission. The form is available on our online CLE site. If you have any questions, please email [email protected].
Attendee List: Click here for a list of the 2013 Convention attendees.
Photos: Conventions photos have been posted online on NAPABA’s Facebook Page.

I look forward to continuing our relationship as we plan our 26th Annual NAPABA Convention, which will be held on November 6-9, 2014, at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona. Stay tuned for information about how you can get involved in the 2014 Annual Convention.

I wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season and a very prosperous 2014!

Sincerely,

Tina Matsuoka
Executive Director

Helen Wan’s The Partner Track Selected as Real Simple Magazine’s December Book Club Pick of the Month

Helen Wan’s The Partner Track Selected as Real Simple Magazine’s December Book Club Pick of the Month

NAPABA DONATES $10,000 TO TYPHOON HAIYAN RELIEF EFFORTS

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

1612 K Street NW, Suite 1400 
Washington, DC 20006


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
November 20, 2013

Contact: Emily Chatterjee 
(202) 775-9555

NAPABA DONATES $10,000 TO TYPHOON HAIYAN RELIEF EFFORTS 
Supports Immigration Relief for Filipinos Based in the United States

WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) today announced that it has committed $10,000 to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in support of the IRC’s emergency relief efforts in the Philippines. NAPABA also announced its support for temporary immigration-related relief for individuals from the Philippines who are currently in the U.S.

“NAPABA is committed to supporting the victims of the Typhoon Haiyan catastrophe. We will be donating $10,000 to support the IRC, which is currently focused on clean water, health care, and other urgent needs in the Philippines,” said William J. Simonitsch, president of NAPABA. “Almost a million people have been displaced internally, and the rebuilding efforts will be ongoing for years to come. We encourage all those who are able to do so to make a charitable donation to the IRC or to other groups working on the ground.”

In addition to the list of aid agencies recommended in NAPABA’s statement in support of victims of Typhoon Haiyan on Monday, which may be found here, potential donors may want to consider Save the Children and the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON).

Tina Matsuoka, executive director of NAPABA, stated, “We recognize that, in addition to financial support, victims and their families need other assistance, which is why NAPABA has endorsed Temporary Protected Status for the Philippines. With TPS, Filipinos in the U.S. can be protected from deportation and are eligible to work, enabling them to continue to send remittances back home, thereby helping their families rebuild their lives.”

Under §244(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) would allow nationals from the Philippines residing in the U.S. to receive a temporary, humanitarian form of relief from deportation, and make them eligible to obtain work authorization. The Department of Homeland Security designated Haiti for TPS in similar circumstances after a massive earthquake in 2010. Today, NAPABA joined the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and others in a letter to Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Beers, and formally requested that the Philippines be designated for TPS will all due haste.

About the International Rescue Committee:

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. When an emergency arises, the IRC arrives on the scene within 72 hours with urgently needed supplies and expertise that protect people caught in the midst of chaos. We commit to stay as long as we are needed, helping survivors to heal, recover and rebuild their communities to be stronger, more stable and more democratic.

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NAPABA PRESS RELEASE: NAPABA BESTOWS SPECIAL HONORS AT 25TH ANNUAL CONVENTION

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

1612 K Street NW, Suite 1400
Washington, DC 20006


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 12, 2013

Contact: Azizah Ahmad
(202) 775-9555

NAPABA BESTOWS SPECIAL HONORS AT 25TH ANNUAL CONVENTION

WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) honored individual and law firm recipients of its annual awards at its 25th Annual Convention in Kansas City, MO, on Nov. 7-10, 2013.  The awards bestowed were the Senator Daniel K. Inouye NAPABA Trailblazer Award, Best Lawyers Under 40 Award, President’s Award, Women’s Leadership Award, Affiliate of the Year, APA-Owned Law Firm of the Year, and Law Firm Diversity Award.

The Trailblazer Award, which is NAPABA’s highest honor, recognizes individuals who have demonstrated vision, courage, and tenacity, and who have made substantial and lasting contributions to the Asian Pacific American (APA) legal profession, as well as to the broader APA community. On Friday, November 8, 2013, NAPABA held a special ceremony to rename the Trailblazer Award in honor of the late Senator Daniel K. Inouye and presented the 2013 Senator Daniel K. Inouye NAPABA Trailblazer Award to the following recipients:

  • Hon. Daniel K. Inouye, U.S. Senator (posthumously awarded)
  • Lowell Chun-Hoon, Partner, King, Nakamura & Chun-Hoon
  • Hon. Lynn R. Nakamoto, Judge, Oregon Court of Appeals
  • Hon. Maryka Omatsu, Justice, Ontario Court of Justice, Canada
  • Brian A. Sun, Partner, Jones Day
  • Hon. John M. Tran, Judge, Circuit Court of Fairfax County, VA

The 2013 Best Lawyers Under 40 Awards were presented at NAPABA’s Anniversary Gala and Celebration Dinner on November 9, 2013. This award recognizes talented APA attorneys under the age of 40 who have achieved prominence in the practice of law while demonstrating an unwavering dedication to the APA community. NAPABA proudly announces the 2013 Best Lawyers Under 40 Award recipients:

  • Jason J. DeJonker, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
  • Sandra S. Fujiyama, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
  • Albert Giang, Caldwell Leslie & Proctor, PC
  • Mike F. Huang, Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP
  • Jin Y. Hwang, Verizon Enterprise Solutions
  • Christopher C. Javillonar, Bryan Cave LLP
  • Christopher D. Kang, Office of the White House Counsel
  • Winifred V. Kao, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Asian Law Caucus
  • Eugene Kim, Gresham Savage Nolan & Tilden
  • Edward C. Lee, Aetna Inc.
  • John Park, Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis LLP
  • Michael H. Park, Dechert LLP
  • Rudhir Patel, Apple Inc.
  • Smeeta Ramarathnam, U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission
  • Steven Y. Reeves, Faegre Baker Daniels, LLP
  • Asim Rehman, MetLife
  • Betty Song, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Los Angeles
  • Sanya Sukduang, Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP
  • David J. Tsai, Perkins Coie LLP
  • Rocky C. Tsai, Ropes & Gray LLP

NAPABA Past President Paul O. Hirose was honored with the 2013 President’s Award for his continued dedication to NAPABA and the broader APA community, and, in particular, for his work in fighting human trafficking.

This year, J. Weili Cheng, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC, was awarded the 2013 Women’s Leadership Award for her significant contributions to the advancement of women in the legal profession.

The 2013 Affiliate of the Year Award was presented to the Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts. This award was established to recognize outstanding local NAPABA affiliates and their best practices and accomplishments in their respective local communities.

The 2013 Law Firm Diversity Award honors law firms that recruit and retain APA lawyers and promote them to equity partnership and firm leadership. The award celebrates law firm successes in recognizing the potential, supporting the promise, and raising the influence of APA lawyers. The recipients of the inaugural Law Firm Diversity Award were:

  • Bird, Marella, Boxer, Wolpert, Nessim, Drooks & Lincenberg, P.C.
  • Lim Ruger
  • Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Last year, NAPABA established the APA-Owned Law Firm of the Year Award to recognize law firms that have achieved prominence and distinction in the legal profession while advancing the goals and ideals of NAPABA and APA legal advocacy groups. The award celebrates law practices that embrace the APA community while maintaining the highest ethical and legal standards in our profession. The 2013 APA-Owned Law Firm of the Year Award was presented to Kobre & Kim LLP.

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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 67 national, 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.