Official blog of the Asian American Bar Association of New York
This year, the NAPABA Board of Governors will appoint two At-Large Board Members to serve a two-year term that will begin in the 2013-2014 bar year.
The NAPABA Nominating and Elections Committee invites all members in good standing to submit their names and statements as candidates for At-Large Board Member to Pia Rivera at [email protected] on or before September 15, 2013.
For additional information, click here to review the complete At-Large Members Guidelines.
NAPABA is accepting applications for law students to volunteer at the 25th Annual NAPABA Convention. The deadline to apply is Friday, September 20, 2013. Volunteers who serve at least 8 hours will receive complimentary general admission to the Convention. Tasks include assisting with registration, set-up, break-out panels, checking in attendees for CLE credit, receptions, and hosting the Saturday evening gala dinner.
For more detailed information and to fill out the application form, please visit: http://2013convention.napaba.org/get-involved/.
If you have any questions about volunteering for the Convention, please email [email protected].
AABANY is pleased to announce the formation of its new Career Placement Committee. The primary purpose of the Career Placement Committee is to match qualified AABANY members with available legal job positions. To accomplish this, the Career Placement Committee is launching the AABANY Career Exchange which will serve as a clearinghouse for all legal positions brought to its attention and will proactively seek to match qualified AABANY candidates with such open positions. To this end, the Career Placement Committee is actively seeking information regarding open legal positions. If you are aware of any such positions please email the Career Placement Committee co-chairs (Robert Leung, Michael Park and Gurinder Singh) at [email protected].
In addition, the Career Placement Committee is also interested in getting to know AABANY members who are currently seeking or considering seeking a new position. It is important for the Career Placement Committee to understand the skill sets, special expertise and interests of AABANY members currently conducting or thinking about a job search in order to be able to best match qualified candidates with particular open positions. To facilitate the process, the Career Placement Committee will kickoff the AABANY Career Exchange by holding 15-minute informational one-on-one meetings with interested AABANY members at the AABANY 2013 Fall Conference / NAPABA Northeast Regional Conference on September 21, 2013 (www.napaba-ne.aabany.org ). Feel free to bring a resume. All questions and inquiries will be kept strictly confidential.
Finally, if you are interested in getting involved in the Career Placement Committee, please let us know. We are currently actively seeking 5-10 committee members to assist with our current and future projects. Please email us at [email protected].
If you have any questions or comments feel free to contact the Career Placement Committee co-chairs: Robert Leung, Michael Park or Gurinder Singh at [email protected].
This year, the NAPABA Board of Governors will appoint two At-Large Board Members to serve a two-year term that will begin in the 2013-2014 bar year.
The NAPABA Nominating and Elections Committee invites all members in good standing to submit their names and statements as candidates for At-Large Board Member to Pia Rivera at [email protected] on or before August 30, 2013.
For additional information, click here to review the complete At-Large Members Guidelines.
NAPABA is proud to announce its slate of candidates for officer positions for 2013-2014, which is available here. Ballots were sent by email to all members and is included in the Election Edition of the NAPABA Lawyer. All ballot submissions must be received by 11:59 pm PDT on Sunday, September 15, 2013.
Dear AABANY Members & Friends,
As you may know, AABANY is an affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (“NAPABA”). All dues paying members of AABANY as of August 1, 2013 are NAPABA members and have the right to vote in the upcoming NAPABA election, except for student members who are not voting members of AABANY and thus not eligible to vote in the election. Note that AABANY Sponsor Members (those who joined through sponsorship of the Annual Dinner) are voting members of AABANY and thus eligible to vote in the election.
Certain NAPABA candidates in this year’s NAPABA election reached out to AABANY seeking its endorsement. These candidates were afforded the opportunity to address AABANY’s Board and answer various questions from our Board members. After due deliberation and consideration by the Board of each of the candidate’s presentations, AABANY is pleased to announce its endorsement of, and recommendation that its members and friends vote for, the following candidates (click name to view candidate’s statement):
For President-Elect: Han Choi
For VP, Programs & Operations: Michael Yim
For VP, Finance & Development: Alexander Lee
For VP, Communications: Cyndie Chang
For VP, Membership: Brad Yamauchi
Further information about the NAPABA election may be found at www.napaba.org.
The Board recommends each eligible member of AABANY to vote in the upcoming NAPABA elections for the candidates that have been endorsed by AABANY. All ballot submissions must be received by 11:59pm PT on Sunday, September 15, 2013.
If you believe that you were a dues paying member of AABANY as of August 1, 2013 but do not receive the NAPABA election ballot by email or mail from NAPABA (by August 15, 2013), please contact AABANY at [email protected].
Thank you.
Mike Huang, President
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
1612 K Street NW, Suite 1400
Washington, DC 20006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2013
Contact: Emily Chatterjee
(202) 775-9555
NAPABA CELEBRATES CONFIRMATION OF RAYMOND T. CHEN TO THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT
President Obama Doubles the Number of Asian Pacific American
Circuit Court Judges in History
WASHINGTON—Today, the Senate confirmed Raymond T. Chen to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit by a unanimous vote. He is the first Asian Pacific American to serve on the court since Judge Shiro Kashiwa retired from the Federal Circuit in 1986.
“NAPABA celebrates Ray Chen’s nomination to the Federal Circuit, which we are proud to have supported,” said Wendy Shiba, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “He has superb credentials to serve on this court, and we commend President Obama for nominating him. NAPABA also thanks Senator Mazie Hirono for her support of his nomination in the Senate.”
Since 2008, Chen has served as the Deputy General Counsel for Intellectual Property Law and Solicitor at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He began his tenure at the office in 1998 as an Associate Solicitor. During his time there, he has received numerous awards for his service, including: the Gold Medal Award, U.S. Department of Commerce (2011); the Bronze Medal Award, U.S. Department of Commerce (2005); and Attorney of the Year, Office of the Solicitor. Chen previously worked as a technical assistant at the Federal Circuit from 1996 to 1998. Prior to government service, Chen worked as an associate at the law firm Knobbe, Martens, Olson & Bear from 1994 to 1996 and as a scientist at Hecker & Harriman (now Hecker Law Group) in Los Angeles. He is a graduate of the New York University School of Law and the University of California, Los Angeles.
With Chen’s confirmation, President Obama has doubled the number of Asian Pacific American circuit court judges in our nation’s history. Despite the tremendous progress made during the Obama Administration, however, Asian Pacific Americans continue to be significantly underrepresented in the federal judiciary. Only four out of over 180 federal appellate court judges in the entire nation are held by individuals with Asian Pacific American heritage. NAPABA salutes President Obama for his continued commitment to nominating well-qualified, diverse nominees to the federal judiciary.
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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 66 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.
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
1612 K Street NW, Suite 1400
Washington, DC 20006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 25, 2013
Contact: Emily Chatterjee
(202) 775-9555
NAPABA APPLAUDS NOMINATION OF VINCE CHHABRIA TO
THE U.S. DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
WASHINGTON—Today, President Obama nominated Vince Chhabria to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. If confirmed, Chhabria will be the first person of South Asian descent to ever serve as an Article III judge in California’s history. According to the U.S. Census, California is home to the largest South Asian community in the U.S. with over a half million and with a high growth rate of 68 percent.
“Vince Chhabria’s nomination to serve as a federal district judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California is well-deserved and we are proud to support him. He has the credentials, experience, and temperament to be an exemplary judge,” said Wendy C. Shiba, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “We would particularly note the historic nature of this nomination. If confirmed, Mr. Chhabria would be the first South Asian American to serve as a federal judge in California.”
Chhabria has deep roots in California, and a demonstrated commitment to public service. Chhabria has served as the deputy city attorney in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office since 2005. In this role, he is co-chief of appellate litigation and defends the City and its employees in constitutional challenges to city ordinances and programs. Prior to public service, Chhabria spent several years working in the private sector in San Francisco, first as an associate at Keker & Van Nest and later at Covington & Burling. He graduated with honors from both the University of California, Berkeley (Boalt Hall) and the University of California, Santa Cruz. After law school, he clerked for at all three levels of the federal courts, including clerkships with Judge Charles R. Breyer on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Judge James R. Browning on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and Justice Stephen Breyer on the U.S. Supreme Court.
NAPABA applauds President Obama for nominating Chhabria to the district court and for his continuing commitment to nominating well-qualified, diverse nominees to the federal judiciary. We also commend Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein for their recommendation and support of Chhabria’s nomination.
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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 66 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.
The NAPABA Law Foundation is pleased to announce its 2013 NLF Scholarships, which are available to law students pursuing a Juris Doctor (non LL.M) degree in an accredited law school in the U.S. Part-time students are also eligible to apply, provided they meet the NLF guidelines for application. Scholarship opportunities include:
· Anheuser-Busch/NLF Presidential Scholarships
· UPS/NLF Gold Mountain Scholarships
· Chris Nakamura Scholarships
· Lim, Ruger & Kim Scholarship
· Bob Chin Scholarship
· NLF Scholarships
For details about scholarship opportunities, eligibility, and the NAPABA Law Foundation please visit the website at:
http://napaba.org/napaba/showpage.asp?code=scholarships
Applications are due on September 2, 2013. They can be found on the NLF website or at the link below.
Application: http://napaba.org/uploads/napaba/2013_NLF_Scholarship_Application.pdf