NAPABA Archives - Page 70 of 75

July 12, 2013

NAPABA Announces 2014-2016 Annual Convention Host Cities

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

1612 K Street NW, Suite 1400
Washington, DC 20006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 11, 2013

Contact: Azizah Ahmad

NAPABA ANNOUNCES 2014-2016 ANNUAL CONVENTION HOST CITIES

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) has selected its annual convention host cities for 2014-2016. The Annual NAPABA Convention will be held in:

2014: Scottsdale, Arizona
2015: New Orleans, Louisiana
2016: San Diego, California

“We are pleased to announce the host cities for the 2014-2016 Annual Conventions,” said Wendy Shiba, president of NAPABA. “We look forward to expanding NAPABA’s presence, engaging membership, and working with NAPABA’s affiliates and the local communities in these host cities.”

The process for selecting host cities breaks new ground from the bidding process that NAPABA has previously used. Several factors were considered during the selection process, including the presence of emerging Asian Pacific American and legal communities; hotel and convention site capacity of potential host cities; relative cost; and a desire to include regions that have not hosted a NAPABA convention recently or ever. New Orleans and San Diego will be first-time host cities and Scottsdale hosted in 2001.

“We are excited that Arizona will be hosting the NAPABA Convention in 2014,” said Mingyi Kang, president of the Arizona Asian American Bar Association. “We are grateful that NAPABA is changing the way the Convention is being hosted and are positive that this change will enable more local chapters to host the NAPABA Convention, increasing NAPABA’s profile, and encouraging more APAs to join and be more involved in our organizations and in the community in general.”

“On behalf of LAPABA, we are absolutely thrilled to have been chosen to host Convention 2015 in New Orleans! This is an unbelievable opportunity, bringing our entire NAPABA family to our great home city for the first time, ever,” said Christine C. Bruneau, president of the Louisiana Asian Pacific American Bar Association. “We look forward to fantastic speakers and programs, seeing old friends and colleagues and meeting new ones, and some truly amazing food, culture, and history!”

Brian S. Sun, president of the Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego, one of four NAPABA affiliates in San Diego, said, “Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego is excited that San Diego was chosen as the host city for NAPABA’s Annual Convention in 2016. We look forward to the opportunity to help the NAPABA convention team in any way we can. I know that everyone will enjoy our wonderful city.”

The 25th Annual NAPABA Convention, Momentum, will be held in Kansas City, Missouri from November 7-10, 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 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.

June 28, 2013

NAPABA Applauds Marriage Equality Decisions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 26, 2013

Contact: Emily Chatterjee
(202) 775-9555

WASHINGTON – In two watershed marriage equality decisions announced today, the U.S. Supreme Court held in United States v. Windsor that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional, and found that proponents of Proposition 8 in Perry v. Hollingsworth lack standing to appeal the federal district court decision, which struck down the amendment. The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) has long supported marriage equality, and joined amicus briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court as well as in lower court proceedings in both cases.

“Today is a historic day for our nation as we move one step closer to equality for all Americans,” said Wendy C. Shiba, president of NAPABA. “As a Californian, I am especially proud that NAPABA has supported marriage equality in Windsor and Perry, and in many other cases, and we look forward to the implementation of both decisions.”

Windsor challenged DOMA, a federal law that denies legally married same-sex couples the same federal benefits provided to heterosexual spouses. Justice Kennedy delivered the 5-4 decision and held that “though Congress has great authority to design laws to fit its own conception of sound national policy, it cannot deny the liberty protected by the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment.”

In Perry, Chief Justice Roberts led the 5-4 Court in dismissing an appeal to reinstate California’s Proposition 8, a voter-passed measure outlawing marriage between same-sex couples because of lack of standing. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion “[w]e have never before upheld the standing of a private party to defend the constitutionality of a state statute when state officials have chosen not to. We decline to do so for the first time here.”

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June 26, 2013

2013 NAPABA Convention Scholarship Application Deadline: August 30, 2013

NAPABA strives to keep the Convention affordable for our members and offers one of the best values among legal education conferences. NAPABA also maintains a scholarship fund to help further defray costs for attendees through full or partial registration waivers, travel stipends, and lodging stipends.

Scholarship applications for the 2013 Convention are due August 30. Apply today if you need assistance with travel and registration costs. We look forward to seeing you in Kansas City, Missouri on November 7-10.

Please fill out the online form by clicking here.

June 26, 2013

NAPABA Condemns Voting Rights Act Decision

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 25, 2013

Contact: Emily Chatterjee
(202) 775-9555

Urges Bipartisan Congressional Action to Protect Voters

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is dismayed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today to strike down Section IV of the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder. Section IV includes the coverage formula for the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was reauthorized by Congress as recently as 2006. NAPABA joined an amicus brief in Shelby County earlier this year that argued in support of upholding the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act.

“The Voting Rights Act has been a crucial tool in combatting voter discrimination, which unfortunately continues today,” said Wendy C. Shiba, president of NAPABA. “We are deeply disappointed by the Court’s decision in Shelby County, which does not reflect current realities facing voters, including vulnerable Asian Pacific American voters. We strongly urge Congress to act swiftly in a bipartisan manner to develop a new coverage formula. All Americans who are eligible to vote must be able to do so.”

In 2006, the Senate voted 98-0 to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act, while the House of Representatives voted 390-33. The Voting Rights Act was first passed by Congress in 1965. Prior to today’s decision, the Court had previously upheld the Voting Rights Act four times.

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June 26, 2013

CBAC Reassured by Supreme Court’s Decision in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 24, 2013

HNBA Contact: Erika Lopez (202) 223-4777
NAPABA Contact: Emily Chatterjee (202) 775-9555
NBA Contact: Erika Owens (202) 842-3900
NNABA Contact: Mary Smith (405) 761-1723

Coalition of Bar Associations of Color
Reassured by Supreme Court’s Decision in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin

WASHINGTON – The Coalition of Bar Associations of Color (CBAC) – the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), the National Bar Association (NBA) and the National Native American Bar Association (NNABA) – is reassured by the Supreme Court’s decision today to reaffirm the principle that diversity in higher education is a compelling national interest. We remain cautiously optimistic about the Court’s decision to send the case back to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Supreme Court partially vacated a lower court ruling that had upheld the right of the University of Texas at Austin to partially consider race in its admissions’ policy. However, in deciding Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, it left intact the precedent it set in Grutter v. Bollinger, which allows schools to consider racial diversity as an admissions factor.

Last summer, CBAC filed an amicus curiae brief with the Supreme Court in the Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin case. The brief highlights the progress made in diversifying the legal profession since the Court’s ruling in Grutter v. Bollinger, while discussing the continued need for race-conscious admissions programs to further the diversification of the legal profession.

“We are encouraged that the United States Supreme Court’s ruling affirmed the Grutter v. Hollinger decision which allows racial and ethnic diversity to be considered as one of many factors in a carefully crafted admissions policy,” stated HNBA National President Peter M. Reyes, Jr. “These are important factors to consider when taking a holistic admissions approach, and the Court in a 7-1 strongly supports our position.”

“We are encouraged by the Court’s decision today in Fisher,” said Wendy C. Shiba, president of NAPABA. “A strong majority of the Court has stood in support of diversity as a compelling interest, and members of the Asian Pacific American community are heartened by this outcome. We see evidence of the importance of a diverse workforce every day in the legal profession, and are thankful that our nation’s commitment to the values of diversity and inclusion has been ratified today.”

“Today’s decision underscores diversity as a compelling interest for all institutions of education and higher learning,” stated John E. Page, President of the National Bar Association. “Even with strict scrutiny of the methods used to achieve such diversity, the US Supreme Court continues to agree that many factors, including race, can be a factor in an admissions program.”

“Diversity is important to educational opportunities for all and furthers classroom discussion and understanding,” said Mary Smith, President of the National Native Bar Association. “We are heartened that the Supreme Court has recognized the importance of diversity.”

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June 20, 2013

NAPABA Disaster Relief Database

The NAPABA Pro Bono and Community Service Committee introduces the disaster relief database. The database provides information on federal and local level resources on disaster relief and preparation. To address the needs of limited English proficient members of the APA community, many of the resources on the database are available in various Asian languages.

June 20, 2013

Nationwide Dialogue on Hate Crimes — NEW DATE: JUNE 26

TRACKING (IN)JUSTICE: A Nationwide Dialogue on Hate Crimes
Wed. June 26, 2013
10:00 am to 12:00 pm PDT / 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm EDT
Asian Law Caucus
55 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco,
and other venues nationwide (TBD)
Live streaming at http://tinyurl.com/TRACKING-IN-JUSTICE

NAPABA is sponsoring the South Asian Bar Association of Northern California’s “TRACKING (IN)JUSTICE: A Nationwide Dialogue on Hate Crimes.” The dialogue will focus on the need to monitor hate crimes against Arabs, Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims. In the wake of recent vandalism of religious venues, discriminatory publicity materials, attacks on innocent individuals, Oak Creek shootings, and Boston Marathon bombing, there is growing concern about the safety and rights of all community members. Those perceived to be Arab, Sikh, Hindu, or Muslim are increasingly vulnerable to hateful speech and violence more than a decade after 9/11, yet the FBI only tracks hate crimes against Muslims. Join activists from around the country in a discussion urging the FBI to track anti-Arab, anti-Hindu, anti-Sikh crimes in addition to anti-Muslim crimes.

Click here for more information.

June 20, 2013

NAPABA Political Appointments Project

Many NAPABA members have expressed interest in serving in the second term of the Obama Administration. NAPABA has assembled information as an introduction to the process, and important information about how to facilitate pursuit of a position is included. Current NAPABA members should submit application materials as outlined here.

June 20, 2013

2013 NAPABA Convention Awards Nominations

2013 NAPABA Best Lawyers Under 40, Affiliate of the Year,
and APA-Owned Law Firm Awards Nominations
Submissions Deadline: July 22, 2013

2013 NAPABA Best Lawyers Under 40 Award Nominations

The NAPABA Best Lawyers Under 40 Award recognizes talented individuals within the Asian Pacific American legal community under the age of 40 who have achieved prominence and distinction in their fields of endeavor—be it the practice of law, academia, business, civic and charitable affairs, the judiciary, or politics—and have demonstrated a strong commitment to civic or community affairs.

Nominations for the Award are due on or before July 22, 2013. Please note that the deadline has been moved up this year. The Best Lawyers Under 40 Award recipients will be honored at the 25th Annual NAPABA Convention in Kansas City, Missouri, on November 7-10, 2013.

Click here to download the nominations form.

2013 NAPABA Affiliate of the Year Award Nominations

This Affiliate of the Year Award was established to recognize outstanding NAPABA affiliates for their best practices and accomplishments in their respective local communities. Only current 2012-2013 NAPABA affiliates are eligible for this Award.

Nominations for the Award are due on or before July 22, 2013. The Affiliate of the Year Award recipient will be honored at the 25th Annual NAPABA Convention in Kansas City, Missouri, on November 7-10, 2013.

Click here to download the nominations form.

2013 NAPABA APA-Owned Law Firm of the Year Award Nominations

NAPABA has created the first ever APA-Owned Law Firm Award of the Year to recognize our membership’s law firms—solo, small, and large—that have achieved prominence and distinction, and have demonstrated a strong commitment to the Asian Pacific American (APA) community. The Award celebrates law practices that embrace the APA community while maintaining the highest ethical and legal standards in our profession. The Award also recognizes firms that have advanced the goals and ideals of NAPABA and APA legal advocacy groups.

Nominations for the Award are due on or before July 22, 2013. The APA-Owned Law Firm of the Year Award recipient will be honored at the 25th Annual NAPABA Convention in Kansas City, Missouri, on November 7-10, 2013.

Click here to download the nominations form.

June 3, 2013

NAPABA 2013-2014 Board Elections – Call for Nominations

2013 Call for Nominations

The NAPABA Nominating and Elections Committee is accepting nominations for election to the officer positions of NAPABA for the 2013-2014 term. NAPABA is a nonprofit, voluntary, professional organization founded in 1989, representing the interests of over 40,000 Asian Pacific American lawyers, law students and judges throughout North America and abroad. For more information about NAPABA please go to our website, www.napaba.org.

The qualifications for NAPABA office are listed in the NAPABA Nominating and Election Rules, an excerpt of which is attached at Exhibit A. 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 1, 2013. (You may click here to download the form from the NAPABA website.) The nomination petition will require the following:

You will be required to specify a “home” NAPABA affiliate, of which you are a member. It is important that NAPABA leaders be familiar with and sensitive to the needs and concerns of NAPABA’s affiliates. If you are not a member of a NAPABA affiliate, you will need to include a statement explaining why you are not a member of an affiliate and how you might address any lack of familiarity with NAPABA affiliates and the needs, interests and concerns of affiliates.
You will need to submit a completed nomination petition that includes the signature (or other attestation) of at least 25 NAPABA members in good standing, other than the nominee. At least 10 of such NAPABA members must be either (a) not members of affiliates in the potential nominee’s state or (b) not members of affiliates in your NAPABA region. Also, at least 10 of the NAPABA members who sign your petition must be members of your home affiliate.
If you are not a member of a NAPABA affiliate, you will be required to submit a petition signed by at least 30 NAPABA members in good standing.
Signatories to your petition will be determined to be in good standing if those signatories’ dues are fully paid by July 1, 2013 and they meet all other requirements for membership as determined by their home affiliate. Good standing for NAPABA members who are not members of an affiliate will be determined to be those lawyers whose membership dues are fully paid by July 1, 2013, who are licensed and eligible to practice law somewhere in the United States or Canada or their territories, and any other requirements as may be set forth by the NAPABA bylaws.
Nominating petitions and personal statements must be received by email at [email protected] on or before 11:59 p.m. PDT on July 1, 2013.
Completed petition forms will not be made public.
Signing a petition form will not constitute an endorsement of the prospective candidate.
NAPABA members may sign more than one prospective candidate’s petition form, including signing petitions for two or more members who might be opponents in an election.

Personal Statements

Each candidate shall submit a personal statement that will be published in the election issue of the NAPABA Newsletter; the election issue will be mailed to the entire NAPABA membership. Statements from candidates for the position of President Elect shall not exceed 1,000 words; statements from all other candidates shall not exceed 750 words. The candidates may submit the statement in narrative form but are requested to respond to the following questions within the statement:

With respect to the position you are seeking, what goals do you have for NAPABA , and how do they align with or diverge from NAPABA’s most recent strategic plan?
What are the challenges and opportunities you see facing NAPABA in the coming year?
How do you anticipate accomplishing your goals?
What particular training or experience do you bring that would make you a strong NAPABA officer?

Candidates may submit a photo (high resolution digital image that is at least 300 dpi) and short bio along with their petition and statement if they would like a photo and bio to be included in the elections issue of the NAPABA newsletter.

Late submissions will not be accepted.

Candidates may obtain a copy of the current NAPABA Strategic Plan by contacting NAPABA Executive Director Tina Matsuoka at 202-775-9555 or [email protected].

As a NAPABA officer, you will be expected to attend all NAPABA Board of Governors meetings during the year. The tentative Board meeting schedule for next year is as follows:

Coincides with:

November 7, 2013 (Kansas City, MO)

NAPABA Annual Convention

February 8, 2014

ABA Midyear Meeting

May 2014 (Washington, DC)

APA Heritage Month / NAPABA Lobby Day &
Congressional Reception

August 9, 2014 (Boston, MA)

ABA Annual Meeting

Additional duties are identified in the Statement of the Board of Directors Duties & Expectations, which can be found here, and which must be signed by all Board members. The officer positions subject to election this year are listed below.

President-Elect. The President-Elect will serve for a one year term and thereafter succeed to the Presidency of NAPABA for a one year term. The President will serve on the Board of Governors for NAPABA for one year as Immediate Past President after his or her term as President. The President-Elect will assist the President in the discharge of those duties as the President may direct and will perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him/her by the President or the Board. In the absence of the President or in the event of his/her inability or refusal to act, the President-Elect will perform the duties of the President and when so acting, be subject to all the restrictions upon the President.

The President-Elect also: chairs the Nominations and Elections Committee; assists in fundraising; serves as the Executive Committee liaison to designated NAPABA Committees and Regional Governors; sits on the Board of the NAPABA Law Foundation (NLF); and oversees planning for the Annual Convention.

Vice-President for Finance and Development. The Vice-President for Finance and Development will be responsible, under the direction of the Board, for considering the financial resources of NAPABA, making recommendations to the Board, and seeking corporate and other institutional funds. The Vice-President for Finance and Development will also perform such duties as from time to time may be assigned to him/her by the President or the Board.

The Vice-President for Finance and Development also: chairs the Finance and Fundraising Committee; coordinates all fundraising activities; prepares and implements NAPABA’s financial strategic plan; sits on the Board of the NLF; and serves as Executive Committee liaison to designated NAPABA Committees and Regional Governors.

Vice-President for Programs and Operations. The Vice-President for Programs and Operations will be responsible, under the direction of the Board, for coordinating the programs and operations of NAPABA, including overseeing the listing of programs and activities contained on the NAPABA website.

The Vice-President for Programs and Operations also: works and coordinates with NAPABA affiliates and Committees on programs; assists in fundraising; and serves as Executive Committee liaison to designated NAPABA Committees and Regional Governors.

Vice-President for Membership. The Vice-President for Membership will be responsible, under the direction of the Board, for communications with the members and prospective members of NAPABA, including overseeing the membership information contained on NAPABA’s website and maintaining NAPABA’s mailing list.

The Vice-President for Membership also: chairs the Membership Committee; works with NAPABA affiliates on membership issues; works with the Treasurer on dues issues; assists in fundraising; and serves as Executive Committee liaison to designated NAPABA Committees and Regional Governors.

Vice-President for Communications. The Vice-President for Communications will be responsible, under the direction of the Board, for coordinating and producing NAPABA’s newsletter and coordinating NAPABA’s external relations with the media.

The Vice-President for Communications also: chairs the Newsletter Editorial Board; coordinates and oversees the newsletter and website; assists in fundraising; and serves as Executive Committee liaison to designated NAPABA Committees and Regional Governors.

Treasurer. The Treasurer will be the principal accounting and financial officer of NAPABA. He/she will: (a) have charge of and be responsible for the maintenance of adequate books of account for NAPABA; (b) have charge and custody of all funds and securities of NAPABA, and be responsible therefor, and for the receipt and disbursement thereof; and © perform all the duties incident to the office of Treasurer and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him/her by the President or by the Board.

The Treasurer also: serves as a member of the Finance and Fundraising Committee; coordinates and oversees the NAPABA budget; prepares financial reports for quarterly board meetings; prepares and finalizes the annual budget for the February board meeting (for approval by the Board at the February meeting); handles NAPABA dues with NAPABA affiliates; assists in fundraising; and serves as Executive Committee liaison to designated NAPABA Committees and Regional Governors.

Secretary. The Secretary will record the minutes of the meetings of the members and of the Board, see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws or as required by law, be custodian of NAPABA records and of the seal of NAPABA, and perform all duties incident to the office of Secretary.

The Secretary also: maintains, during his/her term, Bylaws and NAPABA records for permanent storage in the National office; prepares and maintains master lists of Board members, Committee Chairs and Affiliate contacts; coordinates and distributes the agenda for Board meetings; assists in fundraising; and serves as Executive Committee liaison to designated NAPABA Committees and Regional Governors.

For a more complete description of the duties, please refer to the NAPABA Bylaws.

EXHIBIT A: Excerpt from Nominating & Elections Rules

Qualifications for Candidates for NAPABA Office. NAPABA seeks outstanding individuals of high integrity with proven leadership skills. The following criteria must be met by a candidate in order to run for a NAPABA office, and the Committee is responsible for determining whether a particular candidate meets these qualifications:

Leadership. Candidates must have demonstrated proven leadership skills in their work for NAPABA, local NAPABA affiliates or in their other professional activities. Such leadership may be demonstrated in connection with serving as an officer for a NAPABA affiliate, and, in the case of a candidate for President-Elect, serving as the president of a NAPABA affiliate.
Commitment. Candidates must have demonstrated a proven commitment to the work of NAPABA. Such commitment may be demonstrated by prior service on the NAPABA Board or on a NAPABA committee or by otherwise serving the national body or a NAPABA affiliate.
Personal Integrity and Trust. Candidates must have demonstrated in all of their professional and personal activities the highest standards of personal integrity and trust.
Public Relations Skills. A key objective of NAPABA is to advocate for and promote interests of Asian Pacific American lawyers nationwide. Accordingly, all candidates for officer positions must have demonstrated outstanding public speaking, advocacy and public relations skills.
Prior Board or Committee Service. A candidate for President-Elect must first serve on the NAPABA Board as an officer or as a Regional Governor for at least two full years as of the time his/her term as President-Elect would begin. A candidate for a vice presidential position must first serve at least one year on the NAPABA Board or as the chair of a NAPABA committee. But in exceptional circumstances, the Committee may deem a candidate eligible to run for President-Elect or a vice presidential position even where the candidate does not satisfy this prior service requirement when the candidate’s other strengths and experiences (whether or not enumerated herein) overcome any perceived deficiency that may exist due to the candidate’s lack of prior NAPABA Board or committee experience.