Empire Mock Trial Seeks 20 Volunteers to Serve as Judges / Jurors for a High School Mock Trial Program on May 20th and 21st

AABANY members are invited to volunteer to serve as judgers and jurors for the High School Mock Trial Program, scheduled for May 20th and 21st. Volunteers can earn three (3) CLE credits in the category of skills.

The upcoming Empire Mock Trial program brings together 600 remarkable high school students from 23 states for a national mock trial competition. Not only is the experience enjoyable because the students are talented, but the case is topical and interesting: it is an original fact pattern inspired by the Alec Baldwin shooting on the Rust movie set.

  • Trials take place at 10 AM and 3 PM on Saturday (5/20) and Sunday (5/21);
  • Lawyers don’t need to leave the comfort of their own home (or office) because the trials are all online;
  • If a lawyer signs-up with a friend, we can ensure that they judge together;
  • To register, send an email to [email protected] with the following information:
    • Your name
    • Trial(s) that you’d like to volunteer for:
    • Saturday AM (5/20), Saturday PM (5/20), Sunday AM (5/21), Sunday PM (5/21)
    • Role preference: judge, juror, either
    • Relevant litigation or mock trial experience

This AAPI Life – Initial Call For Submissions

This AAPI Life is an ode to our rich, lived experiences and how they reflect more broadly across our country. We are making a national call for your stories of what it means to be AAPI. Please join us by submitting your story here.

We plan to share these stories as part of launching This AAPI Life for AAPI Heritage Month in May 2023. If you have any questions, please email Shannon Chang and Rose Yan at [email protected].

2014 NAPABA Convention: Convergence Program Proposals

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There is still time to submit program proposals for the 26th Annual NAPABA Convention, Convergence: Collaborating for a Grand Tomorrow, taking place in Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ from November 69, 2014. Topics that celebrate the diversity and unity of NAPABA and provide practical solutions and advice for our attendees’ development are encouraged.

Please note the extended deadline. Program proposals must be submitted to this online form by 8:00 pm ET on Friday, April 25. The program proposal submission guidelines can be viewed here. Please email NAPABA Special Events Coordinator Pia Rivera with any questions.

Convergence: NAPABA Convention 2014

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Don’t miss out on the 2014 Annual NAPABA Convention! There are many ways to get involved starting now. You can:

For more information on the Convention, including how to make your room reservation at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa, click here.

8th Annual National Conference of Vietnamese American Attorneys

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We look forward to seeing you at the

8th Annual Conference in Orlando.
  
NCVAA has been the largest law conference in the United States for Vietnamese American attorneys and law students since 2006.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to network with nationally renown Judges and Law Professors, as well as top attorneys and legal leaders, from all across the country.
  
Register TODAY.  Early bird prices expire on May 1, 2014.
To register for the conference and for more information, visit:
  
We have a limited number of rooms reserved at discounted rates. To reserve your hotel room, visit:

https://resweb.passkey.com/go/NCVAAAnnualConvention

and select “Attendee” as your guest type.

  
For sponsorship or speaker information, please contact the Conference Co-Chairs:

Nguyen T. Vu, NCVAA President

[email protected]

Kim Y. Nguyen, NCVAA Vice President

[email protected]

Daniel Huynh, NCVAA Board Member

[email protected]

From AAF: State of Asian American Children – National Report and Conference

From our friends at the Asian American Federation comes this announcement:

The Asian American Federation is preparing a first ever national report to examine changes in demographics and socioeconomic status of Asian American children. The report will help us better understand the characteristics and growth of Asian American children, identify family support, as well as financial, educational and health related needs.

A conference to discuss the report’s findings, policy implications and philanthropic responses will be held:

Thursday, March 27, 2014
Time Warner Center, New York City
8:00am breakfast & registration
8:30am program

This full day event will include continental breakfast, plenary sessions, concurrent workshops and a networking reception. Discussion topics include:

  • Early childhood development including health disparities and access to care
  • Health policy that promotes healthy children in Asian American communities
  • Social policy towards working poor families
  • Education policy to promote academic success for at-risk youth
  • Depression and suicide among adolescent females
  • Philanthropy as an advocacy tool

CONFERENCE AGENDA

FEATURED SPEAKERS

SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION

 

NACDL Strike Force Represents Vinoo Varghese

The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) is now representing Vinoo Varghese pro bono in supporting his opposition to the Manhattan DA’s attempt to subpoena him to testify against his client’s interests.

The NACDL has a “Lawyers Assistance Strike Force [which] has a clear mission of representing and counseling criminal defense lawyers who are members of NACDL when they are imperiled with the risks of contempt, disqualification or subpoena for privileged information.”  http://nacdl.org/lasf/

Here is the link to NYLJ article of 11/12/13 and here is a link to NYLJ article of 11/4/13.

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.

NAPABA PRESS RELEASE: NAPABA CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

1612 K Street NW, Suite 1400
Washington, DC 20006


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 13, 2013

Contact: Azizah Ahmad
(202) 775-9555

NAPABA CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION

WASHINGTON — Over 1,200 Asian Pacific American (APA) judges, attorneys, law professors, and law students attended the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) 25th Annual Convention in Kansas City, MO, from November 7-10, 2013. The Annual Convention’s MOmentum theme highlighted and celebrated the monumental achievements of APA attorneys over the past 25 years at the highest levels of the legal profession while also encouraging attendees to collaborate for future progress and successes.

The four-day convention included an annual International Law Symposium, Pro Bono & Public Interest Summit, and over 50 panels and plenaries with some of the brightest minds in the legal profession. Special events included a lunch plenary with special guests Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Representative Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI), who talked about their experiences as APA women in Congress. The Convention’s sold-out annual basketball tournament tested the talents of attorneys and law students against the Benchwarmers—an all-star line-up of APA judicial luminaries, including Judge Denny Chin of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Justice Goodwin Liu of the California Supreme Court.

The Honorable Sri Srinivasan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit gave the keynote address during the 25th Anniversary Gala and Installation Dinner on Saturday, November 9, 2013. During the Gala, Judge Alok Ahuja of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District swore in the following members of the 2013-2014 NAPABA Board of Governors:

Executive Committee

President: William J. Simonitsch, Partner, K&L Gates LLP

President-Elect: George C. Chen, Partner, Bryan Cave LLP

Vice President for Communications: Cyndie M. Chang, Partner, Duane Morris LLP

Vice President for Finance & Development: Alexander M. Lee, Principal, Law Offices of Alexander M. Lee

Vice President for Membership: Brad Yamauchi, Partner, Minami Tamaki LLP

Vice President for Programs and Operations: Jin Y. Hwang, Assistant General Counsel, Verizon Enterprise Solutions

Secretary: Tacie Yoon, Associate, Crowell & Moring LLP

Treasurer: Pankit J. Doshi, Associate, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

Immediate Past President: Wendy C. Shiba, retired (former Executive VP, General Counsel & Secretary, KB Home)

Regional Governors

Central Region: David S. Kim, Attorney, Armstrong Teasdale LLP

Northeast Region: Judy H. Kim, Associate Counsel, New York Liquidation Bureau

Northeast Region: Sophia Lee, Chief Counsel – Litigation, Sunoco, Inc.

Northwest Region: Trung D. Tu, Partner, McEwen Gisvold LLP

Southeast Region: John Truong, Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia

Southwest Region: Eileen Sullivan, Principal, Sullivan Law Firm, PC

Northern California Region: Quyen Ta, Partner, Keker & Van Nest LLP

Eastern California/Nevada Region: Marlo Nisperos, Deputy District Attorney, Solano County District Attorney Office

Central California Region: Audra Mori, Partner, Perkins Coie

Southern California Region: Lloyd S. Costales, Partner, Page, Lobo, Costales & Preston, A.P.C.

At-Large Members

Curtis Hom, Principal, Innova Legal Group, PLLC

Steven Y. Reeves, Partner, Faegre Baker Daniels LLP

Janet Shih Hajek, Of Counsel, Holland & Hart LLP

Marla Tun Reschly, Of Counsel, Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Please join us next year in Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ, from November 6-9, 2014, for the 26th Annual NAPABA Convention, Convergence.

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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.