Tag: terrorism

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Press Release: NAPABA Congratulates Jessie K. Liu and Jennifer Yue Barber on Their Nominations

For Immediate Release I January 7, 2020

WASHINGTON — Yesterday, President Trump announced the nominations of Jessie K. Liu to be Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Crimes and Jennifer Yue Barber to be Representative of the United States of America on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador.

“We congratulate Jessie K. Liu on her nomination to serve as the Under Secretary of the Treasury. Ms. Liu is an experienced and respected attorney with a record of leadership as U.S. Attorney. She is well qualified to oversee the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence,” said Bonnie Lee Wolf, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “We congratulate Jennifer Yue Barber on her nomination to serve as Representative of the United States of America on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Ms. Barber has a strong record of encouraging and creating economic opportunity and is well qualified to serve as Ambassador. We are encouraged to see Asian Pacific American women like Ms. Liu and Ms. Barber continue to break barriers and serve as role models.”

A litigator with over 20 years of experience, Liu is presently the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. She previously served as Deputy General Counsel for the Department of the Treasury, as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia and in several senior positions in the U.S. Department of Justice, including as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division, counsel to the Deputy Attorney General and Deputy Chief of Staff for the National Security Division. She was a partner at the law firms Morrison & Foerster LLP and Jenner & Block LLP. Liu clerked for then-Chief Judge Carolyn Dineen King of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Houston, Texas. She received her A.B., summa cum laude, from Harvard University and her J.D. from Yale Law School. A longtime member of the Asian Pacific American legal community, Liu served as a co-chair of the 2012 NAPABA Convention in Washington, D.C. She is also a recipient of the NAPABA Best Under 40 Award.  

Barber is a member of the law firm Frost Brown Todd LLC focusing on state and local tax, economic incentives, and government affairs. She was appointed by the Governor of Kentucky to serve on the University of Kentucky’s Board of Trustees. Barber is also a member of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Tax Working Group and Litigation Committee and a member of the American Bar Association and Kentucky Bar Association, where she leads and serves on multiple committees. She is also a member of the local advisory board for United States Bank, the nation’s fifth largest commercial bank. She served on the Kentucky State Fair Board, which has over $450 million in annual economic impact to Kentucky. Barber earned her B.S. from the University of Kentucky and her J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law. She clerked in the Office of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Kentucky. Barber is a member of the NAPABA Partners Committee.

Barber is also nominated to be an Alternate U.S. Representative to the United Nations General Assembly.

NAPABA commends President Trump for announcing the nomination of Jessie K. Liu and Jennifer Yue Barber.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American (APA) attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 50,000 attorneys and over 80 national, state, and local bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government. NAPABA engages in legislative and policy advocacy, promotes APA political leadership and political appointments, and builds coalitions within the legal profession and the community at large. NAPABA also serves as a resource for government agencies, members of Congress, and public service organizations about APAs in the legal profession, civil rights, and diversity in the courts.

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ORGANIZATIONAL STATEMENT: NAPABA Stands Up Against Anti-Muslim Hate and Bigotry

Today,
NAPABA will convene with members of the Asian Pacific American
community at the National Japanese American Memorial to stand in
solidarity with the Muslim, Sikh, Arab, and South Asian American
communities. This rally is in response to anti-Muslim hate and rhetoric
that has increased following recent terrorist attacks.

Below is NAPABA’s organizational statement:

The
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) — together
with 34 fellow member organizations of the National Council of Asian
Pacific Americans — stands with its members and in solidarity with all
Arab, Muslim, Sikh, and South Asian American communities to oppose
anti-Muslim hate, bigotry, and xenophobia and calls on the American
people and allied groups to do the same.

Fourteen years ago, NAPABA came together with members of the Asian
Pacific American (APA) community to denounce anti-Muslim hate and
violence in the days following the 9/11 attacks. Sadly, a resurgence of
that same kind of hate and xenophobia has prompted the APA community and
NAPABA to again speak out against anti-Muslim sentiment.

In recent weeks and months, hate crimes committed against Muslim
Americans and those perceived to be Muslim have increased at an alarming
and unprecedented rate. Since the Paris attacks, there has been an
average of two attacks against Muslims every day in the U.S.

Xenophobic and divisive rhetoric from political candidates, elected
officials, and other public figures have helped to promote an
environment of fear, suspicion, and hatred for Muslims in America. This
fear and suspicion has led to unfounded and unfair targeting of Muslims
and individuals perceived to be Muslim engaging in unthreatening
behavior — such as speaking Arabic at an airport, wearing a turban to a
football game, or simply having black or brown skin — which can
normalize anti-Muslim violence and threats and make them more likely to
occur.

Recent terror attacks — including those in Paris and San Bernadino — are
no excuse for violence or prejudice against the Arab, Muslim, Sikh, and
South Asian Americans, who are contributing and valuable members of
NAPABA and our nation. We must refuse to be guided by stereotypes, fear,
and mistrust. We must stand up against anti-Muslim hate, bigotry, and
xenophobia and help make this country a better place for all of us.

NAPABA encourages its members and affiliates to show solidarity with the Arab, Muslim, Sikh, and South Asian American communities. We
hope that you will be the voices of tolerance through your actions to
support your neighbors, respond to acts of hate, and denounce rhetoric
that encourages discrimination and profiling. We encourage you to look for community-based resources and campaigns to become strong partners and advocates in this effort to denounce anti-Muslim hate.