NAPABA Applauds Nomination of Judge Karen Gren Scholer to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

For Immediate Release
March 15, 2016

For More Information, Contact​​:
Brett Schuster, Communications Manager
202-775-9555; [email protected]

WASHINGTON
— Today, President Obama nominated Judge Karen Gren Scholer to the U.S.
District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. If confirmed, Scholer
will be the first Asian Pacific American to serve as a federal district
court judge in Texas or any of the courts encompassed by the U.S. Court
of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit — which encompasses Texas, Louisiana,
and Mississippi.

“Judge
Karen Gren Scholer has had a distinguished legal career and will serve
admirably on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas,”
said Jin Y. Hwang, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar
Association (NAPABA). “I urge the Senate to ensure a speedy
confirmation for Ms. Scholer.”

Scholer
is currently a partner at Carter Scholer Arnett Hamada Mockler PLLC, in
Dallas, Texas. She is an experienced litigator and former judge who has
presided over 100 trials. Her judicial experience includes eight years
as a state district judge on the 95th Judicial District Court, Dallas
County, Texas. She has also served as the presiding judge for Dallas
County Civil District Court Judges and, on one occasion, as a Justice on
the Tenth Court of Appeals by appointment of Governor Rick Perry.

Scholer

has been a partner at a number of firms in Dallas, including Jones Day,
Andrews & Kurth LLP, and Strasburger & Price LLP. Active in her
community, Scholer has served as co-chair of Attorneys Serving the
Community and in leadership positions in the Dallas Bar Association and
Asian Pacific American community organizations. She is a speaker on
trial practice and was a visiting faculty member at the Notre Dame Law
School. The State Bar of Texas, the University of Texas at Austin, and
Superlawyers have all recognized Scholer for her legal excellence and
achievement. Scholer graduated from Rice University and the Cornell
University School of Law.

For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, at 202-775-9555 or [email protected].

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO DEFEND ASIAN AMERICAN VOTING RIGHTS NY • NJ • MA • PA • NV • MI • TX • GA • LA • VA • MD • DC Asian American Poll Monitoring for Mid-Term — Tuesday, November 4, 2014

In past elections, Asian Americans have faced a series of barriers in exercising their right to vote.  When the news media reported on election results, Asian Americans were overlooked.  In response, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund along with several partners will monitor the elections for bilingual ballots under the federal Voting Rights Act and to document instances of anti-Asian voter disenfranchisement.

We need your help.  In the 2012 elections, 850 volunteers polled 9,096 Asian American voters in 14 states and Washington, DC.  Volunteers work in 3-hour shifts.  There will be a 90-minute training session for all volunteers.  (Attorneys can receive 1.5 CLE credits including 0.5 ethics credit.)  Sign up online here.  Thank you!

For more information, contact: AALDEF Staff Attorney Jerry Vattamala or Voting Rights Organizer Judy Lei at 800-966-5946 or [email protected]

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AALDEF 2014 Poll Monitoring Trainings
Lite Lunch/ Dinner will be provided.  
Advanced Registration required.  Sign up here.

Tues., Oct. 14 – Boston
8:30 a.m. – Mintz Levin, 1 Financial Center, Boston, MA 02110
12 noon – Ropes & Gray, 800 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02199
6 p.m. – Edwards Wildman, 111 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02199

Wed, Oct. 15 – New York City
12 noon – Shearman & Sterling, 599 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10022

Thurs, Oct. 16 – New York City
12 noon – Weil Gotshal, 767 5th Ave, New York, NY 10153
6 p.m. – Wilson Elser, 150 East 42nd Street New York, NY 10017

Fri, Oct. 17 – Las Vegas
12:30 p.m. – Ballard Spahr,  100 North City Parkway, Suite 1750, Las Vegas, NV 89106
6 p.m. – Location TBD

Mon, Oct. 20- Washington DC
12 p.m. – Finnegan, I St NW # 700, Washington, DC 20005
6 p.m. – Crowell & Moring, 1001 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004

Tues, Oct. 21 – Atlanta
12 noon – Ballard Spahr, 999 Peachtree Street, Suite 1000, Atlanta, GA 30309
6 p.m. – CPACS, 3510 Shallowford Rd NE, Chamblee, GA 30341

Wed, Oct. 22 – Houston
12 noon – Fullbright & Jaworski, 1301 McKinney St #5100, Houston, TX 77010
6 p.m. – OCA-Greater Houston, 9800 Town Park #142, Houston TX 77036

Thurs, Oct. 23- New Orleans
2 p.m. – Cotton, Schmidt & Abbot, 650 Poydras St, New Orleans, LA 70130
6 p.m. – VAYLA, 13235 Chef Menteur Hwy, New Orleans, LA 70129

Thurs., Oct, 23 – Ann Arbor/Detroit
12 noon – Detroit, location TBD
6 p.m. –  University of Michigan Law School, 625 S State St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (tentative location)

Mon, Oct. 27 – Newark, NJ
12 noon – McCarter & English, 100 Mulberry St, Newark, NJ 07102

 Tues, Oct. 28 – Manhattan
12 noon – Baker Hostetler, 45 Rockefeller Plaza #10, New York, NY 10111
6 p.m. – Debevoise & Plimpton, 919 Third Ave, New York, NY 10022

Wed, Oct. 29 – Philadelphia
12 noon – Ballard Spahr, 1735 Market St #5100, Philadelphia, PA 19103
6 p.m. – BPSOS – South Philly, 600 Washington Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19147 (tentative location)

Wed, Oct. 29 – Brooklyn
12:45pm – Brooklyn Law School, 250 Joralemon St, Room 500, New York, NY 11201

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AALDEF 2014 Poll Monitoring Co-Sponsors
List as of September 17, 2014.

NATIONAL CO-SPONSORS
Alliance of South Asian American Labor
APIAVote
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development
National Korean American Service & Education Consortium
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance
North American South Asian Bar Association
OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates
South Asian Americans Leading Together

LOCAL CO-SPONSORS
APIA Vote – Michigan
Asian American Society of Central Virginia
Boat People SOS Delaware Valley – PA
Center for Pan Asian Community Services – GA
Chhaya CDC – NY
Chinese Community Federation of Atlanta – GA
Chinese Progressive Association – MA
Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia
Hunter College/CUNY, Asian American Studies Program – NY
Korean American Civic Empowerment of NY/NJ
MinKwon Center for Community Action – NY
OCA Georgia Chapter
OCA Greater Houston Chapter
OCA Las Vegas Chapter
Princeton Asian American Students Association – NJ
University of Maryland, College Park, Asian American Studies Program
University of Massachusetts Boston, Asian American Studies Program
Vietnamese American Young Leaders Association of New Orleans – LA

LEGAL CO-SPONSORS
Asian American Bar Association of Houston
Asian American Bar Association of New York
Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts
Asian American Legal Advocacy Center of Georgia
Asian Bar Association of Las Vegas – NV
Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Washington, DC
Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania
Asian Pacific American Lawyers Assoc. of New Jersey
Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center – DC
Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association
Greater Boston Legal Services: Asian Outreach Unit – MA
Korean Amer. Bar Assoc. of the Washington DC Area
Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater NY
Louisiana Asian Pacific American Bar Association
Pace Law School, Public Interest Law Center – NY
Suffolk U. Law School, Rappaport Center for Law and Public Service – MA
and Asian Pacific American Law Student Association chapters across the country.