Tag: U.S. District Court

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NAPABA Applauds the Confirmation of Judge Meredith A. Vacca to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York

For Immediate Release: Date: August 1, 2024Contact:
Rahat N. Babar, Deputy Executive Director

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, [July 31, 2024,] the United States Senate confirmed Judge Meredith A. Vacca to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. Judge Vacca is the first Asian American and woman of color to serve in the Western District, which includes Buffalo, Rochester, and Elmira.

“NAPABA congratulates Judge Meredith A. Vacca on her confirmation to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York,” said Anna Mercado Clark, President of NAPABA. “We are pleased to have supported the 50 AANHPI judges confirmed over the past eight years, spanning two Presidents. Our bipartisan judicial nominations approach and diverse membership have resulted in greater AANHPI representation on our judiciary across the country and political spectrum.”

Judge Vacca has been a judge on the Monroe County Court since 2021 and an Acting Justice on the New York State Supreme Court since 2023. She previously served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office in Rochester, New York, from 2007 to 2020 and as an associate at Hamberger & Weiss LLP from 2005 to 2007. Judge Vacca received her J.D. from the University of Buffalo School of Law in 2005 and her B.A. from Colgate University in 2002.

“Judge Vacca, a board member of the Asian American Judges Association of New York, is active in our community,” said Priya Purandare, Executive Director of NAPABA. “As the 37th AANHPI judge confirmed by the Biden Administration, Judge Vacca will serve a rapidly growing Asian American district in upstate New York. We thank President Biden for nominating, Senate Majority Leader Schumer, and Senator Gillibrand for supporting Judge Vacca’s historic nomination.”

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) represents the interests of over 80,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. Through its national network, 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 all backgrounds in the legal profession.

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NAPABA Applauds the Nomination of Judge Anne Hwang to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California


For Immediate Release: 
Date: April 24, 2024 		Contact: Rahat N. Babar, Deputy Executive Director

WASHINGTON – Today, President Joe Biden nominated Judge Anne Hwang to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

“NAPABA applauds the Biden-Harris Administration for nominating Judge Anne Hwang,” said Anna Mercado Clark, President of NAPABA. “Active in the AANHPI community, Judge Hwang is a 2019 APABA Los Angeles Trailblazer in the Law awardee. She is well qualified to serve on the U.S. District Court, and we encourage the Senate to confirm Judge Hwang swiftly.”

In 2018, former governor Jerry Brown appointed Judge Hwang to the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Prior to her appointment, Judge Hwang served as a Deputy Federal Public Defender in the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Central District of California from 2006 to 2018, becoming Chief Deputy Federal Public Defender in 2018. Before entering public service, Hwang was an associate at Irell and Manella LLP from 2002 to 2006. Hwang received a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Southern California School of Law.

“The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California is the most populous federal judicial district, serving over 19 million, including a significant AANHPI population with nearly 12% of the Los Angeles population alone. If confirmed, Judge Hwang is well suited to serve the people of the Central District of California,” said Priya Purandare, Executive Director of NAPABA.

NAPABA thanks President Biden for nominating Judge Anne Hwang and Senators Padilla and Butler for supporting her nomination.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) represents the interests of over 80,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. Through its national network, 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 all backgrounds in the legal profession.

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NAPABA Applauds the Confirmation of Jasmine Yoon and Judge Sunil R. Harjani to the U.S. District Court

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For Immediate Release: 
Date: March 12, 2024 		Contact: Rahat N. Babar, Deputy Executive Director

WASHINGTON – Today, the United States Senate confirmed Jasmine Yoon to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia and Judge Sunil R. Harjani to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. 

“We congratulate Jasmine Yoon and Judge Sunil R. Harjani on their confirmation to serve on the U.S. District Court,” said Anna Mercado Clark, President of NAPABA. “Ms. Yoon, a board member of APABA-VA, is the first Asian American to serve as an Article III judge in Virginia. Judge Harjani, the first South Asian American to serve as a U.S. Magistrate in the Northern District of Illinois, brings deep experience to the bench.”

“Today, President Biden has appointed 32 AANHPI Article III judges that the U.S. Senate has confirmed. We thank President Biden for nominating Ms. Yoon and Judge Harjani and his continued efforts to extend his record-breaking benchmark of AANHPI judges,” said Priya Purandare, Executive Director of NAPABA.

Jasmine H. Yoon has been the Vice President of Corporate Integrity, Ethics, and Investigations at Capital One Financial Corporation since 2022. Previously, Ms. Yoon worked as Interim University Counsel and Associate University Counsel at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville from 2019-22. Prior to that, Ms. Yoon served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia from 2010-16. Ms. Yoon was also an associate at Crowell & Moring LLP in Washington, DC, from 2006-09 in its White Collar and Regulatory Enforcement group. She served as a law clerk for Judge James C. Cacheris on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia from 2009-10. Ms. Yoon received her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2006 and her B.A. from the University of Virginia in 2003.

Judge Sunil R. Harjani has been a United States Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Illinois since 2019. Judge Harjani served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and Deputy Chief of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Section in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois from 2008-19. He also practiced federal civil litigation as a senior counsel at the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission from 2004-08 and as an associate at Jenner & Block LLP in Chicago from 2000-01 and 2002-04. Judge Harjani served as a law clerk for Judge Suzanne B. Conlon on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois from 2001-02. He received his J.D., cum laude, from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law in 2000 and his B.A. from Northwestern University in 1997.

NAPABA thanks President Biden Senators Durbin and Duckworth of Illinois, and Senators Warner and Kaine of Virginia for supporting their nominations.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) represents the interests of over 60,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. Through its national network, 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 all backgrounds in the legal profession.

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NAPABA Applauds the Historic Confirmations of Micah W.J. Smith and Shanlyn A.S. Park to the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii


For Immediate Release: 
Date: November 30, 2023 		Contact: Rahat N. Babar, Deputy Executive Director for Policy 

WASHINGTON – On November 29, 2023, the United States Senate confirmed Micah W.J. Smith and, on November 30, 2023, Shanlyn A.S. Park to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii. Mr. Smith was confirmed for a vacancy opening on January 30, 2024, and Judge Park was confirmed for opening on October 9, 2024.

“NAPABA congratulates Micah Smith and Judge Shanlyn Park on their confirmations to the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii,” said Anna Mercado Clark, President of NAPABA. “Judge Park becomes the first Native Hawaiian woman to serve as an Article III judge, and upon the swearing-in of Mr. Smith next year, it will be the first time in history where all the Article III judges on a U.S. District Court are AANHPI.”

“President Biden continues to extend his record of judges from the AANHPI community,” said Priya Purandare, Executive Director of NAPABA. “Today, President Biden has appointed 28 AANHPI Article III judges that the U.S. Senate has confirmed. We thank President Biden for nominating Mr. Smith and Judge Park, and Senator Hirono and Senator Schatz for recommending them.”

Micah W. J. Smith, a graduate of Kauai High School, is an Assistant United States Attorney, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, and Criminal Civil Rights Coordinator in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii. He has also been the office’s Chief of Appeals and Legal Strategy since 2022. Previously, Mr. Smith served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York from 2012 to 2018. Earlier in his career, he was an associate and counsel at O’Melveny & Myers. Mr. Smith served as a law clerk for Justice David H. Souter on the U.S. Supreme Court and Judge Guido Calabresi on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School and his B.A., summa cum laude, from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania.

Judge Shanlyn Park, a graduate of Sacred Hearts Academy, has been a state court judge on the First Circuit Court on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, since 2021. Previously, Judge Park worked from 2017 to 2021 at the Honolulu law firms McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon, L.L.P., and Gallagher Kane Amai & Reyes. From 1997 to 2017, Judge Park served as an assistant federal public defender in the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Hawaiʻi. Prior to her service in that office, Judge Park was in private practice at Hisaka Stone & Goto from 1996 to 1997. She served as a law clerk for Judge Francis I. Yamashita, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of Hawaiʻi from 1995 to 1996. Judge Park received her J.D. from the University of Hawaiʻi William S. Richardson School of Law in 1995 and her B.A., cum laude, from Chaminade University of Honolulu in 1991.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) represents the interests of over 60,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. Through its national network, 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 all backgrounds in the legal profession.

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NAPABA Applauds the Nomination of Judge Edward S. Kiel to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey

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For Immediate Release: 
October 4, 2023 		Contact: Rahat N. Babar, Deputy Executive Director for Policy 

WASHINGTON – Today, President Joe Biden nominated Judge Edward S. Kiel to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. Judge Kiel would be the first Korean American to serve in the district if confirmed.

“NAPABA congratulates Judge Edward S. Kiel on his nomination to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey,” said Sandra Leung, President of NAPABA. “A 2010 NAPABA Trailblazer awardee, Judge Kiel is an active member of the Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey and is well qualified to serve on the bench. We urge the Senate to confirm him quickly.”

Judge Edward S. Kiel has been a United States Magistrate Judge for the District of New Jersey since 2019. Previously, Judge Kiel was a partner at Cole Schotz, P.C., from 2001 to 2019. Before that, he was an associate at Cole Schotz from 1998 to 2001, at Beattie Padovano from 1994 to 1998, and at Jamieson Moore Peskin & Spicer from 1992 to 1994. Judge Kiel served as a law clerk for Presiding Criminal Judge Michael R. Imbriani of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Somerset County, from 1991 to 1992. He received his J.D. from Notre Dame Law School in 1991 and his B.A. and B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Rutgers University in 1988.

“We applaud President Biden for nominating his 32nd Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander to the Federal judiciary,” said Priya Purandare, Executive Director of NAPABA. “We thank the New Jersey Senators for recommending and supporting his nomination.”

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), represents the interests of over 60,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. Through its national network, 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 all backgrounds in the legal profession.

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NAPABA Applauds the Confirmation of Justice Myong J. Joun to the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts


For Immediate Release: 
Date: July 13, 2023		Contact: Rahat N. Babar, Deputy Executive Director for Policy 

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the United States Senate confirmed Judge Myong J. Joun to the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Judge Joun is the first Asian American male in Massachusetts to serve as an Article III judge.

“NAPABA congratulates Judge Myong Joun on his confirmation to the U.S. District Court,” said Sandra Leung, President of NAPABA. “An exceptional attorney and judge, Judge Joun is a leader in the community. A U.S. Army and Massachusetts National Guard veteran, he is the second former Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts president to be confirmed to an Article III judgeship.”

Before Judge Joun’s confirmation, Governor Deval Patrick appointed him to the Boston Municipal Court. He worked in private practice, specializing in criminal defense and plaintiff’s civil rights litigation in state and federal courts.

Active in the community, Judge Joun is a former president of the Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts, an affiliate of NAPABA. He has served on the boards of directors for the Harry J. Elam Judicial Conference, the National Lawyers Guild, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law of the Boston Bar Association, and the Executive Management Board of the Massachusetts Bar Association. Judge Joun received his J.D. from Suffolk Law School and his B.A. from the University of Massachusetts.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), represents the interests of over 60,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. Through its national network, 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 all backgrounds in the legal profession.

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NAPABA Applauds the Nomination of Judge Loren L. AliKhan and Susan K. DeClercq to the U.S. District Court 


For Immediate Release: 
Date: May 3, 2023 		Contact: Priya Purandare, Executive Director

WASHINGTON – Today, President Biden nominated Judge Loren L. AliKhan to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and Susan K. DeClercq to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. If confirmed, Judge AliKhan would be the first South Asian woman to serve on U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and the only active AAPI woman judge on that court. Ms. DeClercq would be the first federal judge of East Asian descent in Michigan.

“NAPABA congratulates Judge AliKhan and Susan DeClercq on their nominations,” said Sandra Leung, president of NAPABA. “Judge AliKhan is a highly respected jurist with exceptional service to the citizens of Washington DC. Ms. DeClercq is an experienced prosecutor with experience in both private practice and corporate law. We applaud President Biden for nominating this slate of highly qualified AAPI nominees. We urge the Senate to confirm them swiftly.”

President Biden nominated Judge AliKhan to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals on September 21, 2021, and the U.S. Senate confirmed her with bi-partisan support on February 22, 2022. Upon her confirmation, Judge AliKhan was the first AAPI judge to sit on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Before her confirmation, she served as the Solicitor General of the District of Columbia, where she directed the District’s appellate litigation and has overseen more than 1,800 appeals before the D.C. Court of Appeals, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States. Judge AliKhan has the support of NAPABA’s affiliate, the  Asian Pacific American Bar Association of the Greater Washington DC Region. She has been recognized with the Public Sector Trailblazer Award by the South Asian Bar Association of Washington D.C. and previously clerked for the Hon. Thomas L. Ambro on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the Hon. Louis Pollack on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. AliKhan is a graduate of Bard College at Simon’s Rock and the Georgetown University Law Center.

Susan K. DeClercq has been Director and Counsel of Special Investigations at Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan since 2022. Ms. DeClercq previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and Chief of the Civil Division since March 2014. Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office in September 2004, Ms. DeClercq was an associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, and Flom in Washington, D.C., and she clerked for Judge Avern Cohn on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Ms. DeClercq received her J.D., magna cum laude, from Wayne State University School of Law in 1999 and her B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1995.

NAPABA thanks Senators Stabenow and Peters of Michigan and Delegate Norton of Washington, D.C., for recommending and supporting these nominees.

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NAPABA Applauds the Confirmation of Judge Wesley L. Hsu to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

For Immediate Release: 
Date: May 4, 2023 		Contact: Priya Purandare, Executive Director

WASHINGTON – On May 4, the Senate confirmed Judge Wesley L. Hsu to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California by a vote of 53 to 43.

“NAPABA congratulates Judge Hsu on his confirmation to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California,” said Sandra Leung, president of NAPABA. “Judge Hsu, a 2005 NAPABA Best Lawyers Under 40 awardee, has shown strong leadership in his professional career and volunteer work with the AAPI community. We are proud to have supported Judge Hsu’s nomination and are delighted he was confirmed.”

Judge Hsu has an extensive legal career spanning nearly three decades. He previously served in the Los Angeles County Superior Court in 2017. Before he was appointed a judge, Hsu served for 17 years as the Executive United States Attorney and Deputy United States Attorney in the Office of the United States Attorney in the Central District of California. He has clerked for the Hon. Mariana R. Pfaelzer of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, and he has experience in the private sector from his time at a private law firm.

“President Biden has appointed 19 out of the 52 AAPI active Article III judges,” said Priya Purandare, executive director of NAPABA. “Today, as we head into the 31st Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we celebrate a judiciary more reflective of the people it serves.”

In addition to his professional work, Judge Hsu is active in his community as a member of the Board of Governors for the Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance, a Founding Member of NAPABA’s Government Enforcement and Compliance Committee, and NAPABA’s Data Security and Privacy Committee, and a Co-Chair of the California Asian Pacific American Judges Association. His service to the AAPI community has been recognized by NAPABA with its Best Lawyers Under 40. Judge Hsu has served as an adjunct professor at Loyola Marymount Law School and a writing instructor at the University of Southern California Law School and is a graduate of Yale University and Yale Law School.

NAPABA thanks President Biden for nominating Judge Hsu and Senators Feinstein and Padilla for supporting and recommending his nomination.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), represents the interests of over 60,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting APA communities. Through its national network, 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 all backgrounds in the legal profession.

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NAPABA Applauds the Nomination of Judge Wesley Hsu to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

WASHINGTON – [On Dec. 21, 2022,] President Joe Biden nominated Judge Wesley Hsu to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

“NAPABA applauds the Biden-Harris administration for nominating Judge Wesley Hsu,” said Sandra Leung, president of NAPABA. “Judge Hsu has been an active leader in NAPABA, helping mentor and uplift AAPI attorneys. In 2005, NAPABA recognized him with its Best Lawyers Under 40 for achieving prominence and distinction with his service to the community. His frequent contributions to our community and vast experience in the law make him uniquely qualified. We urge the Senate to swiftly confirm Judge Hsu.”

In 2017, former governor Jerry Brown appointed Judge Hsu to the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Hsu served for 17 years in the Office of the United States Attorney in the Central District of California, notably as the Executive United States Attorney and Deputy United States Attorney. Previously, he worked at a private law firm, and clerked for the Hon. Mariana R. Pfaelzer of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

“We are thrilled that President Biden has continued to honor his promise of a diverse and representative Judiciary,” said Priya Purandare, executive director of NAPABA. “The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California serves over 19 million people, the most populous federal judicial district, which includes a significant population of the AAPI community. Judge Hsu has spent his career, spanning almost three decades, serving in private practice, government, and as a Superior Court Judge in this district. If confirmed, Judge Hsu is well prepared to serve the people of the Central District of California.”

Judge Hsu is active in his community as a Co-Chair of the California Asian Pacific American Judges Association, a member of the Board of Governors for the Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance, and Founding Member of NAPABA’s Government Enforcement and Compliance Committee and NAPABA’s Data Security and Privacy Committee. A graduate of Yale University and Yale Law School, Judge Hsu has served as an adjunct professor at Loyola Marymount Law School and a writing instructor at the University of Southern California Law School.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), represents the interests of over 60,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting APA communities. Through its national network, 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 all backgrounds in the legal profession.

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NAPABA Applauds the Nominations of Justice Myong J. Joun and Judge Rita F. Lin to the U.S. District Court

For Immediate Release: 
Date: July 29, 2022

Contact: Priya Purandare, Executive Director

WASHINGTON—Today, President Joe Biden nominated Justice Myong J. Joun to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and Judge Rita F. Lin to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. If confirmed, Justice Joun would be the first Asian American male to serve on the federal bench in Massachusetts and Judge Lin would be the first Chinese American female to serve on a district that includes San Francisco and San Jose.

“NAPABA congratulates its members, Justice Myong Joun and Judge Rita Lin,” said A.B. Cruz III, acting president of NAPABA. “Justice Joun is the second former Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts president to be nominated to an Article III judgeship and Judge Lin is a past NAPABA Best Under 40 awardee. Both are exceptionally well qualified. We applaud President Biden for nominating them and we urge the Senate to swiftly confirm them.”

Justice Myong J. Joun
In 2014, Justice Joun was appointed by Governor Deval Patrick to the Boston Municipal Court. Previously, he was in private practice where he specialized in criminal defense and plaintiff’s civil rights litigation in state and federal courts. A former president of NAPABA’s affiliate, the Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts, Justice Joun is active in the greater legal community. He currently serves as treasurer of the Harry J. Elam Judicial Conference and has served on the Executive Management Board of the Massachusetts Bar, the board of directors for the National Lawyers Guild and Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law of the Boston Bar Association. Justice Joun is a veteran of the United States Army and the Massachusetts National Guard. He received his J.D. from Suffolk Law School and his B.A. from the University of Massachusetts.

Judge Rita F. Lin
In 2018, Judge Rita Lin was appointed by Governor Edmund Brown, Jr. to the Superior Court of San Francisco. Previously, she was an assistant U.S. attorney of the Northern District of California and a partner at Morrison and Foerster, where she focused on complex civil cases and financial services. At the firm, she had an active pro bono practice, including successfully challenging the federal Defense of Marriage Act. Judge Lin clerked for the Honorable Sandra Lynch of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. In 2017, NAPABA honored her with its Best Under 40 award. She received her J.D. from Harvard Law School and her B.A. from Harvard College.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), represents the interests of over 60,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting APA communities. Through its national network, 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 all backgrounds in the legal profession.

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