Tag: Vanita Gupta

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2023 NAPABA Awards: Announcing the Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award Honorees

NAPABA Awards Logo
The Trailblazer Award honors outstanding attorneys and organizations that make an impact in the legal profession and within the AANHPI community. This lifetime achievement award is NAPABA’s highest honor and recognizes the outstanding achievements, commitment, and leadership of lawyers who have paved the way for the advancement of other AANHPI attorneys.

Trailblazers have demonstrated vision, courage, and tenacity in their practice. They have also made substantial and lasting contributions to the AANHPI legal profession, as well as the broader AANHPI community.

We’re proud to recognize these deserving honorees of the 2023 NAPABA Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award and look forward to celebrating their achievements at the 2023 NAPABA Convention in Indianapolis.

2023 Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award Recipients


Director Kiran A. Ahuja
U.S. Office of Personnel Management		Kiran A. Ahuja serves as the Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). After more than two decades in public service and executive nonprofit work, she was nominated by President Joe Biden for her current role before being confirmed by the United States Senate on Tuesday, June 22, 2021. Director Ahuja is the first South Asian American and first Asian American woman to lead OPM. Learn more about Kiran.

Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta
U.S. Department of Justice		Vanita Gupta is the 19th United States Associate Attorney General and has served as the third-ranking official at the Department of Justice since her confirmation by the Senate on April 21, 2021. Associate Attorney General Gupta supervises the Department of Justice’s civil litigating divisions. She also oversees the grantmaking components of the Department. Learn more about Vanita.

Lisa Loo
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Lisa S. Loo, as Vice President for Legal Affairs and Deputy General Counsel at Arizona State University, focuses on special projects and initiatives, commercial transactions, procurement, real estate and immigration matters. Lisa is a founding board member of the Arizona Asian American Bar Association. Learn more about Lisa.

Florence T. Nakakuni
Former U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii		Florence T. Nakakuni is the former United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii. She was appointed in 2009 by President Barack Obama, replacing Edward H. Kubo Jr. who left to become a Judge on the Hawaii First Circuit Court. She is the first female United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii. Learn more about Florence.

Ambassador Katherine C. Tai
U.S. Trade Representative		Ambassador Katherine C. Tai was sworn in as the 19th United States Trade Representative on March 18, 2021. As a member of the President’s Cabinet, Ambassador Tai is the principal trade advisor, negotiator, and spokesperson on U.S. trade policy. Prior to her unanimous Senate confirmation, Ambassador Tai spent most of her career in public service focusing on international economic diplomacy, monitoring, and enforcement. Learn more about Katherine.

Commissioner Mark T. Uyeda
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission		Mark T. Uyeda was sworn into office on June 30, 2022, after being nominated by President Joseph Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Commissioner Uyeda has served on the staff of the SEC since 2006. He most recently served on detail from the SEC to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs as a securities counsel to the committee’s minority staff. He is the first Asian Pacific American to serve as a Commissioner at the SEC. Learn more about Mark.
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NAPABA Statement on the Senate Confirmation of Vanita Gupta

For Immediate Release: Date: April 21, 2021

Contact: Priya Purandare, Executive Director

WASHINGTON – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) congratulates Vanita Gupta on her historic bipartisan confirmation by the Senate, to serve as Associate Attorney General in the U. S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the third highest ranking position at the Department. She now becomes the most senior Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) leader at DOJ ever, and the first woman of color to serve as Associate Attorney General.

“NAPABA is thrilled that the Senate has confirmed Vanita Gupta to lead the DOJ’s efforts in the critical areas of civil rights, the environment, justice-oriented grant making, community policing, community relations, violence against women, tax enforcement, antitrust, and ensuring the rights of service members and veterans, among other responsibilities” said A. B. Cruz III, president of NAPABA. “Her tenure could not have come at a more pivotal time for so many populations of color and vulnerable people, especially as we face an onslaught of anti-Asian hate crimes and bias-motivated attacks against our communities.” 

NAPABA applauds President Biden for nominating Ms. Gupta to the position and the Senate for confirming her at this crucial time.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) represents the interests of approximately 50,000 legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American 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 color in the legal profession.
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NAPABA Congratulates Biden Nominees for the Department of Justice

For Immediate Release: Date: January 7, 2021

Contact: Priya Purandare, Executive Director

Vanita Gupta to become highest ranking AAPI in agency history

WASHINGTON – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) congratulates Judge Merrick Garland, Lisa Monaco, Vanita Gupta and Kristen Clarke on their nominations to serve in the Department of Justice in the Biden-Harris administration.

“NAPABA heartily congratulates these four stellar individuals on their nominations to lead the Department of Justice. These nominees have a long history of public service, including at the Department of Justice,” said A. B. Cruz III, president of NAPABA. “Notably, if confirmed, Vanita Gupta would become the highest ranking Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) to ever serve at DOJ and the first woman of color to serve as Associate Attorney General. We are both proud of and encouraged by the nomination of Vanita and strongly recommend the Biden-Harris administration to continue to draw upon the demonstrated value of AAPI attorneys by actively engaging them to serve in other key leadership roles.”

We thank President-elect Biden for nominating Ms. Gupta to the position and fervently urge him to nominate an AAPI for a Cabinet Secretary position.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) represents the interests of approximately 50,000 legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity in government and the judiciary on the local, state, and federal levels, 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.

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