NATIONAL

ASIAN PACIFIC

AMERICAN BAR

ASSOCIATIONVolume XVII No. 1 Winter 2007

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I N T H I S I S S U E

The Art of Joan Mei Haratani 1

NAPABA Welcomes Mazie Hirono to the U.S. Congress and John Chiang as CA State Controller 1

President’s Message 2

Houston Hosts First AsianPro Bono Summit 5

The AABA of the Greater Bay Area: Thirty Years Later 6

Regional News 8

NAPABA Immigration Committee Want to Thank All Of You 13

People in the News back page

tale of a little girl’s journey growingup in California fighting racial stigmatism on the playground.Forged to the core with inner strengthborn in those early years, Joan theSamurai Warrior continued to fightthe fight for decades inside and outside the courtroom as a highlyrespected and successful lawyer.

Journey of a California GirlThe penetrating focus and unwaver-ing certainty of a samurai warriorpierce through as we speak on thephone. What was envisioned as abrief interview about Joan MeiHaratani’s work on retention ofwomen in the profession and herrecent accomplishments—first femaleminority President of the BarAssociation of San Francisco (BASF)and upcoming NAPABA TrailblazerAwardee—quickly became a vivid

The Art of Joan Mei Haratani:Samurai Warrior from Playground to Courtroomby Esther H. Lim

NAPABA Welcomes Mazie Hirono to the U.S. Congress and John Chiang as California State Controller By Christine N. Epres

Asian Pacific American (APA) attorneys are continuing to makegreat strides in American governmentby representing the APA communityin elected positions at the federal,state and local levels. Most recently,former NAPABA Northwest RegionalGovernor, Mazie Hirono, won a seatin the U.S. Congress, representing theSecond Congressional District ofHawaii. The November 2006 electionalso brought in John Chiang to serveas California State Controller. Otherprominent APA attorneys who have

been elected into public office include NAPABA Member and 2006Trailblazer Honoree Gary Locke, who was a deputy prosecutor beforehe served as Governor of WashingtonState, and Congressman David Wu,representing the First CongressionalDistrict of Oregon, who had previously co-founded the law firm of Cohen and Wu, serving the hightech industry.

An immigrant from Fukushima,Japan, Congresswoman Mazie Hirono says it was her mother

who encouraged her to make a difference in her community. Withthis inspiration, CongresswomanHirono had no problems expressingher disappointment with our govern-ment during the Vietnam War. She

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and we must be willing to put partisan-ship aside in order to push forward thoseamong us whom we should be proud tosupport as judicial nominees. It will takeyears for us to achieve our goals, but thefuture is promising, as we see ever-increasing numbers of extremely wellqualified young APA lawyers workingtheir way through the ranks.

Youth at Risk: The ABA has launchedan initiative to address the problem of atrisk youth. Most of the major nationalminority bar associations have expressedtheir support for this initiative, and theirleadership have concurred that at riskyouth present a social problem that cutsacross all racial and income lines. NAPA-BA members can offer a public service toAPA communities by volunteering to helptroubled APA youth. Projects under con-sideration include visits to high schools byNAPABA lawyers, working in conjunctionwith members of the National AsianPacific American Law Student Association(NAPALSA).

International Committee: Under theleadership of our committee chair,Nicholas Chen, a partner with the PamirLaw Firm in Taipei, NAPABA launched itsexpanded International Committee at thePhiladelphia Convention. The committeeheld an organizing meeting and cocktailreception, several CLE panels, and theconvention’s closing plenary session:“Asian Pacific Lawyers in the GlobalEconomy.” With Nicholas serving asmoderator, the stellar plenary panelincluded former Washington StateGovernor Gary Locke, Sempra EnergyGeneral Counsel, Javade Chaudhri,Morrison & Foerster partner Cedric Chao,Sonnenschein partner Yabo Lin, andMorrison & Foerster of counsel, GrantKim.

Lunar Year 4705 will be the Year of theBoar. Noble, chivalrous, and generous,may the Boar spread its good fortune toall NAPABA members and friends in 2007.Happy New Year!

I am honored to serve as NAPABA’s pres-ident for the 2006-2007 term. FromNovember 9 to 12, 2006, approximately900 NAPABA members and supportersgathered at our national convention inPhiladelphia to celebrate NAPABA’s 18thyear. Our host affiliate, The AsianAmerican Bar Association of theDelaware Valley, together withNAPABA’s sponsors, staff, board, com-mittees and convention planners, filledthree days with meetings, committeereceptions, 26 CLE panels, award recep-tions and dinners, an EXPO, the ThomasTang Moot Court Competition, and ofcourse, the ever-popular “Late Night withBud” karaoke contest. In the course ofthe convention, we honored outgoingTransportation Secretary Norman Y.Mineta, and were fortunate to beaddressed by keynotes such as ABAPresident Karen Mathis, Secretary ofLabor Elaine Chao, Rohm Haas CEO RajGupta, Senate Judiciary Chair Arlen

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NAPABA LAWYER

Vol. 17 No. 1 Winter 2007© National Asian Pacific

American Bar Association

EDITORNimesh Patel

EDITORIAL BOARDLisa Westergaard • Alexander Lee

Jennie Shi • Alex Sun Koji Fukumura

Letters to the Editor (250 words of less),newsletter articles (500 words or less),Announcements (100 words or less)

and change of address, may be emailed to administrator@napaba.org.

The opinions expressed in the NAPABA LAWYER are those of the authorsand do not necessarily reflect NAPABA pol-icy or editorial concurrence. Publication ofany written or graphical material or adver-

tisement does not constitute an endorsement. The editors

reserve the right to edit, accept or rejectprospective materials or advertisements inaccordance with their editorial judgment.

NAPABA retains the copyright to thispublication and its contents, unless otherwise indicated. Please contact

NAPABA for permission to reproduce any of its contents.

Specter, and Assistant Attorney Generalfor Civil Rights, Wan Kim.

Regular events included the annualTrailblazer Award Reception, held thisyear at the magnificent NationalConstitution Center and sponsored byWal-Mart Stores. NAPABA also recog-nized its rising stars with the Best Under40 Awards, presented at the installationbanquet. This year, NAPABA’s In HouseCounsel and Partners’ Committees heldan In House Counsel Dinner, honoringAPA general counsel from 9 Fortune 1000companies. The dinner was held in theMorris Café, courtesy of Duane MorrisLLP.

NAPABA’s annual convention is ourmain fundraiser for the year, allowing usto maintain our headquarters office with 4full-time staff in Washington, D.C., andfunding all of our operations. This yearour sponsors showed unprecedented gen-erosity, demonstrating their commitmentto NAPABA, and giving us the financialstrength to continue serving the APA legalcommunity for the coming year. Ourlongstanding sponsor, Mercedes Benz,donated a sport utility vehicle that wasraffled off to some lucky winner, andAnheuser-Busch was once again exceed-ingly generous to both NAPABA and theNAPABA Law Foundation. We extend oursincere thanks to all of our many sponsorsaround the country. Their names are list-ed in the convention publications andposted on our website pages for thePhiladelphia convention.

With 22 standing committees, an 18-member board, and 50 local affiliatesacross the nation, NAPABA does manythings. Here is an overview of some proj-ects in the works for the coming year:

Judicial Appointments: Of the over800 federal judges in the United States,there are only 5 APA Article III judges.Four of the five are in either Hawaii orCalifornia. There is only one APA ArticleIII judge, the Honorable Denny Chin ofthe Southern District of New York, east ofthe California border. There are no APAjudges at the federal appellate level, andof course there has never been an APA onthe US Supreme Court. NAPABA is dedi-cated to increasing the number of APAjudges on both the federal and statecourts. This will have to be an ongoing,nationwide effort. We need the help ofour leadership, friends, and local affiliates,

MessagePresident'sPhil Shinn

Phil Shinn

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Awards, honors, and affiliationsare countless. Partner at MorganLewis. “Top 100 Lawyers inCalifornia” and “Top 75 WomenLitigators” by Daily Journal. UnityAward by Minority Bar Coalition.President of Asian American BarAssociation of the Greater Bay Area.“500 Most Influential AsianAmericans” by Avenue Asia Magazine.California’s Top Rainmakers byCalifornia Law Business. OutstandingCommunity Service Award by AsianWomen’s Resource Center. IronmanFinisher. Those merely scratch thesurface of the impressive resume of this graduate of University ofCalifornia, Davis School of Law.

Legal CareerWhat fuels the unquenchable fire ofthis warrior? Life’s lessons learnedfrom early years as a child who didn’tlook like everyone else at the play-ground, then losing her father to abattle with leukemia when she wasjust 22 years old, have taught her thebittersweet lesson of choice: “You canbuckle. Or you can get super strong.”And super strong she chose. Joanwent to law school.

Joan joined a large private law firmin an era when minorities and womenlawyers were a rarity. Undeterred,she employed her natural fighter’sinstincts to understand “the rules ofengagement.” At work, that meantworking harder than everyone elseand delivering quality better thananyone else. She applied the higheststandard of “beyond reproach” in herwork and professional demeanor.Throughout that fight, Joan steadilychipped away at the racial and genderstereotypes blocking the keys to success. “Race, gender, or any otherartificial characteristic should not be a reason why we don’t enjoy thepractice of law or any aspect of life.”

In addition to her excellent work,Joan sought out mentoring from the

available pool of mentors: white malepartners. Without adding golf to herrepertoire, Joan was able to developvaluable mentor-mentee relationshipsby identifying some common interests, such as movies, food, andexercise. Throughout it all, sheremained true to her values. “Golf isnot who I am right now. You must betrue to yourself. Tune into your ownheart and do something you enjoy.”

Civic and Voluntary ActivitiesAlthough Joan enjoys the successes of her career, she diligently gives backto the community and advocates for what is right. “If you have anysuccess in life, you must share it,”Joan says with conviction. She chan-nels her energy and time in varioussettings. True to form, Joan answeredthe call to serve when the APAcommunity asked her to lead BASF as the first minority female President.BASF, a membership organization of over 9,000 lawyers in the Bay Area,is the largest free legal-servicesprovider in San Francisco, rendering$10 million in free legal services annu-ally. “This year, my life is work andthe bar. That’s it! But I made thatchoice.” As President of BASF, Joanfocused on issues surrounding work-life balance and improving recruit-ment and retention of minorities andwomen in the legal profession. UnderJoan’s leadership, BASF hosted for thefirst time a conference on Work-LifeBalance on September 21, 2006. Joanwill continue the diversity work ofBASF by holding a conference on BestPractices on Retention for diverseattorneys in November. She is alsoworking to establish Asian sister citybar relationships and the Putting aFace on the Homeless project.

In life, Joan is most proud of herfriendships and philanthropic work.A cause that is near and dear to herheart, in memory of her father, isserving on the Board of the Leukemia

The Art of Joan Mei Haratani: Samurai Warrior from Playground to Courtroom continued from page 1

and Lymphoma Society of NorthernCalifornia. She will always cherishthe work that advanced research for blood-related disorders.Professionally, she is proud to be agood mentor to many, a good lawyerto her clients, and a good partner forher firm. Asked whether she has itall, Joan dismisses that as a myth.“You make deliberate choices at dif-ferent points in life with eyes wideopen. Hopefully, the choices you’vemade are satisfying to you.” In allthat she does, Joan gives her “1000%”whether it be career, voluntary work,or long-distance running. “Getting tothe start line is an accomplishment.Finishing is gravy.” Joan encourageseveryone to train for endurance races.Pushed to the limits mentally andphysically, “you take something awayfor life. Sense of self-reliance is abeautiful thing.”

Future PlansJoan already has a plan for next yearwhen she sheds the immense responsibility of serving as Presidentof BASF. “Enjoy myself. Get back tomy exercise routine. Renew relation-ships with friends and family.” Thatall sounds, well, very enjoyable andmuch deserved for our tireless samurai warrior.

Esther H. Lim is a partner at Finnegan,Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & DunnerL.L.P., where she specializes in patent litigation and counseling. She is a Co-Chair of the NAPABA Women’sLeadership Committee and serves on the Board of Directors of NAPABALaw Foundation.

OFFICERS

PresidentPhillip F. Shinn

President-ElectHelen B. Kim

Vice-President of Finance & DevelopmentAndrew T. Hahn

Vice-President of Programs & OperationsBettina W. Yip

Vice-President of MembershipRichard K. Sueyoshi

Vice-President of CommunicationsNimesh Patel

Secretary Gene S. Woo

TreasurerPaul O. Hirose

Immediate Past PresidentAmy Lin Meyerson

Executive DirectorLes Jin

REGIONAL GOVERNORS

California (San Francisco) RegionBilly Chan

California (Los Angeles) RegionPaul Estuar

California (Orange County/San Diego)Region

Marty B. Lorenzo

California (Sacramento)/Nevada RegionKathryn Doi

Central RegionYabo Lin

Northwest RegionAlice L. Wong

Southwest RegionAlexander C. Chae

Southeast RegionHon. Brian G. Kim

Northeast RegionJoseph J. Centeno

NAPABABoard of Governors

2006-2007

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NAPABA Welcomes Mazie Hirono to the U.S. Congress and JohnChiang as California State Controller continued from page 1

Mr. Chiang the first APA to serve asCalifornia State Controller, he is one of California’s twelve constitutionalofficers. Mr. Chiang’s experiences as one of few APAs in his Chicagoneighborhood sparked his interest incommunity activism and politics.Prior to becoming State Controller, Mr. Chiang served on the CaliforniaState Board of Equalization, where he represented 73 cities in Los Angeles County, including the City of Los Angeles. Before serving on theBoard of Equalization, Mr. Chiangbegan his career as a Tax LawSpecialist with the Internal RevenueService and served as an attorney with the Office of the State Controller.As the current State Controller, Mr. Chiang hopes to make theCalifornia state office the best financial office in the U.S. He continues to sponsor seminars to educate Californians, small businesses, non-profits and religiousorganizations about federal and statetax codes and resources that helpimprove their financial health.

Other APAs who have served orare serving in elected office believethat APAs have a rich history in theU.S. and therefore, have much to offerin elected office. “Asian PacificAmericans have contributed blood,sweat and tears to create a prosperousAmerica,” says former WashingtonState Governor, Gary Locke. “AsianPacific Americans worked in lumbergroups, farmed land that was infertileand gave their lives during worldwars to ensure liberty. Therefore, wehave every right and responsibility tobe involved in politics.”

Congressman David Wu urgesAPAs to continue to represent the bestinterests of the community. “We allneed to work to see that legislationreflects the concerns and needs ofAPA communities, to educate otherson the history and contributions ofAPAs, and to protect and advance thecivil and constitutional rights of allAmericans,” says Congressman Wu.

was then introduced to the politicalscene when she participated in thecampaign of an anti-war leader. Afterearning her law degree at theGeorgetown University Law School inWashington, D.C., CongresswomanHirono returned to Honolulu andserved as a Deputy Attorney Generalfor the state of Hawaii in the AntitrustDivision, and later practiced law inthe private sector with the firm ofShim, Tam, Kirimitsu, Kitamura andChang. However, it was in electedoffice where Congresswoman Hironofound her passion. She saw politicsas a way to make social change.

Committed to representing thepeople, Congresswoman Hironofocused on pro-consumer issues while serving in the Hawaii StateLegislature, helping people whoweren’t equipped with the means tohelp themselves. Prior to winning her seat in Congress, CongresswomanHirono served as Lt. Governor ofHawaii and later served on theNAPABA board as a regional governor, where she was a tremen-dous resource in NAPABA’s advocacyefforts for federal recognition andrestoration of Hawaiian sovereigntyrights. She also founded a PoliticalAction Committee to raise money tosupport pro-choice women runningfor office.

Now serving at the federal level,Congresswoman Hirono believes thatas a House representative, she will be able to continue her desire to serve the people. As a member of the House Committee onTransportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Education and Labor, Congresswoman Hironoplans to work for the issues that aremeaningful to her constituents and to the working men and women of this country.

Like Congresswoman Hirono,California State Controller JohnChiang was recently elected to servein office and brings a wealth of legaland political experience. Not only is

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Emily Kuo (AABA Houston President-Elect);Patricia Lin (Asian Bar Foundation); Angela Lee (OCA-Greater Houston); Les Jin, Daniel Hu.

in 1997). The interactive session was moderated by NAPABA member,Daniel David Hu, a Commissioner on the Texas Access to JusticeCommission. A resource presentationwas made by Les Jin, ExecutiveDirector, NAPABA.

Commissioner Daniel Hu said, “In this time of scarce resources, collaboration between communitybased organizations and legal serviceproviders is vital to ensure as manyclients as possible can be served. This summit is the first step toimprove collaboration and increasethe efficiency of service.”

Houston Hosts First Asian Pro Bono Summit

Advocates from Houston, Texas, areacommunity organizations, includinglocal affiliate AABA of Houston, primarily serving Asian populationsand legal service providers met onNovember 2, 2006, to address legalneeds unique to the Asian communityand identify ways to improve the collaboration between cultural community groups and legal serviceproviders. The event was sponsoredby the Asian American BarFoundation, a foundation establishedby the local NAPABA affiliate andhosted by OCA Greater Houston andthe Asian American Legal Center (created by the NAPABA affiliate

Congresswoman Mazie Hironoand State Controller John Chiang’srecent victories in elected office areexamples of APA attorneys seeking tomake a difference by using their legalexperiences and knowledge of the lawto advocate for positive social changein the U.S. and the APA community.

As elected officials, APA attorneysbring a sharp understanding of thelaw, as well as a unique cultural per-spective. Noting that APAs bring dif-ferent perspectives, CongresswomanHirono believes that APA lawyersshould consider running for officebecause APA lawyers would con-tribute to a diverse make-up of theelected body, such as Congress.Furthermore, Mr. Chiang believesthere is a huge scarcity of APAlawyers in government and as aresult, more APA lawyers must usetheir expertise and skills for publicservice. “Lawyers can contribute toelected office because they have astrong sense of development of law,and therefore a better ability to readthe rule of law,” explains Mr. Chiang.

According to CongresswomanHirono, APA attorneys who are interested in elected politics shouldstart early. “Those interested shouldget involved in a campaign and

other party activities,” saysCongresswoman Hirono. She encour-ages the APA community to focus oncolleges and universities as a fruitfulplace to fill the pipeline for more APAlawyers and APAs, in general, to runfor office. Meanwhile, Mr. Chiangencourages potential candidates toseek mentors in hopes of gaining wisdom in the political arena.

Another important lesson is to runfor office with an undying spirit anddesire to serve. AlthoughCongresswoman Hirono lost duringher campaign for Hawaii StateGovernor, she did not give up herpassion for public service. She admitsthat the loss was hard after havinggiven her heart and soul to the campaign. It was the first race thatCongresswoman Hirono lost, however it set the stage for her win in Congress.

Meanwhile, Mr. Chiang advisescandidates to analyze what happenedin an unsuccessful race, as well asbuild a broader support base byexamining relationships with variousgroups, including political parties,other racial and ethnic communities,and labor organizations.

As with any endeavor, a politicalcandidate can expect to face a number

of hurdles while running or serving inoffice. For example, CongresswomanHirono notes that an APA woman in elected office is still a rarity andcertainly, we need more women, APA or otherwise, in high office.However, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi now at the forefront,there is more promise and a hope for more support for APA women totake a stand and run for office. When asked about her loss of privacy,Congresswoman Hirono said,“Frankly, the loss of privacy is not anissue for me in the sense that I chosethis life and I view public service asan honor and privilege.”

NAPABA congratulatesCongresswoman Mazie Hirono andCalifornia State Controller JohnChiang in their most recent electoralsuccess, as well as all other APAlawyers who have run for office atany level. NAPABA looks forward to recognizing and celebrating thesuccess of other NAPABA membersserving in elected office. It is clearthat APA lawyers have a lot to offer as candidates, and that the APAcommunity as well as the country will benefit greatly if other APAlawyers, across the political spectrum,take the risk of running for office.

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In late 1976, a mix of older guard and younger activist APA attorneysfounded the Asian American BarAssociation of the Greater Bay Area(AABA-GBA), in order to provideattorneys with a vehicle to take uni-fied positions on important issues, topromote professional development,and to foster the exchange of informa-tion among our membership and thecommunity at large. Today, as one ofthe largest APA bar associations in thecountry, AABA-GBA boasts a veryactive board, 14 working committeesand 50 committee co-chairs. Thisyear, we celebrate our 30th anniver-sary. We have much to be proud of,as we continue and expand beyondour founders’ vision in the comingdecades.

AABA-GBA has always empha-sized community advocacy. We regu-larly take positions on civil rightsmatters: AABA members filed an ami-cus brief in the Bakke affirmativeaction case, filed a successful petitionoverturning Fred Korematsu’s convic-tion, were involved in the campaignsto free Chol Soo Lee and Wen Ho Lee,and was the first APA bar associationin the country to support marriageequality. Our bar association hasoften made endorsements in localpolitical races for elected legal posi-tions and for judicial office, and areproud that San Francisco’s PublicDefender and District Attorney are ofAPA descent.

AABA-GBA has also alwaysencouraged service to our communi-ties. We coordinate 5 pro bono lawclinics a month in locations through-out the Bay Area in conjunction withthe Asian Law Caucus and AsianPacific Islander Legal Outreach. Thisyear, our members contributed volun-teer hours to hundreds of low-income

and immigrant APAs in more than a dozen languages and on a range of legal issues; our clients includedvictims of human trafficking, survivors of domestic violence, and seniors with housing issues.AABA-GBA also supports our localAPA nonprofits, and we work withnumerous coalitions on many localcommunity issues.

Mentorship is an important value of AABA-GBA. As part of our Mentorship Program, each year,hundreds of law students are matchedwith practicing attorneys, and we host year-round programming ofcareer days, summer associate recep-tions and other mentorship events.This year, we launched an attorney-to-attorney mentorship program,matching seasoned veterans withnewly minted JDs. Our AABA LawFoundation regularly awards severalscholarships to students committed toworking within the APA community.

Like other bar associations, AABA-GBA promotes the profession-al development of our membership.We have specific committees for in-house counsel, for attorneys insmall firm and solo practices, and for public interest and governmentattorneys. We also run a continuinglegal education program, whichallows our members to showcase theirlegal expertise and earn CLE credits.

Since our early years, AABA-GBAhas worked to ensure that APAattorneys are fairly considered forjudgeships and other public appoint-ments. While we currently have overtwo dozen APA judges throughoutthe Bay Area, the percentage of APA judges still does not reflect ourregional APA population. To increaseour numbers, our judiciary committeeidentifies qualified candidates,

coaches them through the appoint-ments process, matches them withAPA judge mentors, and lobbies theGovernor’s office for more judges.When Governor Schwarzeneggerfailed to make any local APA judicialappointments for many months early in his first term, AABA-GBApublicized this situation; coincidental-ly, two APA judges in the Bay Areawere appointed shortly thereafter.AABA-GBA has also recently identified the low number of localAPA city commissioners, and thisyear, the number of San Francisco city commissioners from our rankshas more than doubled.

Given that Californians have asocial reputation to maintain, AABA-GBA prides our ability to have a goodtime. From happy hours to karaokenights, from comedy nights to thelargest ethnic bar association annualevent in the Bay Area, our socialevents rival the best. In the last fewyears, I daresay that AABA-GBA hashosted the best late night parties atthe annual NAPABA conventions.

I am tremendously proud of the work, leadership and accomplish-ments of the members of our bar association, including the fact that the current NAPABA president andthe first APA female president of theSan Francisco Bar Association (bothprofiled in this issue) rose from ourleadership ranks. If you want to learn more, please visit our website at www.aaba-bay.com or contact us directly.

David ChiuPresident, AABA of the Greater Bay Area

The Asian American Bar Association of the Greater BayArea: Thirty Years Later

NAPABA &NAPABA AffiliateCalendar ofEvents

NAPABA &NAPABA AffiliateCalendar ofEventsAPRIL 27 & 28, 2007APABA of South Florida2007 NAPABA Southeast Regional ConferenceMiami, FL

MAY 2007Connecticut Asian Pacific American Bar Ass’nAPA Heritage Month Celebrationdate and venue to be finalized

MAY 3, 2007Orange County Asian American BarAssociation14th Annual Installation DinnerGarden Grove, CA

MAY 3, 2007ABAS Law Foundation 5th Annual Wine Tasting and Auction Sacramento, CA

MAY 4, 2007KABA of Southern California27th Annual Installation and Scholarship Awards DinnerLos Angeles, CA

MAY 6, 2007Asian American Bar Association of HoustonDim Sum With JudgesHouston, TX

MAY 7, 2007Asian Pacific Bar Association - Silicon ValleyIn-house talklocation TBD

MAY 17-19, 2007 (TENTATIVE)The Coalition of Bar Associations of ColorWashington, DC

MAY 31, 2007 (TENTATIVE)Asian American Bar Association of Kansas City Annual BanquetKansas City, MO

JUNE 8 & 9, 2007 Pan Asian Lawyers of San DiegoFilipino American Lawyers of San Diego2007 NAPABA California Regional ConferenceSan Diego, CA

JUNE 8 & 9, 2007Asian Bar Association of WashingtonSecond Statewide Diversity ConferenceSeattle, WA

JUNE 28-29, 2007ABA Section of Business Law2007 National Conference for the Minority LawyerBoston, MA

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On November 7, 2006, NAPABA andseven NAPABA affiliates joined withthe Asian American Legal Defenseand Education Fund’s (AALDEF)Election Protection Project. Togetherthey gathered almost 700 attorneys,law students, and community volun-teers at 150 poll sites in nine stateswhere Asian language assistance isprovided, where Asian Americanvoter registration has increased, and where Asian American voters historically have experienced intimi-dation.

The attorney volunteers, in part-nership with AALDEF, documentedincidents of voter discrimination atpoll sites and conducted a multilin-gual exit poll of 4,600 Asian Americanvoters in New York, New Jersey,Massachusetts, Michigan, Illinois,Pennsylvania, Virginia, and for thefirst time, Maryland, Washington, andthe District of Columbia.

One poll worker in Flushing,Queens, remarked to a volunteerattorney from the Asian American BarAssociation of New York (AABANY),"A lot of Chinese and Koreans don'tspeak English. This is America—theyshould learn English." The attorneydocumented that translated voters'bill of rights and voting machineinstructions were missing on ElectionDay morning.

Attorneys from the AsianAmerican Lawyer’s Association of Massachusetts (AALAM) and Weil Gotshal and Manges monitoredenforcement of a 2005 court settle-ment that requires the City of Bostonto provide Chinese, Vietnamese, andSpanish language assistance to votersunder the Voting Rights Act. At onepoll site, only Chinese-speaking voters were required to provide their identification in order to vote,even though they were not requiredto provide it.

Just like Florida in 2000, attorneysfrom the Asian Pacific AmericanLawyers Association of New Jersey(APALA/NJ) and Korean American

Bar Association of New Jersey(KABA-NJ) found that South Asianand Filipino voters in Jersey Citywere turned away because errorsresulted in their names not appearingin voter rolls.

In Virginia, attorneys from theAsian Pacific American BarAssociation of the GreaterWashington D.C. Area and AsianPacific American Legal ResourceCenter recorded that KoreanAmerican voters had difficulty votingbecause of the lack of language assis-tance provided at poll sites.

In Philadelphia’s Chinatown, theAsian American Bar Association ofthe Delaware Valley (AABADV) wit-nessed poll workers redirecting AsianAmerican voters to very distant pollsites to vote, without providingaddresses or directions. One votercried in frustration and anger at beingdenied her right to vote.

Other volunteers came from the Asian American Bar Associationof Washington, Asian Outreach Unitof Greater Boston Legal Services, and Asian Pacific American LawStudents Association chapters acrossthe country.

Attorneys spoke upwards of nine languages—Chinese, Korean,Vietnamese, Khmer, Bengali, Arabic,Punjabi, Urdu, and Gujarati.Volunteers asked voters about theirpreferences in top federal and stateelections, party affiliations, and opinions on key issues, as well as anyelection irregularities or problemsencountered at the polls. AALDEFhas been compiling results from theproject, drafting complaint letters andexploring legal remedies to defendthe voting rights of Asian Americans.

Glenn D. Magpantay is a staff attorneyat the Asian American Legal Defense andEducation Fund and Christine Epres isPolicy Director at NAPABA.

Attorneys Monitor Polls on Election Day By Glenn D. Magpantay and Christine Epres

New YorkPhiladelphia SacramentoDalla

Washington D.C.Atlanta BostonRegional News

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CALIFORNIA (SACRAMENTO)/NEVADA REGION

The Boards of Directors of theAsian/Pacific Bar Association ofSacramento (“ABAS”) and theAsian/Pacific Bar Association ofSacramento Law Foundation (“ABASLaw Foundation”) were installed byCalifornia Court of Appeals JusticeTani Cantil-Sakauye on Wednesday,January 10, 2007, at the courthouse ofthe Court of Appeals, Third AppellateDistrict. ABAS Board members for2007 are: Rebecca Westmore, President;Dee Brown, President-Elect; GraceArupo, Vice President; Kathryn Doi,Treasurer; Jennifer Rosario, Secretary;Sean Colon, Michael Fang, Angela Laiand Amilia Sanders, members at large.ABAS Law Foundation Board mem-bers for 2007 are: Yoshinori H. T.Himel, President; Henry Nanjo,Secretary; Jerilyn Paik, Treasurer;Nirav Desai, Michael Iwahiro, JaniceLai, Mona Tawatao and Darrel Woo,members at large.

The Asian/Pacific Bar of California(“ABC”) has announced its officers for2007-08. ABC Board members for thecoming year are Teri T. Pham,President; Paul Bernardino, Vice-President; Edwin Prather, Secretary;and Marie Mendoza, Treasurer.

The ABAS Law Foundation heldits 5th Annual Wine Tasting andAuction on May 3, 2007 from 6:00 to8:30 p.m. in the Pavilions Courtyardon Fair Oaks Boulevard in Sacramento.The annual event was a benefit forlocal law student scholarships.

CALIFORNIA (NORTHERN) REGIONThe Filipino Bar Association of

Northern California (FBANC) hostedits annual Holiday Party at the houseof Meyers Nave partner Ben Reyes inAlameda on December 16, 2006.

In late January, FBANC co-hosted a mixer with La Raza LawyersAssociation of San Francisco atZebulon Restaurant and Bar. Thismixer was aimed at local law students

and also served as a membershipdrive for both organizations.

On, February 3, 2007, the Bay AreaAsian Pacific American LawStudents Association held theirannual conference at Stanford LawSchool. In conjunction with the con-ference, the Asian American BarAssociation of the Greater Bay Areahosted a post-conference mentorshipreception.

On February 15, the AsianAmerican Bar Association of theGreater Bay Area (AABA-GB) hosteda Law Firm Partner Luncheon atHanson Bridgett in San Francisco.

On March 16, AABA-GB celebrat-ed its 30th anniversary during itsAnnual Installation Dinner at theYank Sing Restaurant in the RinconCenter.

CALIFORNIA (CENTRAL) REGION On February 8, 2007, Asian Pacific

American Bar Association (APABA)hosted its annual New AdmitteeReception, where Asian and PacificAmerican attorneys welcomed thenewest members of the bar. TheReception took place at OiwakeRestaurant in Little Tokyo.Admission was complimentary tonew Bar admittees and students, andincluded karaoke. The event washeld in conjunction with the JapaneseAmerican Bar Association, KoreanAmerican Bar Association, PhilippineAmerican Bar Association, SouthAsian Bar Association, and SouthernCalifornia Chinese LawyersAssociation.

Korean American Bar Association(KABA) is taking applications for itsPublic Interest Fellowship. TheKABA Public Interest Fellowship wasestablished in 2006 by KABA boardmembers to support a recent lawschool graduate who is working for anon-profit organization on a legalproject dedicated to helping theKorean American community ofSouthern California.

On January 9, 2007, KABA held itsmonthly pro bono clinic at the LegalAid Foundation of Los Angeles.

Southern California ChineseLawyers Association (SCCLA) hadits 32nd Annual Awards andInstallation Banquet on March 23,2007, at Empress Pavilion Restaurant.

On January 20, 2007, two officers/board members from theVentura County Asian American BarAssociation (VCAABA) attended theVentura County Bar Associations’Annual Planning Session for Bar lead-ers at the Residence Inn in Oxnard.

On January 28, 2007, VCAABAhosted a booth, in conjunction withthe Ventura County Pro Bono LegalClinic, at the Tet Festival (traditionalVietnamese lunar New Year) at theOxnard Performing Art Center. Theevent included traditional arts, music,dragon dance, and Vietnamese danceand dress pageants. The purpose was to affirm VCAABA’s missionstatement of reaching out into thecommunity.

On February 22, 2007, VCAABAhosted its 2007 installation dinner atLas Posas Country Club in Camarillo.The guest speaker of honor was JudgeRonald Lew of Los Angeles CentralDistrict.

In October, 2006, PhilippineAmerican Bar Association (PABA)successfully held another "Merienda"which brought together both LawStudents and Fil-Am attorneys. Thisnetworking opportunity wasdesigned to allow law students andpotential law students to socializewith practicing attorneys and find outmore about PABA, over great Filipinofood. This year the event was held atthe Law Offices of Manny Ibay inCulver City.

In November, PABA had two suc-cessful events. A Bowling Night washeld, which was designed to attractundergraduate and law students tospend an evening bowling with fel-low PABA members. It was a casual

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and fun evening to bond and getfamiliar with each other. Also, inNovember, PABA held a very success-ful PIZZA night. This is an eventagain with undergraduate and lawstudents. PABA invited panelistsfrom varied and distinguished legalbackgrounds. This year, JudgeTomson Ong, along with other note-worthy PABA members providedadvice, wisdom and mentorship tolaw students and undergraduatesregarding the practice of law.

In December, the PABA Board helda Holiday Party. The event was well attended and extremely fun.

PABA has been accepting applica-tions for its 2007 Attorney BarScholarship - $1,000 towards the costof bar dues or a bar review course.

PABA co-sponsored a reception inhonor of its president, EduardoAngeles, who was recently appointedthe first Special Counsel to the LosAngeles City Council. The receptiontook place on February 8, 2007, at the City Club at Bunker Hill in Los Angeles, CA.

PABA's Installation Dinner isscheduled for March 8, 2007 at theBeverly Hills Hotel.

CALIFORNIA - SAN DIEGO &ORANGE COUNTY REGION

The NAPABA California RegionalConvention will be held in San Diegoon June 8-9, 2007. The Conventionwill kick-off with a golf tournament atSalt Creek Golf Club at 12:30 p.m. onFriday, June 8th. Salt Creek (formerlyThe Auld Course) is one of San DiegoCounty’s most distinctive courses andproceeds of the tournament will bene-fit the Southwest Center for AsianPacific American Law (SCAPAL).

The Southern California region iscurrently working on revising its poli-cy of electing its NAPABA RegionalGovernor to ensure that all affiliatesin the region participate in theprocess. The region is also in theprocess of establishing policies and

procedures to determine its AlternateRegional Governor.

Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego(PALSD) and Filipino AmericanLawyers of San Diego (FALSD) host-ed their Annual Joint Installation andAwards Dinner on February 23, 2007at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel andMarina. The guest speaker for thedinner was the Hon. Norman Y.Mineta, former Secretary ofCommerce and former Secretary ofTransportation. The dinner also fea-tured a silent auction to raise fundsfor SCAPAL. In January, PALSD andFALSD members attended a DiverseLaw Students Mixer at the Universityof San Diego School of Law and metfuture diverse attorneys – and futureNAPABA members.

Orange County Asian AmericanBar Association (OCAABA) is co-sponsoring a pro bono clinic with theAsian Pacific American Legal Center,on Saturday, March 31, 2007. Also,OCAABA will hold its AnnualInstallation Dinner on May 3, 2007, atthe Furiwa Restaurant in GardenGrove.

In December, 2006, Orange CountyKorean American Bar Association(OC KABA) held its first “Career inLaw Seminar.” This presentation wasgeared towards students and parentsinterested in careers in the legal pro-fession. Special guests included LosAngeles Superior Court Judge CarlosChung and representatives from pri-vate practice, the Legal Aid Society,the Office of the Orange CountyPublic Defender, and the ChapmanUniversity School of Law. In January,OC KABA provided pro bono consul-tations on various legal topics includ-ing business, real estate, contract,immigration and family law. Thisprogram was sponsored by theKorean Chamber of Commerce. OCKABA is planning its 2nd AnnualCommunity Law School event, whichwill be held this Spring. Last year,over 150 people attended this event,

which was established to educate thelocal Korean American communityabout legal issues that affect theirdaily lives.

CENTRAL REGIONAsian Pacific American Bar

Association of Central Ohio(APABA-CO) held its first organiza-tional meeting and opening receptionin the fall of 2006.

On March 8, APABA-CO spon-sored a career development panel dis-cussion, moderated by AnazeelMohamed, Treasurer. The event waswell attended by both practicingattorneys and law students. The dis-cussion group had a lively discussionbetween the panelists and attendees,and was followed by a networkingreception sponsored by Schottenstein,Zox & Dunn.

APABA-CO’s Inaugural Gala willbe held on April 18th. Speakersinclude Ohio Treasurer Richard Cordray and former NAPA-BA President Michael Chu.

Missouri Asian Bar Association(MABA) elected new officials in thefall of 2006. They are: Angela Yee,President; Daniel Sakaguchi, VicePresident; Ignatius Yuan, Treasurer;and Julie Madsen, Secretary. The 6thAnnual MABA Unity Dinner plansare underway. The Unity Dinner for2007 will be held on April 19, 2007 at6 p.m at Ryce Restaurant in St. Louis.The Mentoring Committee hosted itsfirst Happy Hour event with menteeson February 22, 2007. Mentors sharedtheir thoughts and experiences aboutwork/ life balance, interviewing tips,and ways to improve job opportuni-ties. MABA is conducting theCommunity Service Project to partnerwith St. Louis University law studentsto raise awareness, through volunteerprojects, fundraising and communityoutreach about the homebound elder-ly and assist local agency, Mid EastAgency on Aging in St. Louis.

continued on page 10

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Asian American Bar Associationof Kansas City (AABAKC) elected itsnew officers and board of directors inJanuary. They are: President,Veronica Chang-Peshoff; Vice-President/President-Elect, ChrisJavillonar; Treasurer, Judy Yi;Secretary, Lisa Westergaard; TarunMehta; Peter Chung; Seema Chawlaand Justin Pulikkan. Yabo Lin, itsfounding president, has resigned fromhis post after becoming the CentralRegional Governor and a board mem-ber of NAPABA in November, 2006.

AABAKC hosted a "real life" paneldiscussion on job interview and skillsand law practice on February 22 forAsian students attending the local lawschools. It gave tips on interviewingpractices and skills and a generalQ&A on the practice of law, living inKansas City, what law firms look forin applicants and any other topics ofinterest.

AABAKC has tentatively sched-uled to host its annual banquet onMay 31, 2007. Initiatives include rais-ing funds to provide scholarships andawards to area Asian law studentsand public interest lawyers.

NORTHEAST REGIONAsian American Bar Association

of the Delaware Valley (AABADV)President Grace Manno starts herterm. The association met with ArlenSpecter on the appointment ofPennsylvanians to the Federal bench.The association formed a committeethat collected resumes and inter-viewed candidates and submitted 3names to the Senator. He agreed tomeet with them personally. The asso-ciation held its Lunar New Year ban-quet on February 23. The associationis considering expanding its member-ship to all of Pennsylvania, and notjust the “Delaware Valley.” The asso-ciation is eagerly awaiting its “cut”for the 2006 NAPABA Convention. It held a post-party for the steeringcommittee where Don Liu and JoeCenteno did a very well received duetof Rod Stewart’s “Don’t you think I’msexy.”

Asian Pacific American LawyersAssociation of New Jersey(AAPALA-NJ) President MichaelAngulo begins his term. APALA/NJhosted the 2007 NAPABA NERegional Conference in Atlantic Cityon April 13 and 14. The agendaincluded a golf outing on April 13,and a gala event on April 14.

APALA/NJ is pleased to announcethat one of its members, Kris Kolluri,served as Acting Governor for NewJersey for one day, December 28, 2006,marking the first time an Asian-Indian served as a governor of anystate, and the first time an AsianAmerican has served in that capacityin New Jersey.

APALA/NJ hosted a seminar onpublic service opportunities onOctober 19.

In December, APALA/NJ representatives met with New Jersey'sAttorney General and the Governor'sChief Counsel to discuss issues pertinent to the Asian American community. APALA/NJ hosted professional development programson January 11 and January 18. OnJanuary 25, APALA/NJ held a luncheon event with State Senators in Trenton to promote diversity in the public sector, particularly the judiciary.

Ingrid Schroffner begins her newterm as Asian American Lawyer’sAssociation of Massachusetts(AALAM) President.

AALAM and the NationalAssociation of Asian AmericanProfessionals (NAAAP) held a jointmixer February 8, 2007. MA Women'sPolitical Caucus' 6th Annual GoodGuys Awards honoring Paul Lee,AALAM co-founder and GoodwinProcter LLP partner, was held onFebruary 13, 2007, at noon, at the ParkPlaza Hotel.

Shirley Ma serves as the Presidentof Connecticut Asian PacificAmerican Bar Association(CAPABA). CAPABA Director,Connecticut Superior Court JudgeNina Elgo presented a workshop on

Asian Americans working in law atthe East Coast Asian AmericanStudent Union (ECAASU) Conferenceon February 9-10, 2007. This past fall,CAPABA joined together withDemocracy Works, the American CivilLiberties Union (ACLU), the NationalAssociation for the Advancement ofColored People (NAACP), and othergroups to provide information to vot-ers on Election Day 2006. OnNovember 4, 2006, CAPABAPresident-Elect Angel Feng deliveredthe welcome remarks and introduc-tion at the Career Development,Racial and Ethnic Diversity in theLegal Profession Workshop at theUniversity of Connecticut LawSchool.

Asian American Bar Associationof New York (AABANY)’s AnnualDinner on February 8 featured NormMineta. The association planned adeposition CLE for its members inFebruary. Christie Chi became part-ner at Dewey. Annual meeting fordirectors and leadership was conduct-ed the week of February 5, 2007.

On December 15, Lai Sun Yee,AABANY President, Chris Chan, Co-Chair of the Judicial AffairsCommittee (JAC), Yang Chen, Co-Chair of the JAC, and SteveShapiro, member of the JAC,appeared at the Legislative OfficeBuilding in Albany before the NewYork State Assembly StandingCommittee on the Judiciary in itspublic hearings on the selection ofNew York State Supreme CourtJustices.

Lai Sun did an excellent job repre-senting AABANY at the hearing. Shereiterated AABANY's opposition toopen primaries as they are currentlystructured as a way to select SupremeCourt candidates. AABANY believesthat the convention system has beenmore favorable to Asian-Americansand other minorities seeking toascend the bench. AABANY contin-ued to refrain from taking any posi-tion on the constitutionality of theconvention system. AABANY took

Regional News continued from page 9

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the position that if judicial qualifica-tions commissions are set up to selectSupreme Court justices, as proposedby the Federick Commission, thereshould be a permanent seat forAABANY on any such commission.

AABANY's testimony was wellreceived by the Assembly memberswho were present at the hearing,Chairman Helene Weinstein,Assemblyman Charles D. Lavine andAssemblyman Daniel J. O'Donnell.They were all receptive to AABANY'smessage of the urgent need toincrease diversity on the bench. Theethnic minority bars were uniform inopposing an appointive system forselection of judges. When the repre-sentative from the League of WomenVoters spoke up in favor of anappointive system, ChairmanWeinstein asked the speaker to takeback to her group the concerns raisedby AABANY (mentioning our associa-tion specifically) and other minoritybar associations that testified aboutthe potentially detrimental impactthat such a system would have ondiversity.

After all the testimony was given,AABANY was approached from someof the other groups that testified, suchas the New York Trial LawyersAssociation, who complimentedAABANY on its testimony and wereinterested in working further with uson pursuing the diversity goals men-tioned in our testimony.Assemblyman Lavine personallycame up to AABANY and thanked usfor appearing and giving testimony.

NORTHWEST REGIONThe Asian Bar Association of

Washington (ABAW) held its annualholiday party on December 13, 2006 atO’Asian. The party included dinnerand a white elephant gift exchangefor the attendants. Preston Gates andEllis (now KL Gates) hosted a recep-tion for diverse 1L students fromUniversity of Washington and SeattleUniversity on January 4, 2007. Thisevent was co-sponsored by the

Vietnamese American BarAssociation of Washington, the Latino/a Bar Association ofWashington, and the South Asian BarAssociation of Washington. Membersof the ABAW attended an invitation-only reception for Yale Professor KenjiYoshino on January 11 at SeattleUniversity. The first board meeting ofthe year for the ABAW was held onJanuary 20, 2007 at the offices ofHeller Erhman. ABAW immediatepast-president, Kim Tran, and ABAWmembers Professor Maggie Chon andHon. Mary Yu were panelists on“Addressing the Obstacles StiflingOur Progress” a CLE on the intersec-tion of race, class and gender in thelaw at Seattle University on January24.

SOUTHEAST REGIONAsian Pacific American Bar

Association of the GreaterWashington DC Area (APABA-DC)organized a successful AttorneyMentoring Reception in November2006 at the law offices of Arent Fox.APABA-DC continues to guide youngattorneys in navigating their careersthrough its mentoring program,matching more experienced attorneyswith newer members.

The Women's Law Forum spon-sored "Breaking Common Barriers:Advancement, Retention and theMinority Experience for Women inLaw Firms" on November 8, 2006.The panelists discussed and examinedthe 2006 ABA Study "VisibleInvisibility: Women of Color in LawFirms" and the 2006 WBA Study"Creating Pathways to Success:Advancing and Retaining Women inToday's Law Firms."

The Women's Law Forum alsosponsored the symposium, "AsianAmerican Women Attorneys inCriminal Law" on November 15, 2006,where Jeannie E. Cho, Esq., a share-holder at Shulman Rogers GandalPordy & Ecker, P.A., and Jessie K. Liu,Esq., Deputy Chief of Staff, NationalSecurity Division/ U.S. Dept. of

Justice spoke. The even was moderat-ed by Cynthia Lee, Professor of Lawin Criminal Law and Procedure atGeorge Washington University Schoolof Law.

The Practicing Attorney' ResourceCommittee held a panel discussion oncareers in immigration law onDecember 13, 2006. The panelistsincluded Palma Yanni, Esq., TraciHong, Esq., Director of theImmigration Program at the AsianAmerican Justice Center, and SuzyHung, Esq., of Arent Fox LLC. Thepanelists shared their career pathsand gave advice on how to becomeinvolved in immigration issues.

APABA-DC's Holiday Party was asmashing success, bringing togethermany members to dine, network andjust enjoy the holiday spirit during analready busy season.

2007 began with the introductionof the new Government AttorneysForum, for the many governmentattorney members of APABA-DC.Judge Brian Kim spoke about hiscareer path as a government attorneyleading to his appointment to thebench. The Government AttorneysForum will serve as a forum for government attorneys to network,socialize and to exchange views andideas to enhance their governmentpractice.

The first Partners' Forum meetingwas held on February 8, 2007 at theoffices of Hogan & Hartson.

The Asian American BarAssociation of Virginia (VAAABA)has been actively preparing for the2007 Color of Justice Program.Members have been going to localhigh school to speak with students inthe Fairfax County CollegePartnership program to answer ques-tions about the Color of Justice pro-gram and to encourage students toattend. The Color of Justice programwas held on January 24, 2007 and ourmembers participated in the programas always. The AABA is assumingleadership of the 2008 Color of Justiceprogram.

continued on page 12

Participate in the power of our membership.

Become a direct member of NAPABA at one of the

following levels:Students $25Bronze $50Silver $100Gold $250Platinum $500

Participate in the power of our membership.

Become a direct member of NAPABA at one of the

following levels:Students $25Bronze $50Silver $100Gold $250Platinum $500

Your direct support of NAPABA will be recognized in our convention program

and other publications.

Payment can be made by credit card (VISA and MasterCard accepted) onlinethrough the Joining section of NAPABA’s website (www.napaba.org) or by check for the applicable payment level amount,

payable to NAPABA, and should be sent to:

Richard K. Sueyoshi – VP MembershipNAPABA

910 17th Street, NW, Suite 315

Washington, DC 20006

NAPABA is a 501(c)(6) tax-exempt organization.Contributions or gifts to NAPABA are not tax

deductible as charitable contributions for federalincome tax purposes. However, membership duesmay be tax deductible as ordinary and necessarybusiness expenses and contributions or gifts maybe tax deductible under other provisions of theInternal Revenue Code. This general statement

may not apply to your specific situation; please consult your tax advisor.

12

The 2007 Colors of Justice recep-tion (not to be confused with theabove high school program) was heldat the George Mason UniversitySchool of Law on April 13, 2007. Lastyear, each panel had at least onefemale attorney and one minorityattorney, so that first year law stu-dents would be judged by and wouldsee before an inclusive panel. The2006 program was so successful that itraised $5,000 which funded 5 scholar-ship of $1,000 each to first year stu-dents. The recipients were selected bythe quality of their essay submissionsand other criteria. The minority stu-dent recipients of the scholarshipswill be presented at the April

reception. Members of the AABA willagain serve as sponsors of this recep-tion and scholarship, and will serve asjudges for the first year Moot courtcompetition in the weeks prior.

Judge Ellis of the United StatesDistrict Court for the Eastern Districtof VA is retired as of April 2007. TheAABA has been invited by otherminority bar associations to partici-pate in a joint judicial screening ofinterested candidates.

The Commission on Court in the21st Century – To Include All andExclude None has finished its workand its recommendations were pre-sented to Chief Justice Hassell of theVA Supreme Court. The AABA,through its president, participated inthe presentation. The report with itsrecommendations will now be sent toall state-wide bar associations, includ-ing the AABA, for comments. Thecomments will be forwarded to theJudicial Committee, who upon reviewof same, will hold hearings and invitevarious members of the Commissionto answer questions as to various rec-ommendations related to the Courts.The recommendations address vari-ous issues related to the Courts andthe justice system in VA, includingelectronic filing, courthouse security,the need for comparable pay for indi-gent defense, an expansion of thejurisdiction of the Court of Appeals,and other such issues.

The North Carolina Asian PacificAmerican Bar Association (NCAPA-BA) has gotten 2007 off to a great startby serving as a co-sponsor of theMecklenburg County BarAssociation's first annual "DiversityMatters" CLE on February 23, 2007and the "Increasing Diversity in theLegal Profession" Seminar onFebruary 24, 2007 for minority under-graduate and high school studentswho are interested in the legal profes-sion.

APABA-MD held its general meeting at its annual Holiday Party,which brought together new and oldmembers alike. Affiliate President

Paul W. Kim, Esq., continues in hisefforts to showcase APABA-MD as theleading voice of APA attorneys inMaryland. Principally, APABA-MDhas participated in now nearly count-less interviews of judicial candidatesseeking appointments to the bench.

Currently, APABA-MD is planningits annual scholarship dinner, wherescholarships are awarded to one stu-dent from the University Of BaltimoreSchool Of Law and one student fromthe University Of Maryland School Of Law.

SOUTHWEST REGION

ARIZONA - The Arizona Asian American Bar

Association (AAABA) held its 2007Installation Banquet on April 4, 2007.The keynote speaker was Mr. SteveSanghi, Chairman, President and CEOof Microchip Technology, Inc. RandyAoyama is the incoming AAABAPresident.

AAABA has partnered with theArizona Pacific Community in Action(APCA) by participating in approxi-mately 4-5 joint health and legal clin-ics held throughout the greaterPhoenix area. It is the largest commu-nity outreach program where mem-bers of the Asian community (andcommunity at large) can receive bothfree health screenings and legal assis-tance at the same time (with inter-preters).

AAABA member Barry Wong, whowas appointed to serve as stateArizona Corporation Commissioner(public utilities board) to serve outFERC Commissioner Marc Spitzer'sterm, has returned to private practice.

COLORADO - This past year, Colorado APABA

raised $2850 for its annual HolidayFood Drive – a whopping $1250 overits goal. That’s a record! With thosefunds, we were able to serve fiftyfamilies by providing food basketscontaining super-sized bags and con-tainers of jasmine rice, cereal, soy

Regional News continued from page 11

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We want to take this opportunity to thankNAPABA for organizing a wonderfulannual conference in Philadelphia andallotted 2 sessions for immigration topics.

The first session was held on Friday,November 10, and titled “Everything YouEver Wanted to Know About Immigrationbut Didn’t have an Opportunity to Ask.”We had five great panelists:

• Scott Bratton, Partner, Margaret W.Wong & Associates LPA, Cleveland,OH

• Fernando Chang- Muy, Professor,University of Pennsylvania LawSchool, Philadelphia, PA

• Carlos Iturregui, Chief, Office forPolicy and Strategy for the UnitedStates Citizenship and Immigration,U.S. Department of HomelandSecurity, Washington, DC

• Margaret Wong, President, MargaretW. Wong & Associates LPA, Cleveland,OH

• Lynda Zengerle, Partner, Steptoe &Johnson LLP, Washington, DC

The session was moderated by Don W. Pak, Principal, Law Office of Don W. Pak, Philadelphia, PA and gener-ously sponsored by Margaret W. Wong &Associates LPA.

The second session was held onSaturday, November 11, and the title was“Immigration Law Changes, ProposedFuture Policies Trends: From Past toPresent and Future, Exciting Times withImmigration Reform and the CurrentImmigration Debate.” We also had fourgreat panelists:

• Scott Bratton, Partner, Margaret W.Wong & Associates LPA, Cleveland,OH

• J. Traci Hong, Director of theImmigration Program, Asian AmericanJustice Center, Washington, DC

• Paul Igasaki, Deputy Chief ExecutiveOfficer of Equal Justice Works

• Margaret Wong, President, MargaretW. Wong & Associates LPA, Cleveland,OH

NAPABA Immigration Committee Want to Thank All Of You

sauce, fish sauce, vegetable oil, tuna,and treats of Choco-Pies! We werealso able to provide the families withgift certificates to King Soopers sothat they could buy fresh foods aswell. In addition, on SaturdayDecember 9, many members gatheredwith their friends and family toassemble the baskets at the offices ofour partner, the Asian PacificDevelopment Center. In addition,Colorado ABABA participated andorganized the Naturalization Drive,High School Pipeline project, and LawStudent mentor program, and donat-ed over $15,000 to local APA organiza-tions this past year. .

TEXAS:Austin -

The Austin Asian American BarAssociation will hold its first everSpring banquet to celebrate a verysuccessful kickoff year, where over 60members have signed up for AAABAmembership. The event was held atPeony Restaurant in Austin onThursday evening March 8th. Houston -

Asian American Bar Associationof Houston held its Lunar New YearCelebration on February 23, 2007. Italso held its 2007 MentorshipProgram Kick-Off Reception onFebruary 28 at Tropioca Tea andCoffee Bar.

The AABA has been acceptingapplications now for its 2007Mentorship Program! Attorneys withthree years or more legal experiencemay apply to be mentors; and AABAmembers who are law students ornew attorneys may apply to bementees. For more information, con-tact Jane Nguyen Vuong atjnguyen@njclaw.com or 713.780.4982.

The AABA held its Spring CLEPresentation “Developing Your LegalPractice and Managing Your LegalCareer” on March 1, 2007 at GardereWynne Sewell LLP. Attorneys withsignificant law firm and in-houseexperience discussed their perspec-tives on the successful practice of law.

Jared Leung, Senior US ImmigrationAttorney of Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy LLP, Hong Kong, China, moderated the session, which was generously sponsored by Reed Smith.

We are very pleased to report that bothsessions were packed and had standingrooms only. We appreciated all of youwho came to support our immigrationsessions. Your support was very impor-tant to the Immigration Committee.

In conjunction with the Civil Right andPublic Interest Committee, theImmigration Committee also organized adinner at the Hong Kong Golden PhoenixRestaurant on Friday night. Over 50NAPABA members came and enjoyed awonderful meal. We were particularlyhonored by the presence of HonorableHirono, who had just been elected to theU.S. House of Representative for the Stateof Hawaii. Further, we want to thankTsiwen Law for his time and energy inmaking the dinner possible.

What to Expect from the ImmigrationCommittee in 2007?

First, your participation and support iscrucial to us. We want to emphasize thatall NAPABA members are welcome to jointhe Immigration Committee whether ornot you are an immigration law practi-tioner. We want to hear from you aboutwhat immigration law topics interest youat the annual conference. For ideas andsuggestions, please email Jared Leung atjleung@fragomen.com.

Many of you have contributed to thesuccess of the two immigration sessionsthis year and we appreciate you verymuch. Thank you again and we hope tosee you all at the annual conference nextyear in Las Vegas.

Jared Leung Secretary, NAPABA ImmigrationCommittee

14

15

NAPABA Direct Membership 2006 - present

Truc-Ly Nguyen Vi Nguyen Sophorn Nhou Akiko Nishino Michael Oshima Eunice Peters Luan Phan Helen Roh Ryan Sakamoto Willard Shih Andrew Daisuke Stewart Susanna Tran Julia Tsai Phong Vo Manik Wadhawan Michael Wang Ako Williams Margaret Wong Philip Wong Hsiao-cheng Wu Michael Wu Eugene Yamamoto Marianna Yang Emerald Yeo Kristy Young

BRONZEWilliam Adams Kaori Aguirre Kavitha Akula Jeoung An Robert Bas Michael Begert Michael Belarmino Piers A. Blewett Robert Brownlie Alexander C. Chae Roberta Chang Betty W. Chen Henry Chen Jennifer Chen Jennifer Chen Michael Chen Gino Cheng Karen Cheng Heidi Chen-Lauring Jennifer Chi Denny Chin Linda Chin George Ching Samina Choudhry Brian Chun John Chun Lena Chun Justin Cruz Elizabeth Dahm Linh Dang Hong Dao Jacqueline Dao Corinne Deveza Ay Ding Jeffrey Divney Franz D’Lima Samantha Do Genevieve Dominguez Paul Estuar

Dennis Fernandez Michelle Fernandez Mia Fiedler Kamaljit Flower Sean Hanagan Haeji Hong Peter Hong Thomas Hong Wesley Hsu Thuy Huynh Jay Im Phillis Ing Prashanth Jayachandran Les Jin Karen Gren Johnson David Kahng John Kang Christopher Kao Eric Kawamura Charles Kim Jaejung Kim Jason Kim Jenny Kim Jiny Kim Kiwi Kim Nicole Kim Sara Kim Y. Jae Kim Donald Kiolbassa Gary Koo Paul Korniczky Marlene Kristovich Michael Kubicki Emily Kuo Robert Kwan Evonne Lai Puja Lakhani Andy Le Art Lee Deborah Lee Jaimie Lee Kathy Lee Katrina J. Lee Michele Lee Suzy Lee Jane Lim Miri Lim Albert Lin S. Tony Ling Thomas Liou Diana Liu Chih-Pin Lu David Lu Thomas Lue Janet Ly Jerrilyn T. Malana Daniel Mark Julia Markley Ronald Mc Cray Andrew McMullin Rikin Mehta Kasio Mida Bethany Mito Wimsatt Ai Mori Christian Na Ivy Ngo

Diana Nguyen Linda Toyo Obayashi Carmina Ocampo M. Ken Ogawa Hyuck Oh Mayumi Okamoto Melvin Okamoto Brian Oshiro Irene Pai Onnie Pang Seksanh Joe Panyanouvong Jae Park Yanhua Peng Arnold Peter Dipti Pidikiti Jennifer M.K. Provencher Sindy Ramlal Ekwan Rhow Sonja Rice Matthew Rojanakiathavorn Arman Rouf Chana Rungrojtanakul Hsin-I Russell Naomi Sakamoto Priya Sanger Richik Sarkar Wendy Shiba Nancy Shor Kenneth Siu James Skyles Mary Smith Patrick Soug Misasha Suzuki Kimberly Tan Majure Maurice Teixeira Darren S. Teshima My Chi To June Towery John Tran Kim Tran Phi Tran Phong (Jacques) N. Tran Viet Tran Janice Trey Joanna TSAI Lee Vang Glenda Villareal Nancy Vue Catherine Wang Lisa Wang Alexander Wann Garner Weng Alys Williams Andrew Wone Min Wu Gordon Yamate Andrew Yen John Yi Thomas Yih Bonnie Youn

STUDENTSJoseph AudalMathew Beredo John Brown Kim Burton Debbie Carlos Julia Chan Teresa Chan Christine Chang Theresa Chang Wade Wei Lin Chang Tejpal Chawla Kathryn Chin Stephen Yee Chow Joanne Chun Hughes Julie Chen Clocker Crystina Coats Marvin Dang April Davenport Ambreen Delawalla Keala Ede Stephanie Evans Lin Fan Z. Y. James Fang Brad Farrar John Flock Jamieson Fong Rudy Gubach Jae-Min Han Bruce Haraguchi Jiaxin He John Ho Melissa Ho Jason Hobbie Jeffrey Hsi Ann Hsu James Hu Jeremy Huang Yilun (Alan) Huang Zhuoyao(Joy) Hui Cindy Hwang Samuel Hwang Yong Beom Hwang Juneko Jackson Brent Jo Sara Jones Christina Jung Swati Kabaria Sidney Kanazawa Alisa Kao Ajay Kayal Yoonsup Keum Brian Kim John Kim Naomi Kim Paula Kim Richard Kim Taejin Kim Jadyn Koo Chun Kuo Lance Larsen Joshua Larson Phong Le Alice Lee David Lee Jai Lee

PLATINUMAmy Ahn Kaz Kikkawa Catherine Than Alan Tse Cynthia Wong Hu

GOLDCarolyn ByunJanet Shawn dela Merced David Halm Young Kim Vincent Kung Chung Lee Swati Patel MyMy Trieu Jinying Wu Joseph Wu

SILVERVanessa CandelariaMimi Castillo Danny Chen Michelle Chen Nicholas V. Chen A. Marisa Chun Steve Clemmons Victor Diune Howard Halm Juyon Ham Tammy Hui Sherry Hutter Samuel Hwang Thomas Hwei Hellin Jang Payal Jethva Chuck Juliana Emmalynn Karabell Srivitta Kengskool Hyung Tae Kim Judith Kim Raymond Kim Ramey Ko Christopher Koa Richard Koo Susan Kumagai Glenn Lau-Kee Christina Lee Dennis Lee John Lee Michael D. Lee Nasya Lee Joanna Leung Connie Liem Ben Lin Lisa Ling Henry Liu Benjamin T. Lo David Louie Roger Lucas Henry Mann Ken Massey Patricia Medina Talbert JSC Erick Y. Miyagi Somchit Mounsamrouath-Hart Khoa Nguyen

Jay Lee Mark Lee Lixia Lin Mao Lin Shih Ying (Emily) Lin Karen Mathis Manish Mehta Leslie Morioka Melanie Mulcahy Geoffrey Neri Matthew Ng Giam Nguyen Lien-Ha Nguyen MinhChau Nguyen Tuan Nguyen Xudong Ni Raj Nichani DaRong Park E. John Park Loc Pfeiffer Tuan Pham K. Lynn Posey Edwin K. Prather Mary Quach Milakshmi Rajapakse Sara Sakagami Ikuko Sano Elna Santos Mary Sennes Raymond Sheen Michael Shen Wenzhuo (Sara) Shen Craig Shikuma Won Shin Edmund Sim Dorothy Siron Jon Stanley Richard (Rick) K. Sueyoshi Cynthia Tai Shawn Tao Darren S. Teshima Patrick Tofilon John M. Tran Judy Tseng J. Dino Vasquez Kay Wakatake Anthony Wang Eve Wang Sharlene Weng G. Michael Witte Alice Wong Casey Wong Mark Wong Mitchell M. Wong Jane Wu Michael Wu Mathew Yang Shanel Yang John S. Yong Peter Sokgu Yuh John Yung

Please go to www.napaba.org to become a Direct Member today!

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PAIDPermit No. 31050Los Angeles, CA

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PeopleNewsin the

Ruthe Catolico Ashley was appointedDiversity Officer over External Affairs forthe California Public Employees'Retirement System (CalPERS) inDecember 2006. CalPERS is the nation'slargest public pension fund with morethan $225 billion in assets and managesretirement and health benefits for approxi-mately 1.5 million active and retiredCalifornia public employees and familymembers.

Judge Tam Bui was elected to SnohomishCounty District Court, Everett, andbecame the first Vietnamese-American tobe elected to the bench in the State ofWashington.

David Wellington Chew was sworn in aschief justice of the 8th Court of Appeals byTexas Supreme Court Chief JusticeWallace B. Jefferson, on April 3, 2007 atthe El Paso County Courthouse. Chewmade history by becoming the first Asian-American chief justice of the 8th Court ofAppeals

John Chiang was inaugurated asCalifornia’s 31st State Controller onJanuary 8, 2007. Elected in the statewide

election held in November 2006 as one ofCalifornia’s 12 constitutional officers, Johnis the highest-ranking Asian-PacificAmerican officeholder in the continentalUnited States.

Judy Chu was inaugurated as a memberof California Board of Equalization, repre-senting the 4th District on January 8, 2007.Her district includes most of Los AngelesCounty, with over 73 cities and 8.5 millionresidents.

Hon. Alan Honeycutt was appointed to ajudgeship (LA Superior Court) on January5, 2007. Previously, he was a ThomasTang Moot Court, Best Oralist winner.

Lydia W. Lee was made partner at Baker& Hostetler, LLP, Los Angeles, on January1, 2007. She is a member of the BusinessGroup and concentrates her practice inreal estate matters.

Twenty Commissioners of the newlyformed Asian American Commission inMassachusetts were sworn in on February21, 2007. The ceremony was attended by

Governor Deval L. Patrick and other elect-ed officials. New Commissioners includePaul Lee (former NAPABA president andrecent Spirit of Excellence winner), Tina Matsuoka (VP of the AsianAmerican Lawyer’s Association ofMassachusetts) and Geoffrey Why(AALAM Board member).

Darryl M. Woo, chair of Fenwick & WestLLP’s patent litigation group, receivednews recently of a unanimous federal juryverdict in his client’s favor. The awardwas for $74.7 million, which in 2006would have been the fifth largest patentverdict of the year, and culminates almosta decade of litigation.

Judge George Howping Wu was con-firmed as a United States District CourtJudge for the Central District ofCalifornia, Los Angeles, California onMarch 27, 2007.

Betty Yee was inaugurated as a memberof the California Board of Equalization,representing the 1st District on January 4,2007. Her district includes 21 counties innorthern and central California.