August 2012 - Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area

AABA
Newsletter
WWW.AABA - BAY.COM
AUGUST
2012
President’s Column
By Emi Gusukuma
“We Are All Sikhs”
I was profoundly saddened to hear about the shooting at the Sikh
gurdwara in Oak Creak, Wisconsin on August 5, 2012. Killed were
five men -- Satwant Singh Kaleka, 65; Sita Singh, 41; Ranjit Singh,
49; Prakash Singh, 39; Suveg Singh, 84 -- and one woman, 41-yearold Paramjit Kaur.
There are many who have called this hate crime “senseless,” and
while it is beyond my comprehension what motivates such hatred and
violence, we know that these acts are not isolated. The shooting is
part of a history of bias and violence that members of Sikh, Muslim,
Arab, and South Asian communities have endured in the decade
following September 11, 2001. Sadly, community members continue
to report discrimination, and places of worship are routinely targeted.
Within 24 hours of the Wisconsin shooting, a suspicious fire, now
being investigated as a possible arson, destroyed a mosque in Joplin,
Missouri. And, on August 15, 2012, tragedy returned to Wisconsin
when a Sikh shopkeeper – Dalbir Singh – was shot and killed as he
was closing his store for the night.
The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, of which we are
an affiliate, issued a Statement of Solidarity:
The level of hate and violence inflicted on innocent Americans
because of their appearance or religious faith is now at a crisis
point. . . . While our organizations represent a wide swath
of individuals from different nationalities, backgrounds, faith
traditions, and belief systems, we are bound together by a
common purpose: we believe in the core American values
of religious pluralism, equality, and inclusion. Our collective
voices send out the message that as a nation, we must
denounce the hate-fueled sentiment and bigoted rhetoric that
has become much too frequent in our public and political
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A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
discourse. The essence of our country after all is E pluribus unum: out of many comes a
strong, unified one.
(emphasis mine).1
I read an incredibly moving article by Valarie Kaur, who described the efforts of the gurdwara
members to restore the their place of worship:
[W]itness the spirit of chardi kala in the Sikh faith -- even in darkness, a rising resilience -- . . .
which is also part of the American character. Sikh women and men walked into a crime
scene: blood on the carpets, there were bullet holes in the walls, and shattered windows.
They flew into action, ripping out carpets, painting over bullet holes, scrubbing floors, and
within hours, they served the first langar (open meal), breaking bread beneath portraits
of those who have died for our faith.2
As President Obama stated, “Such violence has no place in the United States of America. The
attack on Americans of any faith is an attack on the freedom of all Americans.” We stand in
solidarity with our brothers and sisters of the South Asian community – We Are All Sikhs – let us
mourn, and, when the time comes, let us act.
Year of the Woman
They called it the Year of the Woman at the Olympic Games in London – every nation that sent a
delegation to the London Games sent at least one female athlete – a first for the Olympics. This
year’s Team USA had more female than male athletes, and won more medals.
Here at home in a sleepy town called San Francisco, a dozen women met in a conference room
at Minami Tamaki LLP on August 8, 2012 for the First Wednesdays with Women – an initiative
launched by the AABA Women’s Committee to provide space and opportunities for female AAPI
attorneys to discuss issues they confront in their practice of the law, to collectively problem solve,
and to build upon their networks. It was a brown bag lunch (which meant I hurriedly purchased
a hot dog from the Stanley’s Steamers cart outside the MT office – oy, if my mother found out!)
and I was delighted that we had women representing both the private and public sectors, firms
and in-house. We received great feedback from the participants, and look forward to continuing
it in September.
Let Me Hear From You!
I know you’re out there! If you have ideas on what we can do better at AABA, please let me know:
[email protected]. Or, if you just wanted to let me know you read the column, that’d be
great, too.
Until next time . . .
You can read the full statement here:
http://www.napaba.org/napaba/showpage.asp?code=oakcreekstatement081012
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2
http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/17/opinion/kaur-obama-sikh-temple/index.html
A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
Inside This Issue:
AABA President’s Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Sustaining Members List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Sikh Coalition_Senate Judiciary Hearing Request . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Second Annual Public Law/Public Service Fundraiser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
AABA Picnic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
AABA Civil Rights Committee Social Justice Attorney Reception . . . . . . 12
AABA 25th Annual Summer Law Clerk Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
How Do People Really Find Jobs? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Poll Monitoring Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
AABA’s Giants Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Diversity Mixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Call for Volunteer Attorneys! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
The Return of American Idol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
APABA Installation Dinner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
17th Annual CLAY Awards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
How You Can Get Involved with AABA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Calendar of Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
2012 - 2013 Officers And Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
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A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
Teresa
Tan
AABA
THANKS THE FOLLOWING
SUSTAINING MEMBERS OF 2012!
Kathy Asada
Enoch Liang
Hon. Andrew Y.S. Cheng
Fred Lim
Diane Chin
Allan E. Low
A. Marisa Chun
Kimon Manolius
Hon. Samuel Feng
Dale Minami
Kevin M. Fong
Horace Ng
Marc Alan Fong
Nanci E. Nishimura
Hon. Keith H. Fudenna
Christine Noma
Hon. Delbert C. Gee
Genevieve Orta
Joan Haratani
Paul R. Perdue
Richard Hung
Edwin Prather
Sinclair Hwang
Dawn P. Robertson
Daro Inouye
Hon. Donna Miae Ryu
Ken Jew
Tiffany N. Santos
Christopher Kao
Raymond H. Sheen
Hon. Ken M. Kawaichi (ret.)
Julie D. Soo
Jenny J. Kim
Teresa Tan
Terri Ann Kim
Paul Tanaka
Lily Kimura
Darren S. Teshima
Hon. Lucy Koh
Theodore Ting
Alyssa Koo
David J. Tsai
Minette Kwok
Phillip Wang
Bill Lee
Hon. Garrett L. Wong
Celia Lee
Kirk Wong
Cindy Lee
Darryl M. Woo
Jack W. Lee
Brad Yamauchi
Jason E. Lee
Christopher Yee
Jayne Lee
Clifford E. Yin
Garrick Lew
Tammy Yuen
A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
The Sikh Coalition along with more than 150 organizations, including NAPABA, is requesting the Senate Judiciary
Committee to hold hearings next month on hate crimes and hate groups found across the nation. The following is
the letter sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee requesting the hearing and citing the recent rampage at a Sikh
temple in Wisconsin and various racial hate crimes across the nation.
During the next few days, as the Judiciary Committee reviews the letter, please consider taking the additional steps:
1) Contact the Senate Judiciary Committee directly and urge
them to prioritize hearings.
2) Contact the offices of Judiciary Committee members by
phone and email. Please find the contact information here:
http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/about/members.cfm
3) Create awareness about this issue through community
advisories, blog posts, Facebook and Twitter.
4) Write op/eds about the need for increased focus by
policymakers on hate crimes in America.
August 21, 2012
The Honorable Patrick Leahy
Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate
437 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Chuck Grassley
Ranking Member, Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate
135 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Re: Request for Hearing on Hate Crimes and Hate Groups in the United States
Dear Chairman Leahy and Ranking Member Grassley:
We, the undersigned organizations, representing millions of diverse constituents around the nation, respectfully request that the
Senate Judiciary Committee urgently conduct a hearing next month on the need to address hate crimes and the proliferation of
hate groups in the United States.
This is not a theoretical concern: According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the number of hate groups in our country
(currently numbering over a thousand) has grown by almost 60% since 2000. In 2010, more than 47% of hate crimes were
racially motivated; 20% were motivated by the religion of the victim; 19% were based on sexual orientation and almost 13% of all
hate crimes were based on ethnicity or national origin.
During the last month alone, six worshipers at a Sikh Gurdwara in Wisconsin were massacred by an attacker with known ties
to hate groups, and approximately ten Islamic institutions and Muslim communities in seven states have experienced attacks
including vandalism, a suspicious burning, shootings, and the desecration of religious sanctuaries. The Jewish community
continues to experience persistent bias attacks, accounting for 65% of all religiously motivated hate crimes documented by the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 2010. Hate crimes based on anti-Hispanic bias accounted for nearly 67% of ethnically
motivated crimes in 2010. Although African Americans made up only 12.4% of the U.S. population in 2010, they accounted
for 70% of all racially motivated hate crimes that year. Thousands of other individuals in our nation continue to be affected by
hate violence due to their race, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, disability, or
immigration status.
According to hate crime statistics published by the FBI, there were at least 6,628 hate crimes reported in the United States in
2010. These incidents understate the problem of hate crimes in the United States, partly because of underreporting by victims,
and partly because hate crime reporting by law enforcement agencies is voluntary. A 2005 report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics
suggested that the true number of hate crimes in the United States may be 15 times higher than that which is currently reported.
Underreporting may be compounded by policies and political rhetoric (in support of broadscale racial profiling, for example) that
could make hate crime victims apprehensive about immigration and law enforcement authorities.
Given the persistence of hate crimes and the proliferation of hate groups, we believe that a hearing is both timely and necessary. We are
especially interested in examining the status of the implementation of the Matthew Shepard Act; improvements to hate crime reporting
and data collection; and the need for more robust hate crime prevention measures, consistent with protections for First Amendment
rights and civil liberties. For additional information, please contact Mr. Rajdeep Singh, Director of Law and Policy at the Sikh Coalition,
at [email protected] or by phone at (202) 747-4944. We look forward to partnering with you to address these important issues
and offer gratitude for your consideration.
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A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
Respectfully submitted,
80-20 National Asian American PAC - Central Ohio
Chapter
80-20 National Asian American PAC - Southwest Ohio
Chapter
ACUDIR (Alameda County United in Defense of
Immigrant Rights)
Adhikaar
Afghan American Bar Association
African American Ministers Leadership Council
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)
American Association of People with Disabilities
(AAPD)
American Association of University Women
American Ethical Union
American Jewish Committee
American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA)
Anti-Defamation League API Chaya, Seattle
API Equality – LA
Arab American Action Network (AAAN)-Chicago
Arab American Association of New York
Arab American Institute
Arab Community Center for Economic and Social
Services (ACCESS)
Arab Muslim American Federation
Asian American Council – Dayton, Ohio
Asian American Federation
Asian American Institute
Asian American Justice Center, a member of the Asian
American Center for Advancing Justice
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
Asian Americans for Community Involvement
Asian Immigrant Women Advocates
Asian Law Alliance
Asian Law Caucus, a member of the Asian American
Center for Advancing Justice
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO
Asian Pacific American Legal Center, a member of the
Asian American Center for Advancing Justice
Asian Pacific Community in Action
Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
Asian Services In Action, Inc. (ASIA)
Association of Muslim American Lawyers (AMAL)
Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North
America (APPNA)
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
Blacks in Law Enforcement of America
The Center for APA Women
Center for Social Inclusion
CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers
Church Women United Club of Indian Women
Community to Community Development
Cordoba Initiative
Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago
(CIOGC)
Council on American-Islamic Relations
Council on American Islamic Relations – California
(CAIR-CA) Council on American-Islamic Relations –
New York Chapter (CAIR-NY)
Council on American Islamic Relations – Texas, Dallas
Fort Worth Chapter (CAIR-DFW)
Council on American-Islamic Relations – Washington
(CAIR-WA)
Counselors Helping (South) Asians/Indians, Inc. (CHAI)
Dignity Campaign
DRUM – Desis Rising Up & Moving
The Episcopal Church
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Equal Rights Center
Family Equality Council
Fellowship of Reconciliation
FICA (Federation of India Community Associations of
NE Ohio, Cleveland)
Filipino Advocates for Justice (FAJ) Gay and Lesbian
Medical Association
Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network
Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence (GLOV)
Groundswell – Auburn Theological Seminary
Hindu American Foundation
Hmong National Development
Human Rights Campaign
Human Rights First
Human Rights Litigation and International Advocacy
Clinic, University of Minnesota Law School
Immigration Equality
Interfaith Alliance Interfaith Center of New York
International Human Rights Clinic, NYU School of
Law*
Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA)
Islamic Networks Group (ING)
Japanese American Citizens League
* Affiliation provided for identification purposes only.
A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Jewish Labor Committee
Jews Against Islamophobia (JAI)
Jews For Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ)
LatinoJustice PRLDEF
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights
MAI Family Services
Manavi
MIRA! Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance
Mujeres Unidas y Activas
Muslim Advocates
Muslim American Civil Liberties Coalition (MACLC)
Muslim Bar Association of Chicago
Muslim Bar Association of New York (MuBANY)
Muslim Consultative Network
Muslim Public Affairs Council
Muslim Public Affairs Council – New York Chapter
NAACP
NAFSA: Association of International Educators
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
(NAPABA)
National Asian Pacific American Families Against
Substance Abuse
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum
National Center for Transgender Equality
National Coalition for Asian Pacific American
Community Development
National Congress of American Indians
National Council of Jewish Women
National Council of La Raza
National Disability Rights Network
National Fair Housing Alliance
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
National Immigration Law Center
National Minority AIDS Council
National Network for Arab American Communities
(NNAAC)
National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
National Organization for Women
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance
(NQAPIA)
Network of Arab American Professionals (NAAP)
OneAmerica Open Society Foundations
Organization of Chinese Americans, Silicon Valley
Chapter
The Pakistani American Public Affairs Committee
People For the American Way Foundation
PFLAG National (Parents, Families and Friends of
Lesbians and Gays)
Priority Africa Network
Raksha
Rights Working Group
Sakhi for South Asian Women
San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium
Secular Coalition for America
Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund
(SALDEF)
The Sikh Coalition
Sisters of Mercy Institute Justice Team
Social Justice Guild of the First Existentialist
Congregation of Atlanta
South Asian American Policy & Research Institute
(SAAPRI)
South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT)
South Asian Bar Association of New York (SABANY)
South Asian Bar Association of Northern California
(SABA-NC)
South Asian Bar Association of Philadelphia
South Asian Bar Association of Southern California
South Asian Bar Association of Washington, D.C.
(SABA-DC)
South Asian Network
South Asian Progressive Action Collective
South Asian Youth Action (SAYA)
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
Southern Poverty Law Center
Trikone-Chicago
Turning Point for Women and Families
Union for Reform Judaism
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
The United Church of Christ/Justice and Witness
Ministries
United Methodist Church, General Board of Church
and Society
UNITED SIKHS
The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
USPAK Foundation
Women in Islam Inc.
Young People For
YWCA USA
cc: Committee on the Judiciary – United States Senate
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A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
L-R: Jennifer Chin, Stella Ngai,
Emi Gusukuma, Janet Li,
Christopher Chou
Photo credit: Janet Li, AABA Newsletter Co-Chair, David Kuang, APALSA President and 3L at
Golden Gate University School of Law
By David Kuang, APALSA President and 3L at Golden Gate University School of Law
Delicious food flanking my left and wonderful company
flanking my right, while I shared a drink and contributed
to a good cause – what more could I ask for? On July 26
at 111 Minna Gallery, the Asian American Bar Association
(AABA) continued its tradition of mixing revelry with
noteworthy causes when it held its Second Annual Public
Law & Service Fundraiser. By soliciting a modest donation
at the door, AABA successfully raised funds that will go
towards the AABA Law Foundation, which provides
scholarships to law students.
A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
This Committee, led by former AABA
President Celia Lee (Deputy City Attorney,
City and County of San Francisco) and
Neill Tseng (Assistant U.S. Attorney),
brought together public interest and
government attorneys from around the
Bay Area. This year’s event saw a large
and diverse attendance. AABA President
Emi Gusukuma, Board members Hung
Chang, Rhean Fajardo and Khurshid
Khoja, and over a dozen committee
chairs came out to support the fundraiser.
Law students such as Garrett Toy, visiting
from as far away as UCLA School of
Law, found themselves meeting local
law students like Francesca Chang from
USF. Attorneys from both private and
public practice and from a range of
different fields also came to mingle and
show support.
The best part of the evening undoubtedly
was the great conversations shared
amongst old and new friends. As
laughter filled the night, you could not
help but to notice the camaraderie
within the community on full display.
Notwithstanding an impromptu karaoke
challenge at the end of the night, the most
memorable conversation for me was
when James Lee, Community Services
Co-Chair, emphatically reminded me I
was in the minority for not knowing what
a Choco-Pie was. In my defense, I have
since bought and consumed a few (too
many) Choco-Pies. Evenings like these
are a great reminder that a community
can come together to support a great
cause. Special thanks go out to Emily
Tam for organizing this event and I for
one am looking forward to this great
cause again next year.
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A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
By David Y. Yoshida, Social Committee Co-Chair
On Saturday, July 14, 2012, AABA’s Social ComO
mittee hosted the highly anticipated AABA Summer
m
Picnic at Golden Gate Park. This fantastic event
Pic
was a huge success with a healthy turnout of more
w
wa
than 50 people. This event gave an opportunity
th
for AABA members to dress down and introduce
fo
their loved ones to the community. Tons of chilth
dren came out to frolic in
the
th foggy fields and scarf
down
some serious food.
do
AABA
provided some
AA
tasty
hot dogs and hamta
burgers
which were prebu
pared
by the very skilled
pa
hands
of David Yoshida,
ha
David
Sohn and Sallie
D
Yoo.
Everyone else conYo
tributed
ample amounts
tri
of food and beverages,
from
fro homemade pastries
to Tofurky sausages.
Please
mark your calenPl
dars
dar and come out to the
Social Committee’s next event - AABA’s first annual Billiards
So
Night at Jillians! The event will take place on August 22, 2012
N
starting at 6PM. Send your RSVP’s to Emily Tam (emilymtam@
sta
sbcglobal.net) as soon as possible. Also mark your calendars
sb
for one of AABA’s most popular events - AABA Idol! The fesfo
tive talent competition will take place on October 24, 2012 and
tiv
it consistently draws out huge crowds. For more information,
please contact Ben Uy ([email protected]). As alpl
ways, the Social Committee would like to thank all AABA memwa
bers for coming out and supporting our events. We look forbe
ward to seeing you at the next one!
wa
A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
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A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
AABA Civil Rights Committee
Social Justice Attorney Reception
By: Kimberly Y. Chin, Civil Rights Committee Member
On
O July 9, 2012, the AABA Civil Rights Committee hosted a Social Justice
Attorney
At
Reception, bringing together over 70 attorneys, law students, and
social
justice and civil rights advocates at Minami Tamaki LLP. The purpose of
so
the
th mixer was to build a stronger community among Asian American attorneys,
ne law students, and advocates who are practicing or interested in practicing
in civil rights and public interest law.
The
Th reception included a panel of notable civil
rights
and social justice advocates, including: Jeff
rig
Adachi,
the current elected Public Defender of San
Ad
Francisco;
Hyeon-Ju Rho, Executive Director of the
Fr
Asian
Law Caucus; Hina Shah, Associate Professor
As
of Law and Director of the Elfenworks Center for
Employment
Justice for the Women’s Employment
Em
Rights
Clinic
Golden
Gate U
University; and Don Tamaki, founding partner of
Ri
h Cli
i at G
ld G
Minami Tamaki. Diane Chin, Associate Dean for Public Service and Public Interest Law at Stanford Law School, led a dialogue between the panelists on the
role of Asian Pacific Islander (“API”) Community in the area of civil rights.
The panelists reflected on the important roles APIs have played in the past and
how they have continued to engage in civil rights efforts. Hyeon-Ju Rho ac-
A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
knowledged that APIs have served as a critical bridge
between international and domestic civil rights and
asserted that APIs will continue to have a unique role
within the movement because they understand the
space between being an American and an “other.”
Jeff Adachi highlighted the fact that APIs have spearheaded numerous high-profile court cases, including
Yick Wo and Korematsu. He encouraged APIs to become a more prominent force by getting involved in
politics and the media.
The panelists also offered their thoughts on multi-racial bridge building. Hina Shah encouraged attendees
to think about social justice issues beyond race, citing class and gender as other ways to form coalitions.
She stressed the importance of creating a link between communities, noting that by emphasizing race
only, APIs will not be able to create successful multiracial coalitions. Don Tamaki added that APIs were
the beneficiaries of the African American Civil Rights
Movement and reminded attendees that “someone at
sometime, someplace fought a battle for you.”
At the end, the panelists were asked to offer advice
to those seeking to work in civil rights or social justice. Mr. Tamaki advised attendees to never lose their
capacity to be outraged at something that is funda-
13
mentally wrong and noted that there are many ways
to be involved in public interest law, such as serving on
boards, organizing, and participating in political elections. Mr. Adachi reminded attendees that there is a
network of people that would provide support, and he
encouraged attendees to seek out those people. Ms.
Shah told attendees to find something that they are
passionate about and to remember that social justice
can be defined in different ways. Above all, she said,
“do good.” Finally, Ms. Rho reminded attendees of the
importance of authenticity, stating that one should always strive to find a place of authenticity and to do
whatever makes you feel the most like who you are. In
concluding, Ms. Rho called on attendees to “be brave”
and just “go do it.”
The Civil Rights Committee would like to thank Minami Tamaki for hosting the reception, and all of the
volunteers who worked hard to make the reception a
resounding success. If you’re inspired to do some civil rights work, join us for our next event on Tuesday,
October 23, where we will partner with the Asian Law
Caucus to train volunteers to be poll monitors for the
November election to ensure adequate language access at the voting booth. For more information or to
volunteer as a poll monitor through AABA, please contact Lin Chan at [email protected].
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A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
Top L-R: AABA Employment Committee David Wakukawa, Jaime Young, Lina Guo,
Melissa Hung, Alison Kwan, Olivia Lee, Christina Chong, Monique Villaneuva, and Erin Tanimura
Left L-R: Ted Ting, Allan E. Low, and Larry Low
Right L-R: Emi Gusukuma, Cedric C. Chao, and Jane Whang
AABA 25th Annual Summer
Law Clerk Reception
By David Wakukawa, AABA Employment Committee
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, AABA’s annual
Summer Law Clerk Reception took place at San
Francisco’s Yank Sing Restaurant, generously
sponsored by Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP and
more than 60 individual law firm partners. Over
200 attorneys, law firm summer associates, and
law clerks in government and public interest
sectors from the Bay Area and beyond attended
and enjoyed the evening and delicious dim sum,
making the event a great success.
AABA President Emi Gusukuma provided welcoming remarks to the reception. AABA CoFounder Dale Minami shared his memory of the
purpose of founding AABA. This year’s reception
honored the six Asian American attorneys who
founded this event to promote Asian American
representation in the legal community and law
firm partnership ranks: Cedric C. Chao, Mad-
L-R: Law students-Victoria Capinpin, Francesca Chang,
Erin Tanimura, and Connie Lam
A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
eline Chun, Kevin M. Fong, Ned N. Isokawa, Larry
Low, and Charlene “Chuck” S. Shimada.” Judge
Garrett Wong presented the Founder-Honorees.
The Founder-Honorees shared their experiences and
wisdom as Asian American trailblazers in the Bay
Area legal community. Cedric C. Chao was the first
Chinese American to become partner at a major San
Francisco law firm, and is also a past AABA President
and currently co-chair of the Morrison & Foerster
LLP’s international litigation and arbitration practice.
Hanson Bridgett LLP’s Madeline Chun has headed
numerous programs to promote Asian American
15
ing as Director of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation. Charlene “Chuck” S. Shimada, a
partner at Bingham McCutchen LLP, is the first woman to become a litigation partner at Bingham, and
the first female Managing Partner of the firm’s San
Francisco office.
The reception also honored the recipients of this
year’s AABA Law Student Summer Grants: Tina Lu
and Marcus Tang. Tina Lu is a rising 2L at Hastings, and pursues her commitment to Asian American issues and immigration law as a clerk with the
Asian Law Alliance. Marcus Tang, also a rising 2L at
Top Left L-R: Founder-Honorees:
Madeline Chun, Kevin M. Fong, Cedric
C. Chao, Charlene “Chuck” S. Shimada,
Larry Low, and Ned N. Isokawa. Middle
left: L-R: Francesca Chang, Christine
Lee, Alexander Su, and Sean TamuraSato Middle right: AABA Employment
Committee members Lina Guo and
David Wakukawa Lower L-R
Sara Nagala, Marina Sarmiento Feehan,
Miriam Kim, Achyut Phadke and
Elizabeth Rho-Ng
and minority representation, including serving as AABA Secretary and in
leadership positions with Equal Rights
Advocates and BASF’s Diversity Task
Force. Former AABA President Kevin
M. Fong leads Pillsbury’s appellate
practice, recognized by U.S. News/
Best Lawyers as one of the nation’s
best, and recently authored an amicus brief challenging an Arizona statute attempting to mandate use of the controversial
E-Verify program. Chair of Paul Hastings’ Asia litigation practice and the San Francisco litigation practice,
Ned N. Isokawa also spearheads the firm’s diversity
efforts through its Diversity Policy and Program Committee. Larry Low is Chief Legal Officer of Orrick,
Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and serves the community
through various public service commitments, includ-
UC Davis, is working with Legal Services of Northern
California to advance fair housing and tenants’ rights
for Asian American communities in Sacramento.
This annual event, created in 1988 at the initiative of
these six Bay Area Asian American partners, is now
organized by the AABA Employment Committee. We
thank the Founder-Honorees for their inspiration and
vision in creating this event.
16
A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
How Do People Really Find Jobs?
AABA Career Day: Attorneys explain how to tap into the “hidden job market”
By Susanne Aronowitz, Associate Dean for Law Career Services, Golden Gate University School of Law
At Saturday’s Asian American Bar Association Career
Day, which took place at GGU and was sponsored by
Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Farella Braun + Martel LLP,
a panel of attorneys offered their advice to bay area
law students and recent graduates on effective strategies for finding jobs. A consistent theme emerged from
each of the speakers: Building relationships with legal
professionals is the most effective way to tap into the
“hidden job market.”
Developing your network and building your professional brand extend to your use of social media. All
of the panelists touted LinkedIn as an effective way
to research potential contacts and employers and to
join professional groups. After meeting someone at a
networking event, Mr. Tanaka suggests that you send
them a LinkedIn connection request. To be effective,
initiate the request soon after you meet the attorney,
refer to your meeting in your invitation, and have
a current (professionally-appropriate) photo associPaul Tanaka, an attorney with Kirkland & Ellis LLP, acknowledged that it can be hard for employers to dif- ated with your account to help them remember you.
ferentiate among resumes, especially when candidates
share similar credentials. Effective job seekers use their While the panelists agreed that Facebook is more
personal and professional connections to stand out appropriate for personal (not professional) relationships, they advised that students tread carefully with
from the pack.
their posts on Facebook and Twitter, as many emAkshay Verma of the Axiom Law Group agreed. Hav- ployers may discover this information when evaluating the skills to perform the job may be a necessary ing whether to hire you.
requirement, but skills alone are not necessarily sufficient to land the job. He advised students to enhance For recent graduates who were waiting for bar retheir sophistication by conducting informational inter- sults, the panelists emphasized the importance of usviews with legal professionals before they line up their ing the next few months to meet as many attorneys
job interviews. By learning what your target employers as possible, to attend networking and CLE events to
value most, you can be strategic in the way you present build their expertise, and to find ways to expand their
yourself at an interview.
skill set through volunteer and contract work. Be flexible: consider jobs outside of the bay area as well as
The goal of “networking” isn’t simply to collect business
temporary positions that might help you build your
cards; it is to cultivate and maintain relationships over
time. Fairuz Abdullah of UC Hastings’ Office of Career skill set.
& Professional Development suggested that students
send periodic email updates to their contacts to keep
them apprised of their progress. She encouraged students to find ways to add value to their contacts by
passing along interesting articles or inviting them to
law school or bar association events.
The panelists all agreed that whatever you do, make
sure you do it well. Creating an opportunity to showcase your motivation and talents will enable you to
differentiate yourself from other candidates, and may
just lead you to your next professional opportunity!
A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
Poll Monitoring Training
Tuesday, October 23rd
The AABA Civil Rights Committee, together with the Asian Law
Caucus, will be conducting poll monitoring for the November
elections to ensure that Bay Area polls provide adequate
language access pursuant to Section 203 of the federal Voting
Rights Act. Language access has been an ongoing problem
in the Bay Area, and, as recently as the 2010 elections, the
Department of Justice stepped in to file a complaint to enforce
Section 203.
To prepare for the upcoming election, AABA (with ALC) will
offer a free training (1 hour of MCLE credit) for lawyers
(and law students) who are interested in poll monitoring.
The training will be held on the evening of October 23rd at
Pillsbury Winthrop in San Francisco. We ask that participants
who attend agree to spend three hours on the morning of
November 6th to monitor language access at a Bay Area
polling site. If you are interested in participating, please
email Lin Chan ([email protected]) with your name and
contact information.
Lin, Sean & Sophia
AABA Civil Rights Committee Co-Chairs
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18
A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
AABA Giants Game
By David Y. Yoshida, Social Committee Co-Chair
It’s that time of the year again to come
out and support your World Champion
San Francisco Giants during AABA’s Annual Oktoberfest Baseball Game on
September 26, 2012 at 7:15 PM!
Each ticket is only $30.00 and includes
a souvenir SF Giants beer stein with a
pour of frosty cold beer. Our seats will
be located in the center field view reserve
section. The Giants are currently ranked
#1 in the National League West and are
clearly in playoff contention. Don’t miss
this exciting opportunity to grab these
high-in-demand seats at a reasonable
price!
We will also throwing an awesome pregame tailgate party at Pete’s Tavern’s
private Wine Room with plenty of food
and beer, compliments of Esquire Deposition Solutions and DiscoverReady.
If you haven’t been to Pete’s Tavern, it’s
San Francisco’s premier sports bar that
is conveniently located directly across
the street from the Ballpark. The tailgat-
ing festivities will begin at 5:00 PM and
end at 7:00 PM. Everyone is invited to
attend our pre-game festivities whether
you buy a ticket or not!
This event consistently sells out every
year and tickets are limited so you better grab them fast! Please RSVP to David
Yoshida at dyoshida@clappmoroney.
com as soon as possible to reserve your
seats and to obtain payment information. Tickets will be distributed in person
at the tailgate party.
AABA thanks Gina Tsai of Esquire Deposition Solutions and Heather Barenchi of
DiscoverReady for sponsoring the pregame festivities and securing the great
venue. They worked extra hard to help
us organize this event and we truly appreciate their support.
LET’S GO GIANTS!
A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
19
Diversity Mixer
hosted by
Consumer Attorneys of California Diversity Committee
Co-Chairs of the Minority Bar Coalition
xAsian American Bar Association xAsian American Prosecutor’s Association
xThe Bar Association of San Francisco x Bay Area Black Prosecutors Association
x Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom xBlack Women Lawyers of
Northern California x Charles Houston Bar Association xDiversity Section of the
Marin County Bar Association xEast Bay La Raza Lawyers Association
xFilipino Bar Association xIranian American Bar Association
xKorean American Bar Association of Northern California
xNational Native American Bar Association xQueen’s Bench
xSan Francisco La Raza Lawyer’s Association xSouth Asian Bar Association of
Northern California x Vietnamese American Bar Association
of Northern California
Thursday, September 27, 2012
5:30—7:30pm
Otis Lounge
25 Maiden Lane
(between Grant & Kearny)
San Francisco, CA 94108
Drinks & appetizers will be served
Space is limited, RSVP required to Valerie Shope at
[email protected] or (916) 442-6902 ext. 115
Sponsored by:
DiMarco|Araujo|Montevideo
Howard Law, PC · Liberty Law Office
Arbogast Bowen LLP · Khorrami, LLP
20
A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
Call for Volunteer Attorneys!
What:
Volunteer Legal Services Program’s Legal Advice and Referral Clinic
When:
Saturday, September 29, 2012. 11:30 a.m. -- 3:00 p.m.
Where:
Providence Baptist Church. 1601 McKinnon Avenue (at Mendall one
block east of 3rd Street), San Francisco, 94124
Details:
The Asian American Bar Assocation has committed to assist the
wonderful LARC of VLSP by harnassing our most awesome resources:
YOU! VLSP is looking for volunteers to conduct intake interviews and
volunteer attorneys with more than 5 years of substantive experience
in each of the following areas:
Bankruptcy
Immigration
Civil
Landlord Tenant
Collection Defense
Personal Injury
Criminal
Probate
Employment/Labor
Real Estate
Family
SSI
General Consumer
Workers Comp
If you would like to volunteer to conduct intakes or if you fit the
qualifications as a volunteer attorney (especially in the areas of Family,
Probate, Consumer and Landlord Tenant Law) and would like to participate
in this program please contact James Lee at [email protected]
by September 10, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. Please contact James Lee if you
have any questions as well. For more information about VLSP, please visit:
http://www.sfbar.org/volunteer/index.aspx.
Please note that the VLSP clinic originally scheduled for August 11,
which was advertised on the June issue, has been canceled.
A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
21
Risque Lounge
45 Maiden Lane
(Between Kearny St. and Grant Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94108
6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
The Asian American Bar Association invites you to a
f a n t a s t ic even in g o f kar aok e w he r e y ou c a n w i tne s s y our f e l l o w
AABA members channel their inner Jessica Sanchez or Adam
Lambert (or perhaps even William Hung?) and transform
t h e m s e lves in to leg en d a r y s upe r s ta r s ! A dmi s s i on i s fr ee a n d
di n ne r w ill b e p r o vid ed . P r i z e s , s pons or e d by E s qui r e D e p o s i t i o n
Solutions and Advanced Discovery, will be given out to the
Top Male, Female, and Group/Duet performers.
In ter es te d i n P e r for mi ng?
Contact Ben Uy at
[email protected]
22
A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
Asian Pacific American Bar Association
of Solano County
Invites you to our inaugural dinner
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
5:30 PM
Hiddenbrooke Golf Club
1095 Hiddenbrooke Parkway
Vallejo, CA 94591
With Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye and
Community Service Award – Mona F. Pasquil
President’s Award – John Chiang
Installation of Officers - Judge Tim Kam, Solano Superior Court
Tani Cantil-Sakauye
California Chief Justice
John Chiang,
State Controller
Mona F. Pasquil,
Governor’s
Appointment Secretary
$65 per person - $40 students
Checks payable to: APABA Solano County, P.O. Box 2854, Fairfield, CA 94533
For more information call: 916.838.5457
Or email: [email protected] or www.apabasolanocounty.com
A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
23
Inaugural Dinner
Wednesday, October 17, 2012, 5:30 Reception 6:30 Dinner
Hiddenbrooke Golf Club, 1095 Hiddenbrooke Parkway, Vallejo, CA 94591
SPONSORSHIP LEVELS
Diamond Sponsor $5,000
Bronze Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
$2,500
Table Sponsor (Table of 10)
Silver Sponsor
$1,200
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
Two (2) Tables of 10
Recognition in Program Book & Full page ad
Recognition on Webpage
Recognition on Stage
One Table of 10
Recognition in Program Book &1/2 page ad
Recognition on Webpage
Recognition on Stage
One (1) Table of 10
Recognition in Program Book &1/4 page ad
Recognition on Webpage
$750
One (1) Table of 10
Recognition in Program Book
Recognition on Webpage
$600 (Early Bird Special by 9/21/12)
$650 (After 9/21/12)
Listed in Program Book
#________ Individual @ $65/person )
#________ Student (@ $40/person)
Cut and return with payment
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Sponsorship Level _________________________________________________Date _______________________________
Firm/Organization _____________________________________________________________________________________
Contact Person ______________________________________________________ Title ____________________________
Address ____________________________________________________City/Zip__________________________________
Phone _______________________________ Fax _______________________ Email________________________________
Check amount $ _____________________________________________________________________________________
Please make checks payable to APABA Solano County, P.O. Box 2854, Fairfield, CA 94533
For more information call: 916.838.5457
Or email: [email protected]
www.apabasolanocounty.com
24
A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
17th Annual CLAY
(California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year)
Awards
California Lawyer is currently seeking nominations for the 17th annual CLAY
(California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year) Awards. The deadline for nominations is
Thursday, NOVEMBER 1, 2012.
Eligibility: The attorney must be an
active member of the State Bar of
California whose work was completed
or resolved between December 2, 2011
and November 1, 2012.
The lawyer’s achievements during this
time period have had a significant impact
on:
the law,
the profession,
a particular industry; or
the general good of the public.
More than 30 categories are listed in
the online nomination form, which you
will find on: http://www.callawyer.com/
clayawardNominations.cfm.
information in the nominee section
and include the other attorneys’ names
in the details of the achievement’s
description.
There is a limited amount of space for
your nomination (4,000 characters,
including spaces).
The deadline for nominations is
Thursday, NOVEMBER 1. However, we
STRONGLY encourage you to send
in your nominations earlier. You may
submit more than one nomination.
The nomination form also includes a link
to last year’s winners.
We are regularly posting tips on the
CLAY Awards via our Twitter and
Facebook accounts. You are welcome
to follow us on Twitter: @Cal_Lawyer
(#CLAYAwards) and Facebook.com/
callawyer.
Please provide specific details about
the attorney’s achievement and explain
the significant impact the work made in
2012. NOTE: If you are nominating a
team of attorneys, list the lead attorney’s
If you have any questions, please call
Chuleenan Svetvilas, Managing Editor,
California Lawyer at 415-296-2450
or send an email to clay_awards@
dailyjournal.com.
A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
Join a committee!
We have 13 committees that would love your help! Please contact one of
our committee chairs to learn more.
CIVIL RIGHTS/PUBLIC INTEREST
MENTORSHIP
Lin Chan, [email protected]
Sophia Lai, [email protected]
Sean Tamura-Sato, [email protected]
Richard Cooc, [email protected]
Ronnie Gipson, [email protected]
Michael Wu, [email protected]
COMMUNITY SERVICES
NEWSLETTER/COMMUNICATIONS
James Lee, [email protected]
Jennifer Y. Lee, [email protected]
Robert Uy, [email protected]
EDUCATION
Stella Kim, [email protected]
Melissa Lor, [email protected]
EMPLOYMENT
Melissa Hung, [email protected]
Olivia Serene Lee, [email protected]
IN-HOUSE COUNSEL
Larry Chew, [email protected]
Peggy Song, [email protected]
Denise Yee, [email protected]
JUDICIARY APPOINTMENTS
Annie Chuang, [email protected]
Alice Liu Jensen, [email protected]
Annette Mathai-Jackson, amathai-jackson@
hansonbridgett.com
Alice Chin, [email protected]
Soyeun Choi, [email protected]
Janet Li, [email protected]
PUBLIC LAW/PUBLIC SERVICE
Celia Lee, [email protected]
Neill T. Tseng, [email protected]
SCHOLARSHIP
Jeanhee Hong, [email protected]
Candice Jan, [email protected]
SOCIAL
Emily Tam, [email protected]
Ben Uy, [email protected]
David Yoshida, [email protected]
SOLO & SMALL FIRMS
John Hamasaki, [email protected]
Emily Yip, [email protected]
WOMEN’S
Katherine Huibonhoa, katherinehuibonhoa@
paulhastings.com
Kristy Young, [email protected]
Co-host a CLE with AABA!
AABA is a certified Continuing Legal Education (CLE) provider. If you
want to join AABA to put on a CLE class, please contact our Education
Committee!
Advertise with AABA!
Advertise in AABA’s newsletter to reach out to our large membership
base. Our newsletter is sent out to over 2,000 people each month.
25
26
A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
Calendar of Upcoming Events
AUGUST
APILO / AABA Pro Bono Legal Clinic. August
27, 5:45pm - 8:00pm. UC Hastings Civil Justice
Clinic, 100 McAllister Street, Suite 300, San
Francisco.
SEPTEMBER
Renew
Your
Membership
AABA In-House Mixer. September 6. TBD
Wednesdays with Women! - Professional
Branding. September 19, 6pm – 8pm. Sheppard
Mullin, Four Embarcadero Center, 17th Floor,
San Francisco.
Burnham Brown’s Fifth Annual Advancing
Diversity. September 20 , 5:00-7:30 p.m.
The Waterfront Hotel, 10 Washington Street,
Oakland.
AABA Giants Ballgame. September 26. AT&T
Park, 24 Willie Mays Plaza, San Francisco.
. 1976
Diversity Mixer - hosted by Consumer Attorneys
of California Diversity Committee Co-Chairs
of the Minority Bar Coalition. September 27,
5:30pm – 7:30pm. Otis Lounge, 25 Maiden
Lane, San Francisco.
OCTOBER
AABA/ALC Voter Protection Training. October
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw
Pittman, 50 Fremont Street, San Francisco.
23, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
AABA Idol Karaoke Competition. October 24.
Risque Lounge, 45 Maiden Ln, (between Kearny
St & Grant Ave), San Francisco.
NOVEMBER
MBC Unity Award. November 13. TBD
A Celebration of Asian American Judges:
Honoring Achievement and Looking to the
Future. November 27. 6pm-8pm. Great Hall
of the United States, Court of Appeals for the
Ninth Circuit, James R. Browning Courthouse,
95 Seventh Street, San Francisco
Marc Alan Fong, Esq.
DECEMBER
AABA Sustaining Member
AABA Holiday Party. December 6. TBD
510-748-6800 x 107
[email protected]
www.fongmediation.net
A A B A N E W S L E T T E R AUGUST 2012
27
2012-2013 AABA OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OPERATIONS
DIRECTOR
Emi Gusukuma, President
Hung Chang
Noelle Nguyen
David Sohn, Vice President/
Rhean Fajardo
Darren Teshima
Khurshid Khoja
David Tsai
Ted Ting, Treasurer
Miriam Kim
Salle Yoo
Eumi K. Lee, Secretary
Allan Low
President-Elect
Angela Tseng
AABA
COMMITTEES AND
2012-2013 CO-CHAIRS
CIVIL RIGHTS/PUBLIC
INTEREST
Lin Chan
Sophia Lai
Sean Tamura-Sato
IN-HOUSE COUNSEL
Lawrence M. Chew
Peggy Song
Denise Yee
PUBLIC LAW/PUBLIC SERVICE
Celia Lee
Neill T. Tseng
SCHOLARSHIP
Jeanhee Hong
Candice Jan
COMMUNITY SERVICES
JUDICIARY/PUBLIC
APPOINTMENTS
James Lee
Jennifer Y. Lee
Robert Uy
Annie Chuang
Alice Liu Jensen
Annette Mathai-Jackson
EDUCATION
MENTORSHIP
Stella Kim
Melissa Lor
Richard Cooc
Ronnie Gipson
Michael Wu
SOLO AND SMALL FIRMS
NEWSLETTER
WOMEN’S
Alice Chin
Soyeun Choi
Janet Li
Katherine Huibonhoa
Kristy Young
SOCIAL
Emily Tam
Ben Uy
David Yoshida
John Hamasaki
Emily Yip
EMPLOYMENT
Melissa Hung
Olivia Serene Lee
JOIN AABA NOW!