Lorna Schofield

AAP staff report

WASHINGTON (April 25, 2012) — President Obama formally nominated Lorna Schofield to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. If confirmed, she will be the first person of Filipino descent to serve as an Article III judge in American history.

Obama nominated Schofield on Wednesday along with other District Court nominees Terrence G. Berg, Jesus G. Bernal, Shelly Deckert Dick.

“I am honored to put forward these highly qualified candidates for the federal bench,” Obama said.  “They will be distinguished public servants and valuable additions to the United States District Court.”

Continue Reading

Judge Miranda Du

WASHINGTON, DC (March 28, 2012) — The U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted to confirm Miranda Mai Du to serve on the United States District Court for the District of Nevada.

Du will be the first Asian Pacific American to serve as an Article III judge in Nevada and the sixteenth active Asian Pacific American Article III judge in the Federal Judiciary.

Continue Reading

WASHINGTON (March 16, 2012) — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell reached an agreement March 15, to allow votes on all three Asian Pacific American nominees pending on the Senate floor.

Continue Reading

WASHINGTON (March 5, 2012) — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) strongly condemns Chief Judge Richard Cebull of the U.S. District Court for Montana for sending a racist email from his chambers relating to President Obama, which equated interracial relationships with bestiality. Organizations throughout the nation, including the Congressional Tri-Caucus, which includes the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, have expressed outrage at Judge Cebull’s conduct, and many have called for his resignation.

Continue Reading

Lorna Schofield

WASHINGTON (Jan. 23, 2012) — the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association and the Asian American Justice Center welcomed the news that Senator Charles Schumer of New York has sent the name of Lorna Schofield to the White House to serve as a federal district court judge for the Southern District of New York.

“Lorna Schofield is exceptionally well-qualified to serve as a federal district court judge,” said Tina Matsuoka, executive director of NAPABA. “If nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the Senate, Ms. Schofield would be the first Filipino American in the history of the United States to serve as a federal judge. NAPABA applauds Senator Schumer for putting forward her name and once again confirming his strong commitment to advocating for the greater representation of well-qualified, diverse nominees to the federal judiciary.”

Continue Reading

Asian American Groups Urge Supreme Court to Hold That Legal Permanent Residents Should Not Be Retroactively Subjected to Harsh New Legal Consequences

WASHINGTON — Members of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice—the Asian American Justice Center, Asian Law Caucus and Asian Pacific American Legal Center—have joined an amicus curiae, or friend-of-the-court, brief in Vartelas v. Holder.  The brief urges the U.S. Supreme Court to hold that the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA), which seeks to remove a legal permanent resident’s (LPR) right to make “innocent, casual and brief” trips abroad without fear that he will be denied reentry, does not apply retroactively. The brief was filed Nov. 22 by Washington Square Legal Services.

Continue Reading

Brigadier General Coral Wong Pietsch, USA (Ret)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 2, 2011) — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) applauds President Obama for nominating Brigadier General Coral Wong Pietsch, USA (Ret) to the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. If confirmed, General Pietsch would be the first Asian Pacific American to sit on that court. General Pietsch delivered the 2003 NAPABA convention keynote address in Hawaii.

“We are proud to see another first in Asian Pacific American history with the nomination of General Pietsch,” said Paul O. Hirose, President of NAPABA. “She has been a trailblazer in every step of her career, and we are confident that she will continue to distinguish herself as the first Asian Pacific American to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.”

Continue Reading

Judge Jacqueline H. Nguyen (Facebook photo)

WASHINGTON (Sept. 22, 2011) — President Obama on Thursday nominated Judge Jacqueline H. Nguyen to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, according to the White House Office of the Press Secretary

Judge Nguyen has served as a United States District Judge in the Central District of California in Los Angeles since 2009.

Continue Reading

LOS ANGELES (Aug. 23, 2011) — The Asian Pacific American Legal Center, a member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice, congratulates the Citizens Redistricting Commission for recently completing its responsibility of redrawing California’s Assembly, Senate, Board of Equalization and Congressional districts based on Census 2010 data.

Continue Reading

WASHINGTON (August 2, 2011) — President Barack Obama on Tuesday nominated Miranda Mai Du to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada.  If confirmed, Ms. Du would be only the third Asian Pacific American in U.S. history to serve as an Article III judge outside of the east and west coasts. She would also become the first-ever Asian Pacific American to serve as an Article III judge in Nevada.

“Miranda Du will be an esteemed addition to the Federal bench for the people of Nevada,” President Obama said. “I am grateful for her dedication to public service.”

Continue Reading