NAPABA to Host 23rd Annual Convention in Atlanta

On November 17-20, members of the Asian Pacific American legal community from around the country will gather in Atlanta, GA. for Sustainability: Renewal and Growth for Today and Tomorrow, the 23rd Annual National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Convention.

This year’s convention moves beyond buzzwords to explore the future “sustainability” of the APA legal community. “As NAPABA celebrates 23 years of professional development, advocacy, and community service, we need to build on our successes now and in the future. We want NAPABA members to have experiences that are viable and meaningful. As a bar association, we strive to ensure professional development and advancement for all our members,” said NAPABA President Paul Hirose.

NAPABA and the convention host affiliate, the Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association, have organized three days of plenaries, continuing legal education sessions, workshops, and special events presented by experts across a wide range of topics. Noted speakers include keynote Judge Denny Chin of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, bestselling author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother and Yale Law Professor Amy Chua, and House Minority Leader for the Georgia General Assembly Representative Stacey Abrams (D-84).

A special panel focusing on state Supreme Court justices will feature California Supreme Court Associate Justice Ming Chin, Massachusetts’ first female APA Supreme Court Justice Fernande Duffly, and Hawaii Supreme Court Associate Justice Sabrina McKenna, the Court’s first openly gay female APA member.  Newly-appointed California Supreme Court Associate Justice Goodwin Liu will offer opening remarks.

Other program highlights include the plenary session, 10 Years Later: The Impact of 9/11 on the APA Community, featuring Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chair Stuart Ishimaru, former U.S. Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal, Department of Homeland Security Civil Rights & Civil Liberties Officer Margo Schlanger, President and Executive Director of the Asian American Justice Center Karen Narasaki, and Sikh Coalition Co-Founder and Programs Director Amardeep Singh, who also serves on the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islanders.

Sustainability: Renewal and Growth for Today and Tomorrow will be held at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center November 17-20, 2011. More information can be found at http://convention.napaba.org/.

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 40,000 attorneys and 62 local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members represent solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal service and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government. NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes professional development of minorities in the legal profession.