Celebrating Over Thirty Years of Professional and Community Service

1981 - 2011

        The Asian Pacific American Bar Association of the Greater Washington, D.C. Area, Inc. (APABA-DC) is the oldest and largest association of Asian Pacific American attorneys in the Washington, D.C. area.  Since its founding in 1981, APABA-DC’s membership has grown into a network of about 500 lawyers, law professors, law students, and other interested individuals. Membership in APABA-DC automatically includes membership in the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), which represents over 40,000 Asian Pacific American attorneys nationwide through its local affiliates, including APABA-DC.

        APABA-DC is a dynamic organization that actively serves the needs of Asian Pacific Americans.  We welcome anyone interested in legal issues of interest to Asian Pacific Americans to join APABA-DC.   We also invite all members to become active in planning and implementing APABA-DC’s services, programs, and events, by joining a committee, or by volunteering to help with an event.  For more information about APABA-DC, please contact the following:

ACTIVITIES

As a membership organization of Asian Pacific American legal professionals, APABA-DC provides a wide variety of services, programs, and events of interest to our members and to the Asian Pacific American community.  APABA-DC is led by highly motivated volunteers.  Its board of directors and officers are elected from among general members to serve a one-year term of office.  APABA-DC’s activities are mainly carried out through its board and committees, as well as two affiliate organizations: the APABA Educational Fund (AEF) and the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center (APALRC).

SERVICES

Membership.  APABA-DC’s operating revenues come from membership dues and donations.  APABA-DC relies on recruiting and retaining a strong membership base to maintain its activities.  APABA-DC is always seeking opportunities to provide its members with additional benefits, such as discounted access to local events.  Contact: Priya Nair, Vice President of Membership, membership@apaba-dc.org.

Programs.  APABA-DC organizes a variety of activities and events during the year.  Annual events held by APABA-DC include the Holiday Dinner and Summer Associates Panel.  APABA-DC also organizes a team to compete in the D.C. Dragon Boat Festival every spring.  APABA-DC welcomes new programming ideas.  Contact: Lana Jeng, Vice President of Programs, programs@apaba-dc.org.

Community Affairs.  APABA-DC has a long history of community service in the D.C. metro area and has relationships with various Asian Pacific American community-based organizations in the area.  APABA-DC participates in pro bono clinics and organizes other volunteer activities for its members during the year.  Contact: Christopher Chan, community@apaba-dc.org.

Communications.  APABA-DC utilizes the latest technology available to communicate and provide information to its members.  Members have access to the APABA-DC website, where they can locate other members through the online membership directory, view job postings, and hold online discussions.  APABA-DC also disseminates information to its members through e-mail with its “Weekly Announcements.”  Contact: Mia Haessly, Vice President of Communications, communications@apaba-dc.org.

Education.  APABA-DC organizes continuing legal education (CLE) programs, either through the committees or by working with other voluntary bar associations to sponsor “joint” CLE programs.  APABA-DC also coordinates a group U.S. Supreme Court Bar swearing-in ceremony.  Contact: Anh-Thu Mai-Windle, Vice President of Education, education@apaba-dc.org.

Newsletter.  APABA-DC issues quarterly newsletters, featuring articles on the organization's recent events and activities, as well as articles on other topics of interest.  If you are interested in writing an article for the newsletter, please contact Stephanie Yu, Newsletter Editor, at newsletter@apaba-dc.org.

COMMITTEES

Practicing Attorneys Resource (PAR) Committee.  The PAR Committee organizes programs and events focusing on legal career development.  It also coordinates APABA-DC’s Attorney Mentorship Program.  Contact: Cathy Chen & Taron Murakami, Co-chairs, par@apaba-dc.org.

Women’s Forum.  The Women’s Forum educates and keeps members informed about issues affecting Asian Pacific American women in the legal community.  It also organizes programs and provides settings in which members can come together to network and discuss women’s issues.  Contact: Tessie Abraham & Mariel Lim, Co-chairs, womensforum@apaba-dc.org.

Government Attorneys Forum  (GAF).  The purpose of GAF is to encourage and support Asian Pacific American attorneys at all levels of the federal and local governments, cultivate an understanding of the issues facing Asian Pacific American government attorneys, promote the value of public service, increase the representation of Asian Pacific American attorneys in the government, and further their advancement, by providing substantive legal programming, career advice seminars, and social and networking opportunities.  Contact: Christina Brito & Frances Chang, Co-chairs, gaf@apaba-dc.org.

In-House Counsel Committee.  APABA-DC organizes programs and events addressing matters of interest to attorneys in corporate legal departments.  Contact: Ben Roca & Ankur Shah, Co-chairs, in-house@apaba-dc.org

Partners Forum.  APABA-DC provides opportunities for law firm partners, of counsels, and senior associates with over five years of practice experience, to network and develop professional or business relations with each other.  Contact: Linda Kordziel & Lei Mei, Co-chairs, partners@apaba-dc.org.

Nominations Committee.  The committee evaluates all requests for endorsement, including those from candidates for the local judiciary, political positions, D.C. Bar positions, and NAPABA board positions.  Contact: Phong Nguyen & Peter Ohr, Co-chairs, nominations@apaba-dc.org.

AFFILIATE ORGANIZATIONS

APABA Educational Fund.  In 1993, APABA-DC created a tax-exempt, charitable educational foundation called the Asian Pacific American Bar Association Educational Fund (AEF), which serves the Asian Pacific American community and the D.C. community at large.  AEF's marquee event is its annual Benefit Dinner, held each spring, which raises funds to award fellowships to law school students who work in unpaid summer internships.  Working with APABA-DC, AEF's services to area law school students also include an attorney/law school student mentoring program, panel discussions on succeeding in law school and career advice, and the Robert T. Matsui Annual Writing Competition, which encourages legal scholarship on issues of importance to the Asian Pacific American legal community.  For more information, contact Ada Loo, President, christopher.chan@finnegan.com, or visit www.aefdc.org.

Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center.   In 1998, APABA-DC, in conjunction with AEF, the Indian American Bar Association, and D.C. area Asian Pacific American law school student organizations, created the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center (APALRC).  The APALRC was the first telephone hotline service that focused on addressing the individual legal needs of Asian Pacific Americans residing in the D.C. area.  Over the last 10 years, APALRC has grown and now provides a range of services.  Individual APABA-DC attorneys continue to support advocacy efforts and provide pro bono services to local Asian Pacific Americans who cannot afford legal assistance, or who, because of language barriers, cannot access the U.S. justice system.  For more information, contact the APALRC hotline, (202) 393-3572, “393-3LRC,” or visit www.apalrc.org.