NAPABA Selects Five Recipients of New Affiliate Grant Program

By Lawdragon News | November 5, 2015 | Press Releases

WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) will present five affiliates with grants as part of its new Affiliate Grant Program (AGP). NAPABA recognizes the importance of its state and local affiliates and its national associates as a support network for Asian Pacific American (APA) attorneys, APA communities, and those interested in APA legal issues. The NAPABA AGP was established to support affiliates and associates to carry out activities to further their missions and goals. The program offers the opportunity for organizations to receive funding – up to $3,000 annually – for projects related to member development and pro bono activities.

Eligible projects include: educational workshops; community outreach; legal service projects; professional educational seminars; and activities that involve advocating for the interests of APA lawyers, the legal profession, and APA communities. Grants are distributed based upon the capacity of the projects to benefit the state or local affiliate, the national associate, or the community.

“The Affiliate Grant Program was conceived as a way to enable affiliates to directly impact their local APA communities on a micro-level,” said NAPABA President George C. Chen. “NAPABA is proud to support our state and local affiliates and our national associates in their efforts to make their communities a better place. Our affiliates and associates have supported NAPABA for many years, and we are pleased to be able to return the support through this new Affiliate Grant Program.”

The five affiliates receiving AGP grants are:

  • Free Legal Clinics — South Asian Bar Association of Washington (SABA-WA)
    The program will offer free legal clinics to the South Asian community within the Pacific Northwest on a quarterly basis at a local recreation center.
  • Citizenship Workshop — Asian Pacific American Bar Association of South Florida (APABA-SFLA)
    APABA-SFLA will hold a free legal clinic to assist individuals in the APA community with their U.S. citizenship applications and fee waivers, with APABA-SFLA members and volunteer attorneys assisting individuals at any stage of the application process.
  • Judicial Pipeline Project — Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles (APABA-LA)
    APABA-LA will identify potential APA judicial candidates for the state and federal bench, assist and advise these candidates in the application and vetting process (including establishing a formal mentorship program between current APA judges and interested judicial candidates), and cultivate relationships with the Governor’s office and others to help facilitate the appointment of APAs to the bench. This formal pipeline project is the first of its kind organized by APABA-LA.
  • Legal Seminar — Korean American Bar Association of Washington (KABA-WA)
    The legal seminar will provide Korean foreign nationals and Korean Americans with foundational information about the American legal system. This seminar will raise the collective legal awareness of Washington’s large Korean American community while also helping to prevent common mistakes and avoidable legal problems.
  • Solo Practice Incubator Program — Orange County Korean American Bar Association (OC-KABA)
    The OC-KABA Incubator Program’s goal is to mentor and aid attorneys looking to build their own solo practice by giving them hands-on experience through OC-KABA’s pro bono clinics and training sessions. The program will focus on providing resources specifically targeted to the Korean American community with free legal aid and lower-cost legal advice.

For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, at 202-775-9555 or bschuster@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 approximately 50,000 attorneys and approximately 75 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services 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 the federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional development of people of color in the legal profession.

To learn more about NAPABA, visit www.napaba.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter (@NAPABA).