Asian Pacific American Law Students Association News

NAPABA: Emerging Immigration Issues in Employment Discrimination: Sex Trafficking to Sweatshops

lkchan03 — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 16:18:37 -0500

Emerging Immigration Issues in Employment Discrimination: Sex Trafficking to Sweatshops

Description:

The panel discussed emerging immigration issues in the content of employment discrimination, including human and sex trafficking within the nation and regional scope. An attorney from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission discussed the Commission’s past and current efforts to combat human trafficking. The panel also provided a legal a legal update on case law regarding immigration rights under the employment discrimination laws.

An additional power point presentation of the panel will be posted shortly. Thanks for your patience.

Moderator:

Connie Liem of U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Panelist:

Angela Morrison of U.S. Equal Employment Opportunities Commission

Leicia Saucedo of Law University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Source: NAPABA 2007 Convention Panel

NAPALSA: Judicial Perspectives: Opportunities in Clerkships, Externships, and other Judicary Work

lkchan03 — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:30:40 -0500

NAPALSA: Judicial Perspectives: Opportunities in Clerkships, Externships, and other Judicary Work

Description:

This panel, comprised of judges and clerks, provided a unique angle on applying for a judiciary career. The speakers for this panel are all deeply involved in public interest work through their roles as judges and other important judiciary positions. The judges explained what the day to day activites of clerks were for Municipal and Criminal Courts.

If anyone is interested in obtaining a clerkship in Los Angeles County, please contact Lily at lkchan03@louisville.edu for information distributed at the panel.

Moderator:

Julie Oh of Southeast Regional Director, NAPALSA

Speakers:

will be updated soon!

Source: NAPABA 2007 Convention Panel

NAPALSA: Affirmative Action and Diversity in Law School Admissions

lkchan03 — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:20:12 -0500

NAPALSA: Affirmative Action and Diversity in Law School Admissions

Description:

It was a lively discussion between law professors, activists, and attorneys about diversity and access to education in higher education. The panel discussed the changing landscape of admissions in higher education and the effects of legislation like Michigan’s Civil Rights Initiative of California’s 209 on students of color. They covered what other states are following or objecting to the colorblind movement.

Moderator:

Steven Nguyen of Southwest Regional Director, NAPALSA

Speakers:

Angelo Ancheta of Santa Clara University School of Law

Karin Wang of Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC)

Khin Mai Aung of Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF)

Craig L. Jackson of Thurgood Marshall School of Law

Source: NAPABA 2007 Convention Panel

After Virginia Tech: Preventing Backlash Against Asian Americans, Handling Public Relations and Media Crises, and Protecting Civ

lkchan03 — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:18:15 -0500

After Virginia Tech: Preventing Backlash Against Asian Americans, Handling Public Relations and Media Crises, and Protecting Civil Liberties

Description:

On April 16, 2007, Korean American student Cho Seung –Hul went on shooting rampage on the Virginia Tech campus, killing 33 people, and wounding many more before killing himself. The tragic incident received national as well as international media coverage, and has sparked real concerns about potential backlash towards the Korean, Korean American and broader Asian American communities. The panel addressed whether as lawyers and community leaders are prepared to respond to public relations and media crises in effective and timely manner, both to ensure that the right message is conveyed when the limelight is focused on the Asian American community, and to protect civil liberties and prevent violent backlash against innocent Americans. They discussed the changes since the death of Vincent Chin 25 years ago. The panel also covered what we have learned from the tragedy, and shared their experience surrounding Virginia Tech.

Moderation:

Debra Wong Yang of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher

Panelist:

Gie Kim of McKenzie & Kim, PLC

Dr. Larry Hajime Shinagawa of University of Maryland

Theodore J. Boutrous, Jr. of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher

Stewart Kwoh of Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California

Source: NAPABA 2007 Convention Panel

International Arbitration and Mediation: The Insider’s View

Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:16:20 -0500

Robert Davison of JAMS (far right), Cedric Chao of Morrison & Forester LLP (middle), Yu Jianlong of China International Economic and Trade and the Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) (second to far right), Joseph Wu of USAsia Law, APC (far right).

Companies doing business abroad routinely insert a mandatory arbitration clause to resolve all disputes. But international arbitration is very different from U.S. litigation in most respect, e.g., discovery, presentation of evidence, the rules governing the tribunal’s deliberations. This panel explored the corporate client’s paramount concerns, the arbitrator’s view on effective and ineffective advocacy, the emergency of international mediation, and the outside lawyer’s tips on winning strategies.

Moderator: Cedric Chao of Morrison & Forester LLP

Panelists:

Yu Jianlong of China International Economic and Trade and the Arbitration Commission (CIETAC)

Robert Davidson of JAMS

Joseph Wu of USAsia Law, APC

Location:

Las Vegas, Nevada at the NAPABA/NAPALSA 2007 Conference

We have a booklet on successful resolutions in international arbitration. Email me if you would like to see the booklet, the panelists' biographies or their contact information.

Rattanaphone Mekmaysy

NAPALSA President

r0mekm01@louisville.edu

APALSA Student Directory

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 11:31:04 -0500

APALSA members,

I am creating a national online APALSA Student information directory. This will be a tool for APALSA members across the country to network and communicate with one another. If you would like to be included in the directory, email me your:

Name, School, Official APALSA Title (if applicable), email, phone number, address and a photo of yourself to rattanaphone@mekmaysy.com.

Regards,
Rattanaphone Mekmaysy
APALSA President-- Brandeis

NAPABA / NAPALSA 2007: Vegas Convention

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 11:23:34 -0500

Poker Night

From left to right: Viet Tran (President-APALSA UARK; NAPALSA Southwest Regional Director), Lily Chan (Vice-President- APALSA UofL), Jonathan Kwan (Secretary-APALSA UARK).

From left to right: Darrel Woo (Senior Attorney at the California Department of Insurance; member of the Sacramento City Planning Commission; President of the Asian Bar Association of Sacramento) and Rattanaphone Mekmaysy (President- APALSA UofL).

Speech Given By Darrel Woo:

"The first annual NAPABA Texas Hold Em' Poker Tournament was held last
night, with 36 eager contestants. The net proceeds from this Tournament
go to the NAPABA Law Foundation Scholarship fund. For three hours the
three dozen fiercely battled, eliminating one after another, until there
were only three.

As their prize, all three receive free registration for next year's
NAPABA convention. The third place winner is David Chu, of the Minority
Corporate Counsel Association.

The second place winner is a law student herself, Rattanaphone Mekmaysy,
from the Brandeis School of Law. Truly one of tomorrow's future
leaders!

And first place, with the attendant bragging rights and an engraved
David Yurman onyx and silver tournament bracelet is Frank Lin, of
Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp.

Thank you to my tournament committee co-chair Gary Yoshimura and all of
the players, you are all winners to the NAPABA Law Foundation."

19th Annual NAPABA Convention- Las Vegas, NV

lkchan03 — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 15:57:14 -0500

Recently our president Rattanaphone and I were fortunate enough to attend the 19th National Asian Pacific Bar Association Convention in Las Vegas. This was a great opportunity for us to connect with APALSA chapters and practicing Asian-American attorneys throughout the Unites States. We have a small collection of magazine and handouts from the event, please let me know if you would like to view them.

Additional articles featuring NAPABA speakers and panels will posted be posted at a later date. If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact Lily Chan, APALSA - Vice President.

National Asian Pacific American Law Association: Brandeis School of Law Chapter

lkchan03 — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 15:11:42 -0400

NATIONAL ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN LAW STUDENT ASSOCIATION

ARTICLE I. NAME AND PURPOSE

1.1 The name of this association shall be the National Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (NAPALSA).

1.2. The purpose of this association shall be:

to promote and support the legal education of Asian Pacific American law students;
to provide a forum to discuss issues that affect Asian Pacific American law students, the legal profession, and the community at large;
to develop a supportive network among Asian Pacific American law students, the legal profession, and the community at large.

ARTICLE II. MEMBERSHIP

2.1. There shall be three types of membership.

Full Member Chapter: A Full Member Chapter is defined as an Asian Pacific American Law Student Association at an accredited law school and in good standing with NAPALSA. Chapters shall enjoy the rights and privileges of being able to vote, and participate in any social, academic, and professional functions.
Full Member: A Full Member is defined as a person who is a full or part time student at an accredited law school and who is either a member in good standing in their school’s APALSA, or,if there is no such chapter at their school, an individual student member of NAPALSA . Student members shall enjoy the rights and privileges of being able to hold office, and participate in any social, academic, and professional functions.
Honorary Member: An Honorary Member is defined as any professors of law, any practicing lawyer, or justice not meeting the qualifications in the previous section who by application is admitted to the membership. Honorary Members shall have no right to vote or hold office but may participate in any functions of the National Asian Pacific American Law Students Association.

ARTICLE III. DUES

3.1. Chapter dues will be $50 and will be collected by NAPABA by October 15th. Individual dues will be ____ and will also due by ____.

3.2. It shall be the responsibility of all officers to solicit needed contributions from any member, organization, or person who may be willing to make such contributions.

3.3. The fiscal year of the association shall commence on ______.

ARTICLE IV. POWERS OF GOVERNMENT

4.1. The ultimate power of this Association shall be vested in its membership. A majority vote of those present at meetings shall control, or if a vote is taken by mail, a majority of those who answer within fourteen (14) days.

4.2. The officers shall execute the affairs of the Association, oversee the work of all committees, and have general authority of the property of the Association.

4.3. The President has no voting right in any meetings of the membership except when the membership vote results in a tie. Only in the case of a tie shall the President have the right to vote. The President’s vote will be the tie-breaking vote. The President shall have a right to vote in matters concerning emergency amendment procedures, whereby a unanimous vote of the officers is required.

4.4. Proxy voting is allowed and proxy votes may be submitted to the secretary anytime prior to a meeting’s call to order.

ARTICLE V. OFFICERS

5.1. The officers of this Association shall be composed of the following:

President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Conference Chair
Regional Representatives

5.2. The officers shall be elected during the General Assembly Meeting during the National Conference and shall be installed to office at the Conference Banquet/Reception. Officers shall serve a term of 12 months beginning the February following installation. The officers-elect will have no vested authority until the date of installment. However, the officers-elect have the responsibilities of apprenticing the office in which they will eventually occupy.

5.3. The President shall preside over all meetings, set the agenda and objectives of the association, and see that the organization attains its goals. It shall be the duty of the President to direct all endeavors that have the Association’s interests and to keep the membership abreast of any information of pertinent concern. In addition, the President is the liaison to the National Asian Pacific Amercian Bar Association and holds the voting right of APALSA. The President has the authority to delegate the duty and vote of representative to the NAPABA meetings to the Vice President or if the Vice President is unavailable to another qualified member as an alternate. The President shall have the power to sign matters of financial concern.

5.4. The Vice President shall assist the President in executive duties, serve as an alternate representative to NAPABA when requested by the President, serve as a liaison to outside groups when requested by the President, and shall have the duty of formal correspondence in matters dealing with the Association’s policies, concerns, or endeavors. The Vice President shall also serve as Parlimentarian during the General Assembly. In addition, the Vice President shall act as the American Bar Association (ABA) Representative.

5.5. The Treasurer shall be entrusted with the receipt, care, and disbursement of funds. The Treasurer as the power to sign matters of financial concern and shall keep a record of all financial transactions of the Association. In addition, it is the responsibility of the Treasurer to plan and submit a fiscal budget to the officers and membership prior to the start of the officers first meeting after installation.

5.6. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings of the Board and Association, report to the members the previous meeting’s minutes, and call to vote for approval of such minutes by a majority vote of the officers and members who are present. It is also the duty of the Secretary to: record and tally votes when called, handle the collection of secret ballots when called, and keep a roll of the membership. The Secretary shall handle internal correspondence, assist the Vice President in matters of correspondence, and have the duty of notifying members of meetings.

5.7. The Conference Chair shall be responsible for planning the details of the National Conference for the year after installation. The Conference Chair will confer with the other officers in planning the Conference.

5.8. There shall be __ Regional Representatives. Regional Representatives are responsible for keeping the member associations apprised of what occurs at National Board Meetings. Regional Representatives will also be responsible for voting on matters that arise outside of the National Conference. They shall be responsible for representing their regions best interests.

5.9. On January 15, the title of the incumbent President changes to “Past President.” The Past President will be a member of the Executive Board and will retain voting power. The Past President will be responsible for attending all conference calls in which he or she has notice of, and attend meetings which may require his or her presence. The Past President’s primary duty is to assist new President in all matters of transition. The Past President’s term ends May 1, of the same year.

5.10. All officers shall perform the duties usually performed by such officers and those hereinafter set forth.

ARTICLE VI. REGULATION, REMOVAL AND APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS

6.1. If at any time an elected officers wishes to resign from his or her duties, he or she may do so by presenting a written statement to the Secretary setting forth the reason for such action. Resignation shall be effective only if in writing and shall become effective when tendered. It will be recorded in the minutes of the next meeting.

6.2. The removal of any officer or member shall be done in the following manner:

A written complaint setting forth reasons for removal and signed by at least fifty percent (50%) of the membership which shall be presented to an officer of the association;

Removal will be discussed at the next meeting of the association and;

After discussion, a vote shall be taken to determine the issue of removal and removal shall occur through a majority vote of the membership present.

6.3. The appointment of any officer or member shall be done in the following manner:

Nominations must be submitted by an active NAPALSA officer (executive board or regional representative) and each candidate must be a member from a chapter in good standing.
Candidates must submit a “statement of interest” and a “statement of qualifications” (i.e. resume).
Two weeks after the nomination, a telephone conference will be held for voting.
Proxy voting is allowed.
To be appointed, the candidate must have 2/3 vote from existing officers.

ARTICLE VII. MEETINGS

7.1. Meetings shall be held monthly on any day of the year as called by the officers. Meetings shall be held during Conference Calls or Online as necessitated by time and financial restraints.

7.2. Motions to be presented for consideration on the floor can be made by any member or officer present at meetings. Discussions on motions will be made only after a motion is seconded by another member or officer. The presiding officer at the meeting shall entertain all reasonable discussion on the motion, including the tabling of the motion until a future meeting, before the presiding officer calls for a vote on the motion. Motions, including the motion to table a motion, are passed by a majority vote of those who are present. It shall be at the sole discretion of the presiding officer at the meeting to decide on taking a voice vote, a hand vote, or a secret ballot on any motion.

7.3. Motions to approve the minutes from the previous meeting can be made at any time by any member or officer present at meetings without a need for a second. Motions to approve minutes shall follow the procedures as stated in Article 7.2 of this Constitution.

7.4. The President shall be the presiding officer at all meetings unless such duty is delegated by him/her to the Vice President with notice given to the secretary before the start of the meeting.

ARTICLE VIII. NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY

8.1. It is the policy of the National Asian Pacific American Law Students Association not to discriminate on the basis of sex, handicap, race, color, age, religion, veteran status, or national or ethnic origin.

ARTICLE IX. AMENDMENTS

9.1. The Association may provide for the amendment of the constitution in the following way.

Refer to Article VII.
Amendment proposals may be made at any meeting of the Association by majority vote of all members present, provided that prior notice has been given to the Secretary. Such proposed amendment will become effective in the next meeting’s approval of the minutes by majority vote or;
Amendments may be made at any time when emergency so requires, by a unanimous vote of the officers (which shall include a vote by the President) and shall be considered temporary for a thirty (30) day period or until the next meeting is possible in order to ratify or delete such amendment through the reading of the minutes.