NATIONAL NAPABA ASIAN PACIFIC NAPABA AMERICAN BAR LAWYERLAWYER ASSOCIATION Volume XIV No. 4 Fall 2008 Fulfilling A Dream: The Honorable Kiyo A. Matsumoto (E.D.N.Y.) IN THIS ISSUE by John C. Yang Fulfilling A Dream: The Hon. Kiyo A. Matsumoto (E.D.N.Y.) 1 he Honorable Kiyo A. Matsumoto knew she wanted to become a lawyer at an early Judge Kiyo A. Affiliate Profile: Tage, joking that her parents suggested it Matsumoto is Tennessee APABA 1 because “I argued so much as a kid.” the second Asian Pacific American More seriously, she says that she was female Article III President’s Message 2 inspired to become a lawyer because of Jurist. the injustices faced by her parents and learning how lawyers could make a The Legacy of Japanese American Profiling APA General Counsels 3 difference. Her decision to seek appoint- Internment ment to the bench was based on a desire There is no question that Judge NAPABA Welcomes to ensure equal justice under law. Judge Matsumoto’s parents – George Sidney Kanazawa as NAPABA’s Matsumoto is now in that position. On and Kimi Matsumoto – strongly New General Counsel 5 July 17, 2008, she was confirmed as a influenced her life. During World War II, district court judge for the United States her parents – American citizens by birth – NAPABA at 21: The Revolution District Court for the Eastern District of were among the group of over 120,000 Continues 7 New York. In doing so, she became only United States residents of Japanese the second Asian Pacific American female ancestry who were forced into internment Article III jurist, and the eighth Asian camps. Their families’ bank accounts Regional News 10 Pacific American federal district court were frozen, businesses and homes were judge currently active out of approxi- lost and they kept only the necessities that People in the News back page mately 850 federal judges nationwide. continued on page 6 Affiliate Profile: Tennessee Asian Pacific American Bar Association Background • There are approximately 15,000 lawyers Philadelphia. That meeting helped bring To get an idea of where the Tennessee in the state of Tennessee. Of these, our 3 founders (Teresa Chan, Kaz Kikkawa, Asian Pacific American Bar Association approximately 50-60 are APAs. Put and Jon Stanley) together for the first time. (TAPABA) is in its development, and what another way, probably 4 of every 1,000 Sad to say, none of us knew each other it is like being an Asian Pacific American lawyers in Tennessee is an APA. before the Convention. Nevertheless, (APA) lawyer in Tennessee, consider these having witnessed the benefits of an Asian numbers. • Of the 50-60 APA lawyers in Tennessee, American bar association, we returned maybe 6 have been in practice more to Nashville inspired to work together • Tennessee has roughly 6 million residents, than 10 years. The large majority of to start one of our own. which makes it the 16th largest state in APA lawyers in Tennessee have been We began by searching through bar the country population-wise. For sake in practice less than 5 years. association member directories and law of comparison, the 3 most populated firm websites to find other local APA states are California (36 million), Texas Birth of TAPABA lawyers. We then contacted those persons (24 million), and New York (20 million). TAPABA formed as a direct result of to see if they were interested in helping the 2006 NAPABA Annual Convention in continued on page 8 191 President's Helen B. KimMessage increased by 25% — from six APA active prohibited non-U.S. born people of color Article III judges to eight. With the hard from owning land. NAPABA also voted work and assistance of the NAPABA to oppose Proposition 8, a ballot initiative Judiciary Committee, both Amul Thapar in California which would eliminate the Dear NAPABA Members and Friends, (E.D.Ky.) and Kiyo Matsumoto (E.D.N.Y.) right to same-sex marriage in California It is hard to believe that nearly a full were confirmed by the United States despite the California Supreme Court's year has passed since the NAPABA Senate this past year. ruling that same-sex couples cannot be Convention was held in Las Vegas. NAPABA, along with the NAPABA denied the fundamental right to marry. In the past eleven months, NAPABA Law Foundation, also hosted two This year, our Board also spent much has accomplished a number of the goals diversity symposia focusing on the time and effort searching for and hiring from its new strategic plan and it has disproportionately low number of APA our new Executive Director, Tina made significant progress on many others. partners in large law firms, as compared Matsuoka. We now have five full-time For example, we have significantly to the number of associates. Many thanks staff members and one Americorps VISTA increased the number (47 to 57) and to the Minority Corporate Counsel volunteer of the highest caliber running diversity of our affiliates, and we have Association for giving us a grant that our national office in Washington, D.C. welcomed our first two South Asian made the symposia possible, and to Details of our numerous accomplishments affiliates, the South Asian Bar Association O’Melveny & Myers LLP and White & this year are included in NAPABA’s Year- of Northern California and the South Asian Case LLP, which hosted the two symposia. In-Review 2007-2008 that will appear in Bar Association of Southern California. NAPABA also worked with its the Annual Convention Program Book. With respect to NAPABA’s goal of affiliates to bring CLE and networking For more information, contact the increasing the number of Asian Pacific opportunities to you. In addition to our NAPABA office at 202-775-9555 or visit Americans on the federal judiciary, during annual regional conferences in the our website at www.napaba.org. this past year, the number of APA judges Northeast, Southeast and California this You are more than welcome to join year, we introduced, for the first time, us in our efforts. Please join us and see an annual regional conference in our what NAPABA has to offer. NAPABA NAPABA LAWYER Central Region, hosted by NAPABA- maintains over 30 standing committees Vol. 19 No. 4 Fall 2008 Minnesota Chapter. that serve the interests of its members. © National Asian Pacific NAPABA also completed its first We should have something for everybody American Bar Association survey of its national membership to learn and, if we don’t, we are more than happy EDITOR how we can better serve you. Thank you to form a committee that will serve you. Alexander C. Chae to the many members who completed our It has been an honor and privilege to EDITORIAL BOARD membership survey. serve you as NAPABA’s President this Lisa Westergaard • Alexander Lee Working with our Solo and Small Firm year, and I thank you for allowing me this Jennie Shi • Alex Sun Committee, NAPABA also compiled its opportunity. Meeting NAPABA members Koji Fukumura first national database of APA-owned law and community leaders throughout the Letters to the Editor (250 words of less), firms, many of which are solo and small country was certainly one of the best parts newsletter articles (500 words or less), Announcements (100 words or less) firms. This database is available on-line of the job. I hope to see you all in Seattle and change of address, may be emailed at www.napaba.org and should be a at NAPABA’s 20th Annual Convention. to [email protected]. valuable resource to clients and to our The opinions expressed in the membership. With warmest regards, NAPABA LAWYER are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect NAPABA In our continuing effort to promote policy or editorial concurrence. Publication of any written or graphical material justice, equity and opportunity for Asian or advertisement does not Pacific Americans, NAPABA recently constitute an endorsement. The editors reserve the right to edit, accept or reject voted to support passage of Amendment prospective materials or advertisements in #1, a ballot initiative in Florida that would accordance with their editorial judgment. finally remove the last of this Nation's Helen B. Kim NAPABA retains the copyright to this publication and its contents, unless antiquated and unconstitutional Alien otherwise indicated. Please contact Land Laws, historically discriminatory NAPABA for permission to reproduce any of its contents. measures adopted in the early 1900s that 192 Profiling APA General Counsels In 2006, NAPABA launched the 10 x 10 Initiative, with the goal of having 10 Asian Pacific American General Counsels of Fortune 500 companies by 2010. At that time, only six General Counsel of Fortune 500 companies were APA. By Fall 2007 there were 12 APA General Counsels of Fortune 500 companies. To celebrate crossing the historic milestone of over 10 APA General Counsels, NAPABA featured several of the 12 General Counsels. In our Election 2008 NAPABA Lawyer, NAPABA highlighted several more of these General Counsels and in this edition we are happy to present the profile for the remaining APA General Counsels, which completes our coverage of all the current Asian American General Counsels for Fortune 500 companies. JAVADE CHAUDRI When asked whether or not he found as he goes about his professional life. Executive Vice President and General Counsel ethnicity to be a benefit and/or burden Mr. Chaudhri holds a bachelor’s for Sempra Energy to his professional career, Mr. Chaudhri degree from Yale College, a master’s confidently stated that he has always degree from the Yale School of Forestry & Mr. Chaudhri is Executive Vice found his ethnic heritage to be an Environmental Studies, and a juris doctor President, General Counsel and Chief advantage.