The Full Press Release Issued by NAPABA and AAJC is below:

LORNA SCHOFIELD SUGGESTED FOR SEAT ON THE
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

WASHINGTON – Today, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) welcomed the news that Senator Charles Schumer of New York has sent the name of Lorna Schofield to the White House to serve as a federal district court judge for the Southern District of New York.

“Lorna Schofield is exceptionally well-qualified to serve as a federal district court judge,” said Tina Matsuoka, executive director of NAPABA. “If nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the Senate, Ms. Schofield would be the first Filipino American in the history of the United States to serve as a federal judge. NAPABA applauds Senator Schumer for putting forward her name and once again confirming his strong commitment to advocating for the greater representation of well-qualified, diverse nominees to the federal judiciary.”

Asian Pacific Americans are significantly underrepresented in the federal judiciary. In the New York City area, approximately ten percent of the population is Asian Pacific American yet of the over 90 active and senior Article III judges currently serving the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, none is Asian Pacific American in the Southern District and only one is Asian Pacific American in the Eastern District.

“We commend Senator Schumer for recognizing both Ms. Schofield’s qualifications and the importance of diversity to the judiciary,” said Karen K. Narasaki, president and executive director of AAJC. “Ms. Schofield has the experience to be an excellent district judge in the Southern District of New York, and we hope that she has the opportunity to do so.”

For almost 20 years, Ms. Schofield has been a litigation partner at the firm of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, where she has focused on white collar criminal defense and general civil litigation. She became the firm’s first minority partner in 1991 and since January 2012 has served as Of Counsel. Prior to joining Debevoise, she was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (Criminal Division) for four years. In 2008, Ms. Schofield was named one of the nation’s 50 most influential minority lawyers by the National Law Journal. She was the first Asian Pacific American to chair the Litigation Section of the ABA, which is the ABA’s largest section with over 60,000 members, and has also served as a member of the ABA’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary.

Ms. Schofield is a second-generation Filipino American whose life story is a testament to the American story of hard work and perseverance that beats the odds. She was the only child of a Filipina mother who came to the United States during the post-World War II reconstruction of the Philippines. Mother and daughter remained in the Midwest after Ms. Schofield’s father left the family when she was only three years old. She grew up in a blue collar community and received a full tuition scholarship to attend Indiana University, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude in three years. She went on to attend New York University Law School, where she was an editor of the Law Review and a Pomeroy Scholar.

NAPABA and AAJC applaud Senator Schumer for putting forward Ms. Schofield’s name to serve as a federal district court judge in the Southern District of New York.

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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 63 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.

The Asian American Justice Center (www.advancingequality.org), a member of Asian American Center for Advancing Justice, works closely with its sister organizations – the Asian American Institute in Chicago (www.aaichicago.org), the Asian Law Caucus (www.asianlawcaucus.org) in San Francisco and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (www.apalc.org) in Los Angeles – to promote a fair and equitable society for all by working for civil and human rights and empowering Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other underserved communities.

Date: January 26, 2012
Time: 6:30 pm
Location: 1267 W. Temple St., Echo Park, CA 90026
~Historic FilipinoTown~
(click here for map)

The 2012 Annual PABA Installation and Awards Gala is just around the corner on February 16, 2012. 

PABA is proud and honored to announce that the Honorable Justice Jacqueline Nguyen will administer the oath of office to the 2012 PABA Board of Governors and Officer.   PABA is also excited to hear the recently appointed Honorable Judge Holly Fujie say a few words before Judge Nguyen administers the oath.  Please join us in celebrating and honoring these trailblazing women!

Sponsorship opportunities and tickets are available on the Annual Gala page, where you can RSVP and submit payment (online check, Visa or MasterCard accepted).

STUDENTS! PABA has money for you! Applications for the PABA legal Scholarship ($2500) and PABA Future Attorney Scholarship ($1,500) are available on the Scholarship page. Don’t miss this opportunity and submit your application by January 23, 2012.

Christine J. Gonong, PABA Board Member

Federal Law Clerk

Christine is a law clerk to The Honorable Jacqueline H. Nguyen of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. She earned her B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of California, Los Angeles, and her J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

1.    Why did you want to become a lawyer? 

I majored in Political Science in UCLA and, as a result, I had the opportunity to take several Constitutional Law classes.  My Civil Liberties and Jurisprudence classes, in particular, inspired me to pursue a legal career in order to give back to my community and help in bringing social change.

2.    How did you end up clerking for a federal judge? 

I externed for an Article III judge during my first summer in law school.  I enjoyed that experience and decided I would want to clerk after graduation.  I am committed to public service, and I enjoy the intellectual stimulation one gets from working on a wide variety of cases, including Constitutional Law, Employment Discrimination, Criminal Law, and Intellectual Property.

3.    What’s the most interesting part of your job? 

Drafting opinions or legal memos, conducting legal research on complex issues, and learning new law everyday.

4.    Why did you join PABA? 

I want to provide mentorship to law student and young lawyers and be of service to the Filipino-American community.

5.    What is your favorite memory of PABA in 2011? 

That would be the first PABA Happy Hour I organized this past summer, which was held in The Standard in downtown LA.  The event was very well attended, and I was very proud to be a part of the Student Relations Committee, which was in charge of the planning.

6.    Any advice for newly minted attorneys? 

Go, Fight, Win!  “The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.”  That’s my mantra from “The Last Lecture.”

7.    Tell us something about you that most people either don’t know or wouldn’t expect. 

I love to dance.  I particularly enjoy salsa and bachata.  I have taken salsa classes, and I won an amateur salsa dancing competition.  When time permits, I also take hip-hop classes at local dance studios.  I have formed a hiking group, and we meet every month to hike.  I also do 5Ks with the same group at least once a month.  I love to laugh.

8.    How did you get started doing all of that?

I love challenging myself.  I like to keep growing spiritually, and whether it is learning a new dance step, climbing a new mountain, or running a new trail, I find pushing myself and going outside my comfort zone a very rewarding endeavor.

I have to say that PABA’s Board is fantastic-without their dedication and hard work, we could not have come as far as we have.

Finally, a special shout out to our “retiring” board members: Melvin Avanzado and Christine Gonong.  After many years of service, they are leaving a legacy which our new members will carry on.

Happy (and safe) Holidays to everyone!

~Corinne

* speaking of the GALA, visit the “Gala” page and register now!

To purchase tickets and reserve your seat/table please visit our “Annual Gala” page.

Good times in Century City! Thank you everyone who made it out…

And props to Philip Nulud for organizing!

Please join us for this heartwarming annual event.  We also are looking for volunteers.  It goes without saying that this is a great cause and we would love to see you either as a volunteer or an attendee!

If you can volunteer, please contact us at paba@pabala.org by November 24, 2011.

Thursday, December 1, 2011
6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Japanese American National Museum
369 East First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Admission:  An unwrapped new toy of a $20+ value or minimum donation of $20.

Entertainment:
Joseph Vincent
Voco Loco
Fujazz Band

For more information, please click on the flyer.