Community Service Committee
The Community Service Committee develops programs and projects to help serve the legal needs of various communities throughout Chicago. The committee supports the Asian American Legal Services Clinic, organizes law seminars and workshops, and works with other legal organizations and Asian organizations in the greater Chicagoland area. It helps promote awareness of legal rights, issues, and concerns.
Law Student Services and Mentoring Committee
AABA and various governmental entities, most notably the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, have teamed up to provide paid summer internships for AA law students. AABA is actively working to increase opportunities for AA law students in other offices by hosting an Annual Summer Associates/Clerks Reception where students and members can form mentoring relationships, and the “Career Day” program featuring one-on-one resume review and informative panel discussions for law students.
Judicial Evaluations Committee
AABA evaluates state and federal candidates for the judiciary including Cook County Associate Judge vacancies, judicial primaries, and retention elections. After undergoing extensive investigation and interview process, the candidate is rated and such rating is published to the public-at-large. AABA is a member of the Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening. The Alliance includes the following bar associations: Asian American Bar Association, Black Women Lawyers Association, Chicago Council of Lawyers, Cook County Bar Association, Decalogue Society, Hispanic Lawyers’ Association of Illinois, Illinois State Bar Association, Puerto Rican Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois, Illinois State Bar Association and the Hellenic Bar Association.
Communications Committee
The Communications Committee shall be responsible for planning, coordinating, and supervising a communications program (i.e., emails, newsletters, website) that will keep members informed of activities, events, and issues affecting the profession and community.
Continuing Legal Education Committee
The goal is to coordinate and organize CLE seminars for the continuing legal education and benefit of attorneys on a variety of topics.
Membership Committee
This committee’s goal is to retain and recruit new members by planning events that encourage professional development and create networking opportunities.
In-House Counsel/Law Firm Partners Committee
AABA’s In House Counsel/Law Firm Partners Committee is primarily a networking and business development group, which works to bring together In-House Counsel and Law Firm Partners. Each year, two networking dinners are held in the Chicago area. In addition, networking opportunities are available through the NAPABA In-House Counsel/Law Firm Partner dinner, and circulation of the NAPABA partners directory.
Judicial Development Committee
The Judicial Development Committee was recently formed to address the dearth of Asian Americans in the judiciary. The purpose of the committee is to (1) educate AABA members and the community about the judicial process and how to become part of the process, (2) encourage and prepare qualified candidates to submit their names for consideration for judicial vacancies or to run for election, (3) provide mentoring opportunities to qualified candidates, and (4) serve as a resource to decision-makers to provide ready access to qualified judicial candidates.
Pro Bono Legal Clinic
Through partnerships with DLA Piper, Asian Human Services, and Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (“CVLS”), AABA volunteers provide pro bono legal services through the Asian Legal Services Clinic, located on the North Side of Chicago. In 2010, AABA is proud to open a new pro bono legal clinic in Chinatown through a partnership with the Chinese American Service League and CVLS. Participation in AABA’s pro bono clinics provides a terrific opportunity to gain experience with interviewing, client counseling, legal research and writing. Most importantly, AABA’s Pro Bono Clinics provide a chance to meaningfully serve the APA community in Chicago.
************************ Committee Chairs (2009-2010): CLE chairs are Nancy Sasamoto and Pam Leeming In-House Counsel/Partners Committee chairs are Sharon Hwang, Prabha Parameswaran, Jacquie Vidmar, Sang-yul Lee, Jean Pechette, Ben Lumicao and Linda Lu Judicial Evaluation co-chairs are Sarah Alipourian Poulimas, Anshuman Vaidya, Mehpara Suleman, and Shital Thakkar Judicial Development Committee co-chairs (new committee!) are Sharon Hwang, Judge Jesse G. Reyes, Sal Patel, Junko Minami, and Jessica O’Brien Mentoring Committee co-chairs are Marion Cruz and Mehpara Suleman Membership Development Committee co-chairs are Prabha Parameswaran, Diana Lin, and Marion Cruz Community Service Committee co-chairs are Sangeeta Relan and Sal Patel Pro Bono Legal Clinic co-chairs are Diana Lin and Anne Shaw Communications Committee co-chairs are Sangeeta Relan and Mehpara Suleman
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