Asian American Bar Association

ASIAN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION OF THE GREATER CHICAGO AREA TO HOST 20TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF ITS FOUNDING FEBRUARY 28, 2008 AT HOTEL INTERCONTINENTAL

RACIAL AND LEGAL SCHOLAR FRANK H. WU NAMED SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: RESERVATIONS: Emily Riojas at February 9, 2008 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (312) 554-2081
www.aabachicago.com by February 21, 2008
MEDIA: ENERI Communications at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
(312) 635-0888 / www.enericom.net/blog
Docs at www.enericom.net/privateaaba/press

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AABA... THE BEGINNINGS

"In 1987, some 50 Asian American attorneys in Chicago came together for the fist time. They marveled at the experience of seeing other lawyers who looked like themselves, who shared common cultural values, and who had similar experiences as members of Chicago's legal community. At the time, Chicago law firms had only a handful of partners of Asian ancestry. Most firms had a single Asian American associate, if that. There were no Asian American judges sitting on any Illinois court. No Asian American had ever worked in the office of any U.S. Attorney in Illinois. Diversity was addressed in terms of black and white Ð people of Asian, Hispanic or Native American ancestry were rarely considered in diversity efforts. So this, enterprising group started the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area.

Now, twenty years later, that group of 50 has grown to over 400. There are many more Asian American partners in Chicago law firms and most firms now have more than one Asian American associate. Asian Americans serve in the Illinois judiciary and in the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District. And diversity efforts have expanded to include Asian Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans and many other groups. Some progress has been made."

The Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area is proud to celebrate its 20th Anniversary with a gala dinner on Thursday, February 28, 2008 at the Hotel InterContinental, 505 North Michigan Avenue in Chicago. "The celebration will afford Asian American lawyers, along with their friends and colleagues, an opportunity to reflect on the Asian American legal community's past accomplishments and plan for the future." We hope that you can join us in our celebration.

(Excerpted from AABA Letter 11/28/07)

CHICAGO, IL - - The Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area (AABA Chicago) is pleased to announce the 20th Anniversary Celebration of its Founding on Thursday, February 28, 2008 at the Hotel InterContinental, 505 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. Cocktail Reception is at 5 p.m., and dinner at 6:30 p.m.

The organization is especially pleased to announce that the AABA Chicago 20th Anniversary Celebration will feature as Special Guest Speaker racial and legal scholar Frank H. Wu, who is currently Dean of Wayne State University Law School in Detroit, Michigan. Wu is author of "Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White," (Basic Books, 2001), the provocative civil rights book which was immediately reprinted in its hardcover edition; and co-author of "Race, Rights and Reparation: Law and the Japanese American Internment" (Aspen Law & Business, 2001). Wu is currently working on a book about the 1982 brutal Vincent Chin case, which he says is, "the most important turning point for the Asian American movement and an excellent case study in recent American history more generally." *

"We are excited to be celebrating AABA Chicago's 20th Anniversary, "said Anne I. Shaw, 2008 President of the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area." Our organization grew from the seeds planted by a visionary and spirited band of 13 Asian American attorneys. Over the last two decades, we have seen many of our founders and members move on to stellar and prestigious jobs and appointments in the legal community, throughout the country."

"In 2005, AABA Chicago hosted the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association 17th Annual Convention. Over 800 attorneys, judges, law professors, law students and elected officials from around the country attended, a then record-breaking attendance. AABA Chicago has thrived and grown stronger over the years, with expanded services to both the legal community, and to the Asian American community, on both local and national levels." said Shaw. "We hope that many of AABA's friends and colleagues will join our members on February 28th to help us celebrate this momentous milestone," she said.

AABA Chicago was one of the founding affiliates of NAPABA twenty years ago. Les R. Jin, one of AABA Chicago's 13 founders, now Executive Director of NAPABA, based in Washington, D.C., will also fly into town to give remarks at the 20th Anniversary Celebration. Also scheduled in town is another co-founder, The Hon. Norris Wang, who is now Magistrate Judge, Tippecanoe County Court House in Lafayette, Indiana.

Frank H. Wu is one of only three Asian American law school deans in the United States.** He was previously the first Asian American law professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C., one of the nation's leading historically black schools (from 1995-2004). In 2004, Wu returned to his hometown of Detroit, Michigan to serve as the ninth Dean of Wayne State University Law School; he will be completing his tenure this academic year. In the 2008-2009 academic years, Wu will be a Visiting Professor at the University of Maryland and George Washington University.

Dean Wu also serves as a Trustee of Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., the only university in the United States serving primarily deaf and hard of hearing, and he became Vice-Chair of the Board in 2006. He has been an adjunct professor at Columbia University in New York, a visiting professor at the University of Michigan, and a teaching fellow at Stanford University in California. Wu also taught over several short periods at Deep Springs College, a highly-selective full-scholarship all-male liberal arts college which enrolls twenty-six students, located on a cattle-ranch and alfalfa farm, near Death Valley in California's High Desert.***

"Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White," argues for a new paradigm of civil rights that includes people of all backgrounds rather than relying on a black-white paradigm and that addresses forms of racial discrimination that are not obvious but subtle. (www.wikipedia.com). Born in Cleveland, Ohio and the son of Chinese immigrants to the United States, Wu has made extensive media appearances, including on C-SPAN, and he has been a regular on the lecture circuit, coming to attention for his debates on affirmative action.

Wu's media appearances have included, "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "Now" with Bill Moyers, Lehrer "Newshour," "O'Reilly Factor," "Book Notes" with Brian Lamb, "Talk Back Live" on CNN, National Public Radio, Voice of America, FOX Movie Channel with George Takai, and the Al Franken show. He has also hosted episodes of the "Asian America" PBS-syndicated television show.

Wu's AABA Chicago media appearances are being handled by ENERI Communications. Media requests for interviews, images, longform bio and press credentials to cover the February 28, 2008 event should be directed to (312) 635-0888 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The AABA Public Service Committee will be sponsoring a fundraiser on behalf of KAN-WIN and Apna Ghar at the event and envelopes will be available for donations that will directly benefit these organizations.

Apna Ghar is the Midwest's first domestic violence shelter for Asian American families.

KAN-WIN is the region's domestic violence prevention nonprofit assisting Korean Americans.

SPONSORS
The AABA Chicago 20th Anniversary Celebration is generously underwritten by the following sponsors (in formation):

$5,000.00 Silver Sponsors: Baker & McKenzie LLP; Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione; Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP; and Wildman Harrold Allen & Dixon.

$2,500.00 Bronze Sponsors: Foley & Lardner LLP; Freeborn & Peters; McAndrews Held; Schiff Hardin LLP; Seyfarth Shaw LLP; and Winston & Strawn LLP.

MEDIA
ENERI Communications has been named as agency of record for the 20th Anniversary Celebration. Media requests for interviews, photos and longform bios of Keynote Speaker Dean Frank H. Wu, AABA