WHO WANTS TO BE A JUDGE? PABA to Co-Sponsor Workshop on Sept. 14

If you have aspirations toward the bench, it would behoove you to attend the Japanese American Bar Association's Judicial Appointment Workshop entitled "Practical Tips on the Appointment Process. The event will be held on the campus of Southwestern Law School (3050 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles) and will take place on Septmeber 14, 2007 at 6 p.m.

This program, co-sponsored by PABA, will feature a panel discussion including Judge Lance Ito, Judge Roger Ito, Judge Tammy Ryu, and Judge Greg Dohi.

Michael, Yamaki, Former Appointments Secretary will be a special guest for the evening.

The cost is $40, and includes appetizers, drinks, and 1 hour of MCLE credit.

Please RSVP by September 11, 2007 to jabarsvp@gmail.com and by sending your check payable to JABA, to Katherine Hikida, P.O. Box 4212, Orange, CA 92863.

Help PABA Recruit Law Students! (Please?)

PABA is co-sponsoring the Asian Pacific American Bar Association's law student welcome mixer on Thursday, September 13 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at

Busby's East
5364 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles

Light appetizers will be served. The event is free for all law students and PABA members (including those PABA members whose dues are in arrears, or who have never paid their dues) PABA needs you to help recruit law students for our great organization! If you can step up to the plate, please contact Arnold Pamplona.

PABA to Co-Sponsor Racial Profiling and Selective Prosecution Seminar

On Wednesday, September 12, 2007, APIforJustice will present a community teach seminar entitled

Equal Justice? Racial Profiling and Selective Prosecution in the API Community

PABA is a co-sponsor of the event, which will be held at the Japanese American Culture and Community Center, located at 244 S. San Pedro, Conference Room A & B, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Registration and a light dinner will commence at 5:30 p.m. The seminar will take place from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

A media panel will examine if mainstream media and entertainment have fanned the negative stereotypes of APIs and paranoia in the country. At the criminal justice panel, legal experts and community activists will examine the issues of racial profiling and selective prosecution in the API community. Intended outcomes include: (1) raised the awareness of these issues among APIs leaders; and (2) calls for action.

This seminar is for community leaders, concerned citizens, legal professionals, and students who care about the welfare of API community members and who believe in upholding the constitutional rights of all citizens in this country.

Admission is FREE, but space is limited. If you plan to attend, please contact Arnold Pamplona. Here is a partial list of speakers:

Guy Aoki, the head and co-founder of the Media Action Network for Asian Americans. He is also a contributing columnist for the Rafu Shimpo.

Warren Furutani, a member of the Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees.

Emil Guillermo, a print and broadcast journalist. The first non-white host of NPR's "All Things Considered," Guillermo is the author of the book "Amok."

Erin Aubry Kaplan, columnist for the Los Angeles Times.

Alan Kumamoto of Kumumoto Associates, a a marketing, management and communications general partnership.

Angela Oh, Esq., one of the nation's leading commentators on race relations and author of "Open: One Woman's Journey."

Brian Sun, Esq., partner with Jones Day, and former defense attorney to Wen Ho Lee.

Tritia Toyota, an award-winning journalist with more than 25 years in Southern California television news.

Mia Yamamoto, distinguished criminal attorney.

PABA Makes Strong Showing at APABA Softball Tournament

The Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles County hosted its 5th Annual Co-Ed Softball Tournament on August 18. This year's tournament was the largest ever--in additional to the usual participants (APABA, PABA, KABA, SCCLA, JABA, and SABA), the Asian Pacific Public Defenders Association, the Mexican American Bar Association, and the Langston Bar fielded teams to do battle under the hot sun at Cheviot Hills Park.

PABA's team captains, Arnold Pamplona and Hildy Aguinaldo, along with team mangaer Stan Escalante, assembled a capable team consisting of Mel Avanzado, Abigail Treanor, Patrick Treanor, Bryan Clavecilla, Marco Del Chiaro, Windell "Dell" Jones, Joyce Fujikmaki, Joyce (Cruz) Carey, Mark Santa Romana, and Jason Villamater.

After a grueling day of softball, PABA made a respectable showing, losing to APABA, beating the combination team made up of SCCLA and the Asian Public Defenders, and fighting MABA to a draw.

Team Captains Aguialdo and Pamplona have guaranteed a tournament championship in 2008. To do that, they must unseat KABA, this year's champs, who looked unbeatable. They are now accepting suggestions for a team name in 2oo8. The current front runner for a moniker is "The Bad News Carabaos."

Pictures (click for full view):

PABA stepped it up for this year's tournament by commissioning custom uniforms. There are a few extra uniforms left. If you would like to purchase one, please contact Arnold Pamplona.

PABA's power hitter, Mel Avanzado, chats it up with fans. Avanzado had one home run and two dazzling diving catches in left field.

Patrick Treanor takes a practice swing on an offering from pitcher Marco Del Chiaro during pre-game warm ups.

Joyce Fujimaki warming up by playing a little catch with Joyce Carey. The "Joyces" were a power house for PABA during the tournament.


Dell Jones and Brian Clavecilla patiently wait for a pop fly.


(L-R) Jason Villamater, Mark Santa Romana, Joyce Fujimaki, Abigail Treanor, and Joyce Carey kept cool in the dugout.


Your 2007 PABA Softball Team. (Seated L-R) Hildy Aguinaldo, Marco Del Chiaro, Stan Escalante. (Second Row L-R) Joyce Carey, Joyce Fukimaki, Abigail Treanor, Jason Villamater, Arnold Pamplona, Mark Santa Romana. (Third Row L-R) Brian Clavecilla, Mel Avanzado, Patrick Treanor, Dell Jones.


Aguinaldo and Villamater celebrate an excellent 1-1-1 showing at the Tournament.


Wasting little time, Escalante, Pamplona and Del Chiaro hold a debriefing session at Islands. Strategizing for next year, they hope to lead PABA to a championship.

To view PABA's full photo set from the tournament, click here.

PABA to Co-Sponsor Summer Networking Reception

PABA, a member of the Multicultural Bar Alliance of Southern California (MCBA), is co-sponsoring the MCBA's annual summer networking reception this Thursday, August 16, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

MCBA has secured Connie Rice as this year's speaker. Ms. Rice is the co-director of the Advancement Project Los Angeles. One of the pre-eminent civil rights lawyers and activists of our time, Ms. Rice will share some of her leading-edge ideas on the vital partnership between lawyers and the community in addressing current issues of inequity and exclusion and helping marginalized communities to overcome racial, class, and other barriers to opportunity.

The event will take place at

Taipan Restaurant
330 S. Hope Street Los Angeles

(Wells Fargo Center, 2nd Floor)

(213) 626-6688

Admission is free for all PABA members, and includes an all-you-can-eat buffet.

The Multicultural Bar Alliance of Southern California is comprised of the following organizations:

Arab American Lawyers Association of Southern California, Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles County (APABA), Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles (BWL), Iranian American Lawyers Association, Italian American Lawyers Association, Japanese American Bar Association (JABA), John M. Langston Bar Association, Korean American Bar Association (KABA), Latina Lawyers Bar Association (LLBA), Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association (LGLA), Mexican American Bar Association (MABA), Philippine American Bar Association (PABA), Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association (SCCLA), South Asian Bar Association of Southern California (SABA-SC), Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles (WLALA), and its Associate Member: San Fernando Valley Bar Association (SFVBA).