VABA-DC News

March 19, 2013 VABA-DC's 5th Annual Scholarship Dinner

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:16:58 GMT

Thank you for making the 2013 Fifth Annual VABA-DC Scholarship Dinner a huge success! On the evening of March 19, we had over 150 people gathered at GWU to hear NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden deliver a remarkable keynote speech. We were joined by NASA General Counsel Michael Wholley and enjoyed a video greeting by the first Vietnamese American NASA Astronaut Eugene H. Trinh. We awarded scholarships to Kathy Nguyen (University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D. Candidate) and Linh Ly (University of Baltimore Law School, J.D. Candidate) and celebrated the accomplishments of our Vietnamese American legal community with art flown in from Vietnam by Galerie Brigitte and traditional Vietnamese instrumentals by Nhung Vu. Our Vietnamese culinary experience was made possible by Present Restaurant’s Chef Luong Tran who prepared our meal onsite with his entire culinary team.

A special thank you to our sponsors, donors, speakers and guests for being a large part of our continued tradition of success!

View more pictures of the event here: VABA-DC Scholarship Dinner Photos

March 18, 2013 Student Outreach

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 00:53:45 GMT

The story that most Vietnamese American lawyers will tell you is that they did not know any lawyers while they were growing up and that the idea of going to law school did not even cross their minds until later in life. But, many of these lawyers will also tell you that pursuing the law turned out to be absolutely the right thing for them. Reflecting on this reality, one of VABA-DC’s former scholarship recipients insightfully observed: "We should start with the high school students at the time they are thinking about college and career directions and in need of information, guidance and inspiration. I didn't discover my interest in and passion for the law until several years after college graduation - a bit of soul searching and wandering on my part. I think that any efforts to reach out to and introduce what it means to be a lawyer in America to our young students would yield long-lasting, career shaping impact."

VABA-DC agrees and is starting a series of informal conversations with college students to teach them about the law track, possible careers with a law degree, and the doors it can open. On Monday, March 18, 2013, when Hansel Pham and Caroline Nguyen, two of VABA-DC’s board members, met with a group of Vietnamese American students at Georgetown to discuss their careers and answer students’ questions. The event was organized by the Georgetown University Vietnamese Students Association (GUVSA), and seven students were in attendance.

None of the students were currently pre-law, but everyone asked truly insightful questions about the legal practice, including the truly interdisciplinary nature of the law, the reasons why an engineer or business major might want to become a lawyer, justifications for representing unsympathetic clients, the nature of practicing law in a big law firm, and the reality about the current legal job market.

“It was really great meeting with young and energetic students, who were genuinely curious about the law path,” said Hansel. “It doesn’t matter if they are not currently pre-law; our goal was to inform them about the versatility of a JD and the different types of legal careers, and the meet-and-greet accomplished that. We are separately happy to have started a relationship with GUVSA. As we told the students, VABA-DC exists in large part to help the next generation of lawyers, so students should feel free to reach out to us at any point, even years from now, for help or advice.”

For the students’ part, Kimberly Ta, president of GUVSA, said after the event, “We are happy to see that VABA-DC is such an active network and continuing to give back to the Vietnamese community. We discussed it after the meeting and everyone seemed to have benefited in some way. It really got us thinking and considering the possibilities in law, and I think this is a great first step.”

February 21, 2013 VABA-DC Women's Happy Hour

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 02:46:47 GMT

On February 21st, VABA-DC hosted a women's mentoring event at Teasim bringing together a group of Vietnamese American female attorneys with diverse legal backgrounds, including government lawyers, in-house counsel, law firm associates, non-profit attorneys, and DC area law students. "From VABA-DC founding board members to attorneys new to the DC area, everyone was excited to get together with old and new friends who support each other in their continued career growth. There's a strong need for this type of mentorship and its great that VABA-DC is investing in it!" said Board Member Thanh Nguyen.

February 17, 2013 Vietnamese Literary and Artistic Club’s Tet Festival

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 02:34:36 GMT

VABA-DC would like to thank all of its members who volunteered at the many 2013 Tết (Lunar New Year) festivals in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. This year’s events culminated with the Vietnamese Literary and Artistic Club’s festival in Annandale, Virginia. The cultural performances and artwork provided a backdrop where young and old, and in between, enjoyed the many sights, sounds and flavors of Tết. We received valuable feedback from members of the community that we will use to focus our future community outreach projects. Thank you to the Association of Vietnamese Americans, the Vietnamese Senior Citizens Association and the Vietnamese Literary and Artistic Club for letting VABA-DC be a part of your Tết celebrations. “Chúc mừng năm mới.”

February 3, 2013 Tet Festival hosted by the Vietnamese Senior Citizens Association

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 00:53:57 GMT

VABA-DC’s participation in the February 3, 2013 Tet Festival at Langley High School in McLean, Virginia, hosted by the Vietnamese Senior Citizens Association, was aimed at learning about and addressing the legal needs of the elderly population in the Vietnamese community. Our members distributed Vietnamese language materials on wills as well as information about citizenship eligibility. VABA-DC is encouraged by the interest expressed by many in trust and estate planning which evidences a strong desire to provide for the well-being of younger generations. Many community organizers and leaders also expressed an interest in legal support for non-profits and greater collaboration between the many groups in our community. VABA-DC will take the knowledge gained from this event and incorporate it into its upcoming projects which will hopefully connect legal service providers with those in the community in need of their services.

2013 Lunar New Year “Tet” Festival hosted by the Association of Vietnamese Americans

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 23:53:56 GMT

VABA-DC would like to thank all of its members who proudly represented the diversity of Vietnamese-American attorneys at the 2013 Lunar New Year “Tet” Festival hosted by the Association of Vietnamese Americans in Silver Spring, Maryland on January 27, 2013.

Thirteen members interacted with guests at the VABA-DC table throughout the day and engaged community members and leaders in discussions about the legal needs of the community including the pressing need for greater access to competent legal representation across all sectors. Several community leaders provided insight as to how the community could benefit from additional legal support in the area of non-profit organization. A number of individuals requested assistance in finding referrals to Vietnamese speaking attorneys to help with issues ranging from family law to trusts and estates.

VABA-DC is encouraged by the support of both its members and the community and is energized by the positive response we received at this event. As a result, VABA-DC is seeking to directly address the issues expressed by the community and is establishing a lawyer referral service to aid Vietnamese speakers in finding competent counsel who may be able to meet their language needs. In addition, VABA-DC is exploring ways in which to partner with other non-profits and community organizations to assist in sustaining our collective efforts by supporting their legal needs.

Based on the positive feedback from this event, VABA-DC will be participating in the upcoming Tet Festival on Sunday, February 3, 2013 at Langley High School in McLean, Virginia hosted by the Vietnamese Senior Citizens’ Association and will be continuing the dialog with the community and its leaders. We hope to see you there.

ANNOUNCEMENT: VABA-DC's Video Project

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 22:58:29 GMT

Happy New Year! We are delighted to invite you to our Fifth Annual Scholarship Dinner to take place on March 19, 2013 at 6pm - further details and tickets are now on sale at www.vabadc.com.

We are currently working on creating a video highlighting the achievements of Vietnamese American lawyers in our community and would like to feature a select number of attorneys, such as you, who have something interesting to say about what it means to you to be a Vietnamese American lawyer. Yes- the question is broad, but so are the answers. We want your unique stories, funny anecdotes, and general reflections. We will bring a videographer to film your responses in an interview format with someone from our board moderating and asking questions. Any content used in the video will be pre-approved by you.

If you are interested and available, please reply to Thanh Nguyen at Thanh.Nguyen@CliffordChance.com or 312-451-7331.

Filming will take place next Sunday Jan. 27. We do not require you to send any written responses about what you would like to say but we ask you to prepare some material about what you would like to convey on film as we will allot each person 5 minutes of air time.

Good luck and thank you for contributing to this lawyer's project that will indelibly highlight the successes of our Vietnamese American legal community across generations and across practice areas, as well as demonstrate the creativity and energy of this group.

Best regards,

VABA-DC Scholarship Dinner Committee.

VABA-DC Volunteers at the Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote Election Protection Hotline

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 14:16:06 GMT

During the 2012 general election, VABA-DC sent a contingent of Vietnamese-speaking attorneys, law students and college students to the APIA Vote Election Protection Hotline in Washington D.C. to assist Vietnamese-speaking voters nationwide in exercising their vote. The hotline was a non-partisan effort organized by the Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote, the Asian American Justice Center and the Lawyer’s Committee on Civil Rights to provide multilingual voting information in Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese.

For 12 hours each day, VABA-DC members fielded calls from across the country and answered questions such as where to vote, when to vote, how to vote and informed Vietnamese-speaking voters of the identification requirements of different states.

As a part of our community outreach mission, VABA-DC is committed to increasing awareness and improving access to the legal rights of the Vietnamese-American community. We are pleased to have been able to further that mission through the 2012 APIA Vote Hotline and would like to thank everyone who volunteered to make it a success.

http://www.apiavote.org/

VABA-DC Third Annual Scholarship Dinner

Sun, 03 Apr 2011 23:20:15 GMT

On April 1-2, 2011, VABA-DC hosted the National Conference of Vietnamese American Attorneys (NCVAA) in Washington, D.C. This was NCVAA's fifth annual conference, but the first time the conference was held outside of California. Themed "Raising the Bar in the Nation's Capital", the conference featured a series of esteemed speakers, panelists, and guests.

The conference opened with a Welcome Reception on Friday evening at the firm of Arent Fox, with former U.S. Assistant Attorney General Viet Dinh providing the keynote.

On Saturday, April 2, we held a day-long conference at the D.C. Bar Conference Center with panels on Latest Developments in IP Law; The Art of Immigration Advocacy; Career Paths for Vietnamese American Attorneys; Effective Skills for Practicing Before Federal Agencies; The Gulf Oil Spill and the Vietnamese American Community; Autopsy of a Distressed Real Estate Loan; and the ever-popular Judges' Panel.

During lunch, we heard from Reverend Vien The Nguyen, who was featured in the film “A Village Called Versailles” about a Vietnamese American community in the outskirts of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The conference concluded with a combined Closing Gala and VABA-DC's Third Annual Scholarship Dinner, at which scholarships were awarded to three law students in recognition of their excellence and commitment to the Vietnamese American community.

The dinner featured the Executive Director of BPSOS, Dr. Thang D. Nguyen, as the keynote speaker, and Paul D. Nguyen was awarded the Trailblazer Award.

For more information about the NCVAA, please visit www.ncvaa.org.

See more photos from NCVAA 2011 here.

PRESS RELEASE: VIETNAMESE AMERICAN LEGAL CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON D.C.

Sat, 19 Mar 2011 17:53:47 GMT

APRIL 1-2, 2011

Nhat Nguyen, a young Washington, D.C.-area attorney, and May Nguyen, a UCLA law
student, spent much of the past year sorting out the complicated legal issues uniquely
confronting Vietnamese Americans in the Gulf Region affected by the BP oil spill. They
joined other attorneys and students from around the country to conduct community
meetings, hold audiences with members of Congress, write white papers to President
Obama, and scrutinize the claims procedure set up by “compensation czar” Kenneth
Feinberg.

They will be in Washington in April, among the famed cherry blossoms, to discuss their
experience at the National Conference of Vietnamese American Attorneys (NCVAA).
This will be the first NCVAA to take place outside California. Previously organized by
local bar associations in northern and southern California, the conference this year will
advance the “national” part of its name with the help of the Vietnamese American Bar
Association of the Greater Washington D.C. Area (VABA-DC).

“We are excited to host our friends and colleagues in the nation’s capital,” said Mai Pham
Robertson, co-chair of the conference planning committee and president of VABA-DC.
“We’ve put together an insightful program that addresses many of the issues directly
affecting the Vietnamese American legal community.”

“Vietnamese Americans are a relatively new group in America with issues common to
other Americans and other immigrants, but also challenges unique to us,” said San Jose,
California, attorney Mai D. Phan, president of NCVAA and co-chair of the conference
planning committee. She emphasized that the conference is open to all, and the legal
issues relating to the Gulf oil spill should be of interest to many.

Community mobilizers recently scored a victory when Feinberg agreed to recognize
“subsistence” claims by Vietnamese American fishers. For generations, such fishers
caught seafood not just to sell but also to feed extended families and to satisfy
community obligations, even though such use is difficult to document for compensation.

Phan believes NCVAA, which has evolved from an ad hoc event to a permanent national
organization, can promote diversity in the profession. “Only recently has the languageintensive
legal profession become an attractive career option, so everywhere, Vietnamese
Americans are underpresented in the law.”

NCVAA and VABA-DC will award three scholarships at the conference to law students
who have demonstrated a commitment to the Vietnamese American community.
The conference will also highlight the accomplishments of legal professionals in the
community, with speakers such as Viet Dinh, Assistant Attorney General in the Bush
administration, and New York attorney Paul D. Nguyen, who began practicing in the
United States in the 1970’s.

Vietnamese American judges from various jurisdictions will discuss their experience to
guide others to seek appointment. Other panels will cover intellectual property,
immigration, federal agencies practice, the foreclosure crisis, and the variety of legal
career paths.

The NCVAA conference will take place April 1 and 2, in Washington, D.C. Registration
and other information is available at www.ncvaa.org.

* * * *
Press contact:
Mai Pham Robertson
maiapham@gmail.com
Tel: (202) 903-8150

Mai D. Phan
mai@pnallp.com
Tel: (408) 975-9321

Duy Thai
duy@duythai.com
Tel: (415) 296-9927

National Conference of Vietnamese American Attorneys 2011
RAISING THE BAR IN THE NATION’S CAPITAL
April 1-2, 2011 Washington, D.C.

WELCOME RECEPTION
Friday Evening, April 1
Arent Fox LLP
1050 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036-5339

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AND PANELS
Saturday Daytime, April 2
District of Columbia Bar Association
1101 K Street NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20005

CLOSING GALA and
VABA-DC SCHOLARSHIPS PRESENTATION
Saturday Evening, April 2
Tony Cheng's Restaurant
619 H Street NW
Washington, DC 20007

Registration and other information available at www.ncvaa.org.

NCVAA_Press_Release.pdf

Save the Date: NCVAA in Washington, D.C.

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 17:27:17 GMT

VABA-DC Joins Coalition of Non-Profits To Establish Volunteer Law Corps and Hold Pro-Bono Vietnamese-Language Legal Clinics For Oil Spill Disaster Victims in the Gulf Coast.

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 20:49:49 GMT

MEDIA ADVISORY
EVENT DATE: JUNE 26-27, 2010
Contact: Shandon Phan, shandonphan@gmail.com or (202) 415-3366

In response to the urgent legal needs of the Vietnamese American community affected by the BP Oil Spill Disaster, VABA-DC has joined forces with various national and local community organizations and bar associations to hold two bilingual legal aid clinics for Vietnamese American fishermen in the Gulf Coast on June 25-26, 2010.

“VABA-DC is committed to serving the legal needs of the Vietnamese American community,” said Mai T. Pham, VABA-DC President. “It is critical for us to be part of this important effort to protect the rights and interests of the Vietnamese American community along the Gulf Coast and their way of life.”

The legal clinics will provide language access, information, and legal assistance to approximately one thousand Vietnamese American fishermen regarding BP claims policy and procedures. The clinics will be staffed by a team of 26 Vietnamese American attorney and law student volunteers from various bar associations and community organizations across the U.S. Of those, five are VABA-DC members.

“The outpouring of support from individuals and organizations across the country has been extraordinary,” said Mai Phan, a former Biloxi native, former president of the Vietnamese American Bar Association of Northern California and the project’s lead organizer. “During this time of crisis, Vietnamese-American attorneys and law students across the country have answered the call of service, dedicating their time and efforts to protect the rights and interests of thousands of community members.”

The large-scale legal clinics project highlights the tradition of service established by community advocates and organizations in bringing professionals of various backgrounds to the region to serve those in need in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The project is supported by Congressman Anh “Joseph” Cao, who is scheduled to stop by the New Orleans clinic on Saturday.

VABA-DC is the only Vietnamese American Bar Association on the East Coast, representing over 100 Vietnamese American attorneys and law students in the area. Its mission is to promote the professional growth and advancement of Vietnamese American attorneys, encourage and facilitate the entry of Vietnamese American students into the legal profession, contribute to the public interest by serving as a voice for the local Vietnamese American community and assist community members with legal concerns.

Clinics Schedule:

Biloxi, Mississippi
Friday, June 25th 1-5pm
Biloxi Community Development Department Auditorium
676 Martin Luther King Blvd, Biloxi. MS

New Orleans, Louisiana
Saturday, June 26th: 9am-5pm
Mary Queen of Viet Nam School
14001 Dwyer Blvd, New Orleans, LA

Coalition Members:
Asian American Bar Association of Louisiana
Asian Americans for Change
Boat People SOS (BPSOS)
Mary Queen of Viet Nam CDC
Mississippi Center for Justice
National Association of Vietnamese American Service Agencies (NAVASA)
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA)
Vietnamese American Bar Association of Northern California (VABANC)
Vietnamese American Bar Association of the Greater Washington DC (VABA-DC)
Vietnamese American Young Leaders Association of New Orleans (VAYLA)

Judge Jacqueline Nguyen: A Milestone Appointment (Asian Fortune)

Sun, 02 May 2010 21:29:52 GMT

By: Jackie Bong-Wright - Asian Fortune

Judge Jacqueline Nguyen at VABA-DC Scholarship Dinner 2010

“Get a job you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” Does this ring true to Judge Jacqueline Nguyen? “Definitely, yes,” she said. “I was sworn in as a federal judge three months ago, and I was thrilled to take over a caseload of 400 civil cases and many other criminal matters. I’ve been working many late nights and weekends, but I wouldn’t trade this job for any other in the world.”

Judge Nguyen was appointed by President Obama to the U.S. District Court for the Central District in California. From 2002 to 2009, she served as the first Asian judge in the Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles. Since her graduation from UCLA in 1991, she has been active in the legal community. She co-founded the Asian Pacific American Bar Association. She served as its president from 1999 to 2000.

Recently, Judge Nguyen spoke at the Vietnamese American Bar Association (VABA-DC) at its second annual scholarship dinner at the WilmerHale law firm in Washington, D.C.

The association president, Caroline Nguyen, a graduate of Harvard and Columbia School of Law, said the judge’s appointment to the federal bench was “an important step forward in judicial diversity and not only a testament to the inspiring promise of the American Dream, but also a milestone for the Vietnamese American community.”

Judge Nguyen congratulated VABA-DC for the change that is taking place in the Vietnamese community in the capital area. She also urged Vietnamese Americans to participate actively in state and federal legislatures, as well as in major law firms. She said she was grateful for the many opportunities “this great nation” had offered her, her family and many other immigrants.

She also praised the “incredible resilience” of the Vietnamese people. She talked of her parents, quiet and humble boat people refugees, who toiled at two and three menial jobs to care for six children. She said they were her inspiration. “They persevered to bring us up, sacrificed themselves to give us a good education, and helped build our character. That is the ultimate education.”

Judge Nguyen echoed these words of wisdom: “We are here not merely to make a living. We are here to enrich the world, and we impoverish ourselves if we forget this.”

Diversity

VABA-DC, established in 2007, is one of four VABAs that promote the professional growth and advancement of Vietnamese-American attorneys. It also encourages and facilitates the entry of Vietnamese students into the legal profession. Across the country, there are only six Vietnamese judges on the bench, four of whom are in California.

“Nationwide, people of color make up one quarter of the population, yet they make up only 10 percent of lawyers and only four percent of partners in major law firms. Well over 70 percent of all judges are white,” stated Judge Nguyen. “This lack of diversity has contributed to deep mistrust of the justice system in many minority communities, including our own.”

How to redress the situation? Judge Nguyen advised that lawyers and judges heed the words of Justice Kennedy. “The law makes a promise – neutrality. If the promise gets broken, the law as we know it ceases to exist.” Remarked Judge Nguyen: “Unless we change the bench and the bar to better reflect our nation’s diversity, we lose credibility – we lose the perception of neutrality – and that hurts all of us because we all have a stake in this system.”

Mentorship

Judge Nguyen insists that one of the ways to effect change is to mentor one another. “I am a firm believer in the power of mentorship because I’ve benefited from it. As a young lawyer, first in private practice and then as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s office, I became very involved in local bar activities, and sat on the boards of various bar associations. When I was ready to apply to the bench, they demystified the process for me.”

She continued, “The support for my appointment, both state and federal, came out of these relationships. So, being involved in organizations is not only fun and rewarding, but also helps in forming mentoring relationships that are so important in your career, no matter what you choose to do.”

The VABA-DC has the same kind of mission. Shandon Phan, a board member, announced that every year this non-profit awards scholarships to two law students who have demonstrated leadership potential and a strong commitment to serving the Vietnamese American community.

One of this year’s awardees is Caroline Pham from Modesto, California. A second-year law student at George Washington Law School in Washington, DC, Caroline has been very active in community service. She is vice-president of the GW Law Federalist Society, president of the Phi Delta Phi International Legal Fraternity, and vice-president for Outreach of the Student Bar Association. As an attorney, Caroline says she hopes to provide pro bono service to her community.

The second recipient is Julie Tong, a third-year student at the University of Maryland School of Law. She is the executive editor of the Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion, Gender and Class. She also served as president of Maryland’s Asian Pacific American (APIA) Law Students Association. Prior to law school, she volunteered as a legal interpreter with the APIA Legal Resource Center. She says she wants to practice civil litigation and continue to help immigrant children to achieve success.

Encouraging community service, VABA-DC set the example and partnered with Boat People SOS and AALEAD to raise awareness of human trafficking. Last year, the board organized a gathering at the K St Lounge to network, strengthen community ties and raise money for programs that assist trafficked victims in Malaysia.

VABA Scholarship Dinner 2010

Sat, 20 Mar 2010 21:30:22 GMT

VABA-DC Board with Judge Nguyen and Caroline Pham

VABA-DC held its Second Annual Scholarship Dinner at the law firm of WilmerHale, 1875 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20006, on March 18, 2010. Chaired by John Huynh Brown and Paul Nguyen, the event was a huge success.

Judge Jacqueline Nguyen, the first Vietnamese American Article III judge, delivered the keynote speech.

Two law students, Caroline Kieu-Diem Pham of George Washington University School of Law and Julie Tong of University of Maryland School of Law, received scholarship awards for their strong commitment to serving the Vietnamese American community.

Click here for more information

Judge Jacqueline Nguyen to keynote at VABA-DC's Second Annual Scholarship Dinner

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:00:36 GMT

MEDIA ADVISORY: Wednesday, January 20, 2010
CONTACT: John Brown at (202) 857-6359 | Caroline Nguyen at (202) 663-6079

Washington, D.C.-- The Vietnamese American Bar Association of the Greater Washington, D.C. Area (“VABA-DC”) today announced that the Hon. Jacqueline Nguyen of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California will be the keynote speaker at VABA-DC’s Second Annual Scholarship Dinner on March 18, 2010. The theme of this year’s Scholarship Dinner is “Inspiring New Voices of Justice.”

On December 1, 2009, Judge Nguyen became the first Article III judge of Vietnamese descent, after the United States Senate confirmed her by a unanimous vote. Judge Nguyen is only the third-ever Asian American female Article III judge.

“We are honored that Judge Nguyen will join us as the Keynote Speaker at this year’s Scholarship Dinner,” said Caroline T. Nguyen, president of VABA-DC. “Her appointment to the federal bench is an important step forward in judicial diversity and is not only a testament to the inspiring promise of the American dream but also a milestone for the Vietnamese American community.”

President Barack Obama nominated Judge Nguyen for appointment to the federal bench on July 31, 2009. Prior to her nomination, she had served for more than seven years as a judge with the California Superior Court. Previously, Judge Nguyen was also an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division in Los Angeles, later becoming Deputy Chief of the General Crimes Section in that same office, and was an attorney with Musick, Peeler & Garrett in Los Angeles, where she handled commercial, intellectual property and construction cases.

VABA-DC is the only Vietnamese American Bar Association on the East Coast. Its mission is to promote the professional growth and advancement of Vietnamese American attorneys, encourage and facilitate the entry of Vietnamese American students into the legal profession, contribute to the public interest by serving as a voice for the local Vietnamese American community and assist community members with legal concerns.

As part of that mission, VABA-DC awards scholarships annually to two D.C.-area law students who have demonstrated leadership potential and a strong commitment to serving the Vietnamese American community. This year’s Scholarship Dinner will take place on Thursday, March 18, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. at WilmerHale in Washington D.C. For more information, please visit www.vabadc.com.

###

Tony Pham recognized as one of Richmond's Top 40 Under 40 Leaders

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:57:01 GMT

Source: Style Weekly - October 13, 2009

VABA-DC member, Tony Pham, has been selected by Style Weekly to be honored as one of Richmond 's Top 40 Under 40 Leaders for his contributions to the community.

Six days before North Vietnamese tanks rolled into Saigon on April 24, 1975, Tony H. Pham, then 2 years old, was on the last civilian flight out of South Vietnam.

He, his two sisters and their mother embarked on a remarkable journey that would take them to a refugee camp in Arkansas and then to Henrico County, where a church sponsored them. Pham’s father, a South Vietnamese Army officer, joined them later.

Living in an apartment off Parham Road, Pham struggled to learn English. He was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 1984. After Meadowbrook High School, he attended the College of William and Mary and the University of Richmond law school.

In 1999, the freshly minted lawyer landed a job as a prosecutor in Richmond, where he dealt with dope dealers and gangs. He moved to the city attorney’s office in 2008.

Tony Pham, 36
Assistant City Attorney, City of Richmond
Photo by Ash Daniel

“I’m living the American dream right now,” Pham says. So he must give back, he says. In part, he uses his language skills to help immigrants understand voting rights. His work has earned him the Old Dominion Bar Association’s presidential merit award.

He’s also volunteered with the Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce, helping the group create its first legislative summit this summer, and working with it to address cultural, civic and social issues facing that community.

He sees cultural chasms. For example, once two relatives were having a vigorous argument and the police were called. “People didn’t explain there was no domestic violence,” he says. “That’s just how Vietnamese argue.”

For fun, he golfs and takes his children to international festivals, he says: “There always is a lot of eating involved.”

Vietnamese Scholarship Soiree

Sat, 07 Feb 2009 01:06:44 GMT

Source: http://www.bisnow.com/washington_dc_legal_news_story.php?p=2414

Things are booming for the Vietnamese Bar Association, founded by WilmerHale’s Caroline Nguyen. The former bartender at K Street Lounge makes us look smart for picking her as one of our 30 Under 30s: she developed the VBA from a brainstorm to an organization that pulled in 120 for dinner last night, where it granted scholarships to two law students (from GWU and University of Baltimore) who’ve demonstrated commitment to issues affecting the Vietnamese. There’s Caroline with WilmerHale colleagues Kenneth Imo, career development attorney, and dinner co-chair Danny Nguyen.

Could this man be the next U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia? Gene Rossi, currently an AUSA in the Rocket Docket, tells us he’s “one of several” who’ve expressed interest in the top slot vacated when Chuck Rosenberg left for Hogan. Gene says he and his friendly competition are expecting a spring appointment for the role now filled by Acting U.S. Attorney, Dana Boente, a career guy. To boost the attractiveness of Gene’s candidacy, we pulled in VBA Board Member Mai Nguyen of the FDA to join him.

The evening’s keynoter was Congressman Joseph Cao, right, just elected as a Republican from Louisiana’s 2d District. Here with his Director of Special Projects Dang Nguyen, Joseph was one of the last members to slip into the 111th Congress, as Hurricane Gustav pushed his election day back to Dec. 6th. Political junkies may recognize Louisiana’s 2d as the district held for years by William Jefferson, until the FBI found $90,000 in his freezer. Don’t worry: Joseph says that the guiltiest thing in his is ice cream.

John Ford is Bisnow’s Legal Editor. Shoot him your story ideas at john@bisnow.com .