PRESS RELEASE
Los Angeles, CA, March 14, 2013 - On March 8, 2013, the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles County ("APABA") celebrated its fifteenth anniversary installation dinner at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. Hosted by celebrity Aaron Takahashi, approximately 315 attorneys, judicial officers, law students, and legal professionals attended the installation dinner and applauded as Judge Howard Halm, Los Angeles County Superior Court, installed the 2012-2013 Officers & Board. The evening was highlighted by a special video presentation entitled "APABA - The First 15 Years," produced by APABA's current President, Michelle Sugihara.
"It is a great honor to produce 'APABA - The First 15 Years' and share with our guests the history and achievements of APABA through the voices of its founders and past presidents," said Ms. Sugihara. "We look forward to the next fifteen years as APABA continues to foster the foundational goals of community service and legal diversity that led to the creation of this wonderful pan-Asian bar association."
This year, APABA awarded its annual Public Service Award jointly to the Asian Pacific American Legal Center ("APALC") and the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") for their representation of 69 Filipino American hospital workers in a landmark workplace discrimination lawsuit. The Filipino American nurses and other hospital workers were singled out by the hospital for enforcement of its unlawful English Only policy. The lawsuit settled for $1 million, the largest settlement for a workplace language discrimination case in the West Coast, as well as the largest for a workplace language discrimination case in the healthcare industry in the United States. The Public Service Award was presented by Congresswoman Judy Chu.
"APALC's Impact Litigation team is proud to have had the opportunity to represent such a brave group of Filipino American workers who not only successfully challenged a discriminatory English Only policy, but also stood up for their right to be treated with dignity at the workplace," stated Laboni Hoq, APALC's Litigation Director. "We hope this landmark case positively influences other employees to assert their workplace rights, and encourages employers to protect against language discrimination in their increasingly diverse workforces."
# # #
APABA's events and activities include legal clinics, continuing legal education seminars, community forums, networking receptions, and various programs for law students, including a public interest fellowship award. APABA works closely with APAWLA, JABA, KABA, PABA, SABA, SCCLA and other minority bar associations to promote diversity on the bench and in the legal profession and to speak out on issues of importance to minority communities. To join or learn learn more about APABA, please visit www.apaba.org.
