APABA Celebrates Accomplishments
May 5, 2002

The Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Colorado held its annual banquet, its biggest fundraiser of the year, on April 27 at King’s Land Chinese restaurant. The 10-course feast enlivened the evening, but the real main course was the program.

The banquet began with a traditional performance by a group of four young Hmong dancers, and poignant historical background about the Laotian Hmong by Ge Thao, the Asian Pacific Development Center’s Asian Youth Mentorship Program project coordinator. The evening’s emcee, Lorie Hirose of 9News, kept the program moving as outgoing APABA president Kenzo Kawanabe of Davis, Graham & Stubbs introduced incoming president Lusanna J. Ro of the State Attorney General’s office, and keynote speaker Attorney General Ken Salazar commended the Asian Pacific American Bar and its accomplishments, as well as its work with other minority bar associations such as the Hispanic Bar.

Kawanabe awarded APABA’s annual "Minoru Yasui Community Service Award" to the steering committee of the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival for its debut event last year, which was the first and largest pan-Asian community celebration of its kind in the state. APABA entered a Dragon Boat Race team last year, but it will not be racing this year (they didn’t win the grand prize AT&T Cup).

APABA, with the help of Denver District Court Judge Mel Okamato, also gave out its two annual scholarships to APA law students. Sabina Chung from CU law school and Beodl Lee from DU law school each received $1,000 from APABA, and a matching $1,000 from their schools.

Organized in 1990, the Asian Pacific American Bar Association (APABA) of Colorado provides mutual support for Asian American attorneys, judges, law students, and the general Asian community in Colorado. The organization’s goals are to:

• advance the professional growth and interests of Asian American attorneys, judges, and law students

• to improve the access of the Asian American community to legal services

• and promote the interests of the Asian American and broader Asian Pacific American communities.

APABA is affiliated with the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). The group also works closely with other local Asian Pacific American bars and other community organizations, and has five committees including the Activities, Community Service, Judicial and Political Appointments, Law Student Services, and Membership and Communications Committees.