August Updates

Here are some of TABA’s events for August and September!


The River and the Raft – SERI Project Monologues (8.22.13, Search to Involve Pilipino Americans community theatre, 7:30pm-9:00pm)

To continue raising awareness of human trafficking and modern day slavery, Thai CDC will be having a reading of monologues, entitled The River and the Raft, on Thursday, August 22nd at the Search to Involve Pilipino Americans community theatre. Tickets are $30. The monologues are based on true stories of modern-day slavery in the United States, these dramatic readings of monologues give voice to survivors who were trafficked from Thailand to America. Funds raised from this event will support Thai CDC’s Slavery Eradication and Rights Initiative Project (SERI Project). Click here for more details.


Swearing-In Ceremony and Reception for Curtis A. Kin (8.23.13, U.S. Courthouse Downtown LA, 4:00-7:00pm)

TABA is co-hosting the reception for Curtis A. Kin, who is being sworn in as a judicial officer of the Los Angeles Superior Court on August 23, 2013 at 4:00 p.m.. The Swearing-In ceremony will take place at the courtroom of the Hon. Beverly Reid O’Connell, Courtroom 14 of the U.S. Courthouse at 312 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles, California 90012. Reception immediately following in the 2nd Floor lobby from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Please RSVP at www.sccla.org. More details here.


Lil Tokyo Reporter (8.29.13, Los Angeles Center Studios @ 1201 W. 5th St., Los Angeles, 7 p.m.)

TABA is proud to co-sponsor a free screening of Lil Tokyo Reporter, a 30-minute short film followed by a Q&A. The film is about Sei Fujii, a Japanese immigrant who came to Los Angeles in the early 1900s. Although he graduated from USC Law School, he could not practice law because he was an “alien.” So he instead opened a newspaper and sought to expose the injustice in the community. He also teamed up with one of his USC Law classmates – civil rights attorney, J. Marion Right – and they eventually took several cases up to the US Supreme Court and overturned the CA Alien Land Law so that aliens could purchase property in California. The film has been making its way around the US on the film festival circuit and won several awards.

Please have RSVP at here and enter promotional code “TABA” for free admission. Guests are welcome, however, a separate RSVP using the TABA promotional code must be made to track the names of those attending for studio security purposes. Space is limited, so please RSVP soon! Click here for more details.


Save the Date – TABA Mixer!

Tentatively set for September 12, 2013 — our next mixer! Stay tuned for more details.


APAWLA Annual Luau (9.28.13, Back Home in Lahaina, 519 E. Carson St., Carson, CA, 6:00 p.m.)

The Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance will have its Annual Luau at 6:00 p.m. on September 28, 2013 at Back Home in Lahaina, located at 519 E. Carson St., Carson, California. Join APAWLA for some delicious Hawaiian food and some great Hawaiian music at Back Home in Lahaina, a restaurant in the city of Carson. Prices are: $75 early bird; $80 at the door; $35 for students; $25 for children 7-12 years old; and free for children 6 years old or younger. To RSVP or sponsor the event, please email events@apawla.org.


TABA on Thai TV

NAT TV’s Lawyer Talk program is looking for attorneys to appear to talk about discrete areas of law. The television appearance basically consists of one and a half hour live one-on-one interviews in which attorneys talk about themselves, how they got to to where they are, and discuss the area of law in which they practice. NAT TV is aired nationally and in Canada. This is great way for you (and TABA!) to gain exposure and publicize your services. It is not necessary to speak Thai because the show host will assist with interpretation for the audience.

If you are interested in appearing on this show, please contact Judy at president@tabalawyers.org for more information. Click here for an example of an episode of Lawyer Talk with an English speaking guest.


Finally, here is some information about a bill related to immigration services in California that may be of interest to our members and constituent communities.

CA Assembly Bill 1159: Immigration Services

Assembly Bill 1159, if passed, would make it mandatory for immigration attorneys to meet very specific compliance criteria in connection with legal services provided pursuant to comprehensive immigration reform, including, but not limited to, filing a bond of $100,000 with the State Bar. The bill also applies to non-CA Bar attorneys practicing in California. There are exceptions for nonprofit organizations. Click here for the text of the bill. Click here to read a letter from the American Immigration Lawyer’s Association (AILA), which is taking steps to oppose the bill. Click here for some updates and quick facts published by AILA’s California chapters.