As KABA starts its 27th year of existence, we are faced with many challenges, both old and new.

Each year, we look for different and innovative ways to serve the needs of our membership, comprised of attorneys and law students, as well as the needs of the Korean American community at large. We also continue our efforts to identify and support qualified candidates for judicial appointments from within the Korean American community such that the makeup of the bench will better reflect the demographics of Los Angeles and California as a whole. Another one of our continuing goals with which we have made headway in recent years is to make KABA recognizable on a national level through increased participation in the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.

We have learned that our efforts cannot stop with these issues. Through a series of unspeakable tragedies that occurred in the Korean American community in the past year, we have determined that KABA must take action, in partnership with other organizations, to eliminate domestic violence, which seems to disproportionately affect our community. We have also decided this year to highlight our support and gratitude for attorneys serving the Korean American community in a public interest context by creating what is planned to be an annual $5,000 fellowship award.

Today’s KABA is well equipped to face these challenges head on. Our membership has grown tremendously, in keeping with the growing number of Korean American attorneys practicing in the Southern California area. Each year, we have more young and experienced attorneys from a wide range of backgrounds becoming actively involved, and bringing with them a breadth of perspectives and resources. This year, new KABA board members Princeton Kim, Young Kim, Kelly Knight, Lisa Kwon and Yungsuhn Park will join returning board members Marrian Chang, Wonkoo Chang, Stephanie Choi, Steve Hwang, Dorothy Kim, Joanna Kim, Joann Lee, Jane Oak, Angela Oh, Paul Park, Ekwan Rhow, Justine Roe, Ellen Shin and Vivian Thoreen for a year of hard work. 

This renewed energy, combined with the unwavering support of our longtime supporters and founding members, makes KABA more prepared than ever to serve our community.

In 2007, we will continue to strive to become an ever more meaningful and relevant organization within both the Korean and mainstream community.

 

Lisa J. Yang

KABA President

 

 

Lisa J. Yang is an associate in the litigation group at Lim, Ruger & Kim, LLP.