Sep. 10, 2010

A Kind Calling

The Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles, in conjunction with relief foundation Kids In Need of Defense (KIND), the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association and the South Asian Bar Association of Southern California, presented a panel and reception Wednesday to raise awareness about the plight of unaccompanied refugee and immigrant children in the United States. Sixty-five attorneys and community members attended the event, which was held at Far Bar in Little Tokyo. In 2009, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association partnered with KIND to help provide pro bono attorneys for immigrant children, particularly those with Asian-language needs, who do not have parents or legal guardians in the United States. The Southern California associations — local affiliates of the national group — have helped KIND locate and place pro bono attorneys for these cases. Wednesday’s panel and reception represented the first in a series that will continue at the national association’s 2010 Annual Convention Nov. 17-21, at the JW Marriott Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. The event began with an introduction by Gladis Molina, a pro bono coordinator for KIND in Los Angeles, who explained how the unaccompanied children who come to KIND for legal assistance are, for the most part, desperate for help. Julie To, a staff attorney at the California Department of Real Estate and a pro bono attorney for KIND, moderated the panel, which included Stacey H. Wang of Holland & Knight, sole practitioner Jason J. Pu, and Shiraz Tangri of Alston + Bird.