Review 1: Seventh Annual NASABA Convention
At some point, as I watched prominent South Asian attorneys stage a reenactment of the Bhagat Singh Thind case in Boston’s Faneuil Hall—a building at the very heart of the American revolution nearly 250 years ago—it struck me: the South Asian community in America really has come a long way. The Thind case—in which a Sikh military veteran fought a protracted court battle in the early years of the 20th century to win U.S. citizenship—stands in stark contrast to the NASABA convention of today: a gathering of increasingly prominent and powerful attorneys driving forward innovation in a diversity of fields. We are a community on the rise, and NASABA’s growth over the years is an accurate reflection of our growing importance.
I was fortunate enough to attend the very first NASABA convention several years ago in Santa Monica, CA, and have since attended the 2007 convention in San Francisco. That first convention in Santa Monica was a much more intimate affair—perhaps 200 attorneys, many of them young and ambitious, showcasing the tremendous potential of our legal community nationwide. There was a sense of possibility then—of how much our community could achieve in the years to come, and the incredible array of talent that existed to drive those achievements.
Looking at the NASABA convention now—a gathering of nearly 500 attorneys and including both new and established professionals—it’s clear we’re starting to realize that potential. At the convention there was, for example, a plenary session that included three South Asian attorneys who have argued regularly before the U.S. Supreme Court—a number unthinkable just a few short years ago. President Obama’s shortlist of individuals tapped to become the new U.S. Solicitor General includes multiple South Asian attorneys. And our community is starting to flex its political muscle, too. The convention featured a number of elected officials and candidates, including judges and lawmakers, as well as senior federal officials—numbers exponentially higher than those we had in Santa Monica.
Our community also continues to engage with current issues in new ways. I participated as a speaker on a panel about Arizona’s new anti-immigrant law, SB 1070, and its impact on the South Asian community. My co-panelists were an impressive group of young South Asian lawyers tackling the issue on a variety of fronts—on the federal level through legal challenges and state strategies, at the state level through targeted political advocacy, and at the local level by gathering data showing the racial impact of similar laws. The response of the audience was no less impressive—they were concerned by the issue and engaged with strategies to reverse the onslaught of similar laws.
Of course, beyond all the formal programming, what really made the convention for me—and what makes any convention—is the people you meet. I had a great time meeting a wide diversity of South Asian lawyers from all over the country and the world, learning about their innovative work, and striking up new connections. With very few exceptions, everyone, from the judges to the law students, were open, friendly, and interesting, and I came away with new friendships that I will likely carry forward in the years to come.
It’s clear, though, that this is just the beginning for NASABA and our legal community. There were many bright young law students at the convention, all looking to push the envelope in their careers. I’m looking forward to seeing those future attorneys working side by side with many of the same individuals from that first convention in Santa Monica—individuals who have gone on to scale the professional heights they were just starting to look at in 2004. There will always be issues that need addressing, of course—for example, I’d like to see even more of a focus on incorporating community advocacy into NASABA’s goals—but overall, we’re headed in a great direction. I highly recommend the NASABA convention experience to all SABAW members—and I look forward to seeing you at the next one!
Shankar Narayan
Review 2: Seventh Annual NASABA Annual Convention: A Glimpse at Public Service
The theme of the Seventh Annual NASABA Convention was “Making History,” but a subtle theme exemplified by the conference programming, as well as the choice in keynote speaker was, “The Importance of Public Service.”
During a plenary lunch session, the Honorable Ravi Sandill of the 127th District in Texas, moderated a discussion with two South Asian candidates running for Congress. Manan Trivedi, a candidate from Pennsylvania’s 6 th District, discussed the challenges of running a campaign from a grassroots level. Further, he explained the importance of one task that can make or break a campaign: fundraising. Trivedi joked that every member of the crowd would be receiving a call from his campaign to solicit funds. Judge Sandill pointed out that the 2010 election cycle will have a record number of South Asian candidates running for office, a milestone for South Asians in this country.
Captain Susrut Carpenter, a Judge Advocate with the U.S. Army, moderated a panel discussing the evolution of South Asians in the sphere of public service. The panel was made up of four members who represented different career paths, each of which led to public service. While some attorneys had previously worked for firms, the overwhelming desire to serve provided sufficient justification to all panelists. Panelists also spoke about how crucial it is to have voices from the South Asian community in positions of public influence given the current issues facing the country with racial profiling and cultural misunderstandings between Eastern and Western nations.
The keynote address during the gala on the closing night by Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, culminated a conference full of inspirational leaders in the South Asian legal community. Bharara’s address continued the conference’s subtle theme that focused on the importance of having South Asian attorneys in the realm of public service. Bharara explained how his own personal experiences may not have changed his decisions to prosecute certain civil and criminal cases, but it did color his perspective in his decisions to prosecute those engaged in transnational acts of terrorism, narco-terrorism, narcotics trafficking, and money laundering. Bharara’s address brought the crowd to a standing ovation at its conclusion, leaving a room not only proud to have a member of its community in such a high-profile position, but also inspired to do more in an effort to give back.
Neel Kashkari, the former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, stated the conference’s tacit premise most succinctly when he joked that many members of Congress with whom he had worked “weren`t all that impressive,” thereby encouraging any conference attendee who had a desire to make change to pursue that interest with steadfast vigor. The conference offered a variety of voices from the public service sector that came from speakers who were appointed, elected, or hired. While attorneys from all realms were present at the conference, conference organizers offered a refreshing glimpse into an alternative to the typical career paths open to law students post-graduation.
By K.J. Bagchi
Review 3: Seventh Annual NASABA Convention
The 2010 NASABA Convention was a great experience. I saw a lot of interesting panels, talked to many interesting people, and overall had a great time. I arrived in Boston on the evening of June 24th and while I had arrived too late to go to the Welcome Reception I did attend the after hours event. This was a great way to meet people who were attending the conference as well as to say hello to people I knew through previous encounters. The next morning after breakfast I attended the Healthcare Reform: Challenges and Opportunities Panel. This was a very informative panel that gave me a lot of new information about healthcare reform. As that was something I was glad to see passed I was grateful to learn even more on it. The next panel I attended was the NASABA Idol: Interactive Workshop Focusing on Negotiation Strategies in Mediation; since I have an interest in mediation. It was also a great panel to attend as it was very informative and done in an amusing way. The lunch session was great as we had panelists talk about running for national office, which was great for someone who is very passionate about politics like I am. The last two panels’ I attended that day were the Beyond Arizona: Immigration Enforcement coming to a Town Near You and Banning Foreign Law Firms in India: Protecting Justice or Just Protectionism? After the panels were done I made my way over to the Foundation Event at the Moakley Federal Courthouse. The keynote speaker was Peter Gutermann who was VP and General Counsel at Pratt & Whitney who gave a talk about diversity in the workplace. Mr. Gutermann was a very entertaining and informative speaker. The last event of the event was a great group dinner with the SABAW folks. The next day I attended the breakout panels: What In-House Counsel Wish Every Law Lawyer Really Knew: What Works and What Doesn’t and How to Advance and make an impact as an In-House Lawyer. The lunch speaker was Neel Kashkari the former Assistant Secretary of the US Treasury who was one of the masterminds behind the TARP program. In the evening I attended the law student reception as well as heard a great speech at dinner from Preet Bharara, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Overall this was a great conference and I look forward to the one next year.
Review 4: Seventh Annual NASABA Convention
I had the great fortune of attending the Seventh Annual NASABA Convention. The theme of this year’s event was “Making History.” The convention had exciting issue-focused panels, opportunities to network, and eminent and energetic speakers and panelists.
One of the more interesting panels was about “Health Care Reform.” This panel focused on the challenges and opportunities presented by the recently enacted health reform legislation for healthcare insurers, clinicians, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and other vendors
The highlight of the convention was Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. He took time out of his busy schedule to inspire us at the Gala Dinner. He talked about how hard his family worked so that he could have the opportunities he has had, and about how fortunate he is to do the work he is doing. He was a fantastic speaker and very candid in his remarks.
In addition, I enjoyed the panel on running for national office. The moderator was Judge R.K. Sandill and the panelists were Manan Trivedie, Candidate for U.S. Representative, Pensylvania's 6th District, and Raj Goyle, Candidate for U.S. Congress, Kansas 4th District. The speakers provided great insight as to how young lawyers can get involved into politics, and what running a campaign is like.
Harjeet Gill
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