2025 Mentorship Program Kick-Off
DAABA is excited to kick off the Mentorship Program for 2025! The Mentorship Program is designed to pair up law students and practicing attorneys according to their interest areas with the goal of fostering meaningful relationships, providing students with an experienced attorney who can guide them towards their career goals, and for attorneys to give back in a meaningful way.
[Asian Texans for Justice] Breaking Down Anti-Alien Land Laws During 89th Session: What You Need to Know
Virtually hosted by Asian Texans for Justice
“Anti-alien land laws are back in Texas. These harmful policies target immigrant communities and threaten justice and equity. Join us for an important conversation to learn more about these laws, the bills currently filed during the 89th session, and how you can take action.”
Register for the Webinar here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/d9L0xoF0SJqNt7BIWhu5KQ#/
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed with respect to this event are not endorsed by or otherwise representative of the views of DAABA, its board, or its members.
2024 Annual DAABA Awards Night
Please join us at our annual awards night for cocktails and dinner on October 10, 2024 at 6PM at the Fairmont Dallas Hotel.
To buy your tickets, please click here.
Mentorship & Connections Committee Happy Hour
Please join the Mentorship & Connections Committee for a fun evening of drinks and pickleball on Thursday, August 1, 2024. All members including law students are welcome.
Happy Hour is scheduled to take place from 6:00-7:00 pm at Chicken N Pickle located at 2965 South Hwy 161, Grand Prairie, Texas. Pickleball will go from 7:00-9:00 pm
To RSVP, please click here.
DAABA's Annual AAPI Heritage Month Luncheon: AAPI Lawyers In Public Service
We are excited to share that DAABA's AAPI Heritage Month Luncheon is returning! DAABA's Annual AAPI Heritage Month Luncheon: AAPI Lawyers In Public Service will be held at the Arts District Mansion on Friday, May 10, 2024. The esteemed panelists include Hope Shimabuku (Regional Director, US Patent and Trademark Office), Madeleine Le (Senior Governance and Compliance Manager, Amazon and former OSHA Counsel, US Department of Labor), and Judge Tina Clinton (Dallas County Criminal District Court No. 1). The panel will be moderated by Andrew Spaniol, Deputy Chief of General Litigation for the City of Dallas. Please make sure to RSVP here.
Meet Your Committee Night!
Please join us on Tuesday, April 2 at Loro Dallas from 5:30-7:30 pm to socialize with fellow DAABA members and learn more about each of our committees and ways to get involved. Hope to see you there!
Lunar New Year Dinner
Mark your calendars for DAABA’s Annual Lunar New Year Dinner! Please join us on February 29, 2024 at Kirin Court. To attend, please make sure to RSVP here.
General Meeting Selections
Dear DAABA Members,
Thank you for a wonderful DAABA Awards Night, it was a terrific opportunity to come together and celebrate achievements amongst our membership and community! As we close out our programming on an amazing year, we turn to the election of officers and directors to lead DAABA in 2023. We invite all DAABA members to run for open positions or nominate a worthy candidate. Please email current President (Janet Landry Smith at landry.janet@gmail.com) or President-Elect (Kristine Cruz at kcruz@bal.com) to express your interest in running for a position or to nominate someone else.
Below please find general information and timeline details for this election cycle. The following positions will be on the ballot this year.
Three Office Positions :
President-Elect
Treasurer
Secretary
Three Director Positions
Three Director Positions
Two-year terms
Any current officer or director would be glad to answer any questions you may have about the responsibilities for a position, time commitment, professional benefits, and personal benefits.
Stage 1: Nominations
Timeframe: Now until the run-off elections take place on Wednesday, Nov. 15.
How to Nominate: Nominations can be made by any DAABA member for any DAABA member by emailing the nominee’s name and position for nomination to the current President (Janet Landry Smith at landry.janet@gmail.com). There is no limit on the number of persons you may nominate.
Stage 2: General Meeting Selections
Timeframe: Wednesday, Nov. 15 at Noon
Where: Arts District Mansion – Winstead Ballroom (2101 Ross Ave, Dallas, TX 75201)
Complimentary parking and lunch (please bring your ticket with you to the Ballroom!)
Process: All present DAABA members will, where necessary, vote for candidates to be submitted to Stage 3, General Elections. First, voted selections will take place for President-Elect, Treasurer, and Secretary (the “Officer Positions”). If there are three or more nominations for any Officer Position, then the highest two vote-earners will be submitted to Stage 3. Next, voted selections will take place for each Director position. If there are seven or more nominations for the Director positions, then the highest six vote-earners will be submitted to Stage 3. Only those present at the meeting may vote, except that those with written proxy of another DAABA member may also vote that proxy.
Stage 3: General Elections (If Necessary)
Timeframe: Nov. 15 until EOD Nov. 25
Process: Online voting by all DAABA members will take place to determine each Officer position (President-Elect, Treasurer, and Secretary) and the three Director positions. The highest vote-earner for each Officer Position will be declared the winner. The highest three vote-earners of the Director nominees from Stage 2 will be declared the winners. Announcements will be made no later than noon on December 1. Further details on online voting to be sent at a later date.
DAABA Mentorship Program Hot Pot
The weather's getting colder, so that means it's hot pot time! If you would like to join us for some free and yummy hot pot, please RSVP to yen.ashley@gmail.com by October 30, 2023. You may attend with or without your mentee/mentor; however, if you do attend with your mentor/mentee, it could count towards your 4 "meet-ups" per year requirement!
For more details, please refer to the flyer included below.
Trunk or Treat
Join DAABA’s Community Service Committee and Mosaic Family Services for Trunk-or-Treat event at the Mosaic Shelter! Sign up to volunteer here.
Support by donating to DAABA’s Venmo (@DAABA) with “Trunk-or-Treat” in the memo or by purchasing supplies/costumes from DAABA’s Amazon wishlist. You can also coordinate to drop off donations with Kristine Cruz at kcruz@bal.com.
Fireside Chat w/ SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda
Please join Vinson & Elkins and the Dallas Asian American Bar Association for a fireside chat with Mark Uyeda in his new role as SEC Commissioner. Nominated in 2022 by President Biden, Mark is the first AAPI to serve as a Commissioner at the SEC. Mark has served on the staff of the SEC since 2006, including as Senior Advisor to Chairman Jay Clayton, Senior Advisor to Acting Chairman Michael S. Piwowar, Counsel to Commissioner Paul S. Atkins, and various staff positions in the Division of Investment Management. He most recently served on detail from the SEC to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs as a securities counsel to the committee's minority staff. Our evening will begin with an introduction from DAABA Board Member Eric Chen, followed by a fireside chat with Mark, moderated by Vinson & Elkins attorney and DAABA Member Lily Marrs. Refreshments and hors d'oeuvres will be served.
Please click here to RSVP.
2023 DAABA ANNUAL AWARDS NIGHT!
Please mark your calendars and join us for the 2023 DAABA Annual Awards Night Gala at the JW Marriott Dallas Arts District on Thursday, October 5, 2023, at 6 PM!
To register, please click here.
DAABA KARAOKE NIGHT
Join us for a fun-filled evening of singing at City Night KTV Karaoke Bar & Café in Carrollton, TX, on Saturday Sept. 23 from 6:30-9pm.
Drinks and light bites will be provided. +1s of DAABA members are welcome. Warm up those vocal cords and get ready for a night of karaoke fun!
To RSVP, please click here.
Happy Hour!
Please join us on August 16, 2023 from 5:30 - 7 pm at Casablanca as we celebrate recent bar takers and catch up with fellow DAABA members.
Family Movie Day
You and your family are invited to the movies with DAABA! We will be watching Disney's Elemental in a private screening at Studio Movie Grill off Spring Valley on July 15. The theater is open for us to mingle at 1pm, the movie will start at 1:30pm. DAABA will provide sodas and popcorn.
This event is open to the first 50 members to RSVP. For more details and to RSVP, please click here.
Park Clean Up @ White Rock Lake Park
The DAABA Community Service Committee is partnering up with For the Love of Lake to host a park clean-up at White Rock Lake Park on June 3, 2023, from 8 AM to 10 AM. We need YOU to help keep our community clean, green, and beautiful. This event will be great for all ages and is a great way to get more involved in the community! Please sign-up by May 25th to volunteer by clicking here. More details will be emailed to confirmed volunteers leading up the event. For any questions, please contact Liezyl Hinayon at liezylhinayon@gmail.com .
DAABA Practice Circles Kick-off Lunch
Please SAVE THE DATE for our Practice Circles Kick-Off Lunch occurring on June 2, 2023, at 12:00 p.m., location TBD.
Please direct any questions regarding this program to info@DAABA.org and include
“Attn: Professional Development” in the subject line.
AAPI Month Luncheon
Please join us for DAABA’s first annual AAPI Heritage Month Luncheon on Friday, May 12, 2023 at the Arts District Mansion.
We will have esteemed panel including Wilson Chu (McDermott Will & Emery), Suzy Fulton (Grable Martin Fulton, PLLC), Michele Wong-Krause (The Wong Krause Law Firm), and Albert Tan (Haynes Boone). The panel will be moderated by Caren Lock (TIAA) and will discuss how the landscape of the Dallas AAPI legal community has changed since DAABA’s founding to celebrate DAABA’s 35th anniversary.
Lunch is complimentary and doors open at 11:45 a.m. so guests may get their food and be seated for the panel starting promptly at 12:00 p.m. Allies welcome.
We hope to see you there! Please RSVP here.
DAABA Practice Circles
DAABA is launching Practice Circles this year to create small social and professional groups for attorneys of varying experience levels based on practice area and goals! DAABA hopes that this program will create opportunities for broader, deeper connections, as well as for mentorship!
If you are interested in joining a group, please fill out, please fill out this survey by May 12, 2023, and *SAVE THE DATE* for our MPC Kick-Off Lunch occurring on June 2, 2023, at 12:00 p.m., location TBD.
Please direct any questions regarding this program to info@DAABA.org - Attn: Professional Development.
Know Your Rights Against Anti-Asian Hate
In observance of AAPI Heritage Month, please join us for a program designed to empower members of the AAPI community and their allies with a better understanding of:
The legal rights of bias and hate crime victims.
Potential remedies and sources of support for victims.
Bystander intervention techniques.
Panelists include: BJ Pak (Partner, Alston & Bird LLP & Former United States Attorney Northern District of Georgia) and Debra Wong Yang (Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP & Former United States Attorney Central District of California)
To attend virtually, please RSVP by clicking here.
Deadline to RSVP is APRIL 18, 2023
Whiskey Business: DAABA, Drinks, and Development
Have a drink, grab a bite from a food truck, and catch up with fellow DAABA members in the Dallas Design District!
Featuring an optional business development training session on building client relationships from 5:30 - 6 pm.
To RSVP, please click here.
DAABA Panel: "How to Find Mentors and Be a Great Mentee"
This program is hosted by DAABA's Professional Development and Mentorship committees and is geared towards law students and young lawyers seeking to gain some insights on how to find and foster a great mentorship relationship.
We all stand of the shoulders of those who came before, so join us as we chat about this important and timeless topic! This panel will feature DAABA Members and Current & Former Officers Sakina Rasheed Foster (Managing Partner - Haynes Boone, Dallas), Kristine Cruz (Associate - Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP), and others!
To register, please click here.
2023 Holi Celebration
Please join SABA Dallas and DAABA for the 2023 Holi Festival Celebration on Saturday, March 18th (2:30 - 4:30 PM) at Breckinridge Park Gazebo located at 5300 Renner Road, Richardson, Texas. Please park in Parking Lot B off of Brand Road.
We'll have delicious food, vibrant music, great company, and, of course, plenty of colors. All ages are welcome to join this event and experience the meaning, rituals and colorful traditions of Holi!
To register, please click here.
Dallas Allied Bars Mixer
Join the Equality Committee and Allied Bars at Mattito's to mix, mingle, and network as we celebrate our differences and collective hopes for DEI efforts in the legal profession. Appetizers, soft drinks, beer, wine, and margaritas provided. (other cocktails are available for purchase at the bar).
Please RSVP below by March 14.
To RSVP, please click here.
SB 147 Panel: A Reprisal of Alien Land Laws?
Please join us on Thursday, March 2, 2023 at SMU Dedman School of Law (Hillcrest Auditorium) as Representative Salman Bhojani, Representative Gene Wu, and Professor Leo Yu discuss proposed Texas Senate Bill 147. This proposed legislation aims to, among other things, ban individuals from specific countries from purchasing or acquiring real property in Texas. Our esteemed panelists will discuss the Federal and State constitutionality of the proposed bill, its mirroring of bigoted Alien Land Laws that banned Asian immigrants from owning property and establishing businesses, and the overall policy implications of this bill on our immigrant communities.
To register, please click https://getinvolved.acslaw.org/component/events/event/1221
Featuring
Rep. Salman Bhojani, Texas State Representative District 92
Rep. Gene Wu, Texas State Representative District 137
Leo Yu, Clinical Professor of Legal Research, Writing, and Advocacy and ACS Faculty Advisor, SMU Dedman School of Law
Moderated by:
Kristine Cruz, Associate, Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP; Co-Chair, ACS Dallas-Ft. Worth Lawyer Chapter; President-Elect, Dallas Asian American Bar Association
Cosponsored with: ACS DFW Lawyer Chapter, NAPABA, DAABA, AABA Houston, Austin AABA, SMU APALSA, SMU ACS, SMU FedSoc.
All registrants will receive a follow-up email with the address for the in-person programming and the zoom link for the hybrid programming.
ACS is a non-partisan, non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization. As a 501(c)(3) organization, ACS and all ACS chapters are prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office, party or other political organization.
Views expressed by the speakers and attendees reflect their individual opinions and should not be attributed to ACS, AABA, DAABA, APALSA, and FedSoc.
2023 Lunar New Year Celebration
Our annual Lunar New Year celebration is this Thursday, January 19, 2023 at Kirin Court.
If you haven’t already, please reserve your seat by clicking here.
DAABA Halloween Costume Drive
Amazon Wishlist: To purchase a costume for Mosaic kiddos, click here.
Drop off donations: Mosaic additionally is accepting gently used Halloween costumes. Please see needed sizes here. To coordinate drop-off, please contact: Kristine Cruz at kcruz@bal.com
Volunteer for our Trunk-or-Treat: We will be hosting a Trunk-or-Treat at Mosaic’s shelter on 10/22! To sign up, please fill out the form here.
2022 DAABA Awards Night
Join DAABA for cocktails and dinner, an awards presentation, and a fireside chat with our special guest and keynote speaker, Hannah Kim, Chief Legal Officer of Neiman Marcus Group.
To register for this event, please click here or go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2022-daaba-annual-awards-night-gala-tickets-411366396967
Caring-oke (Karaoke) Night
Please join us at DAABA’s Caring-oke (Karaoke) Night on Friday, August 12 from 7:30-9:30 pm hosted by our Connections and Community Service Committees. Drinks and snacks will be provided.
We are running a Back to School supply drive benefiting Irving Schools Foundation, which serves Irving ISD. DAABA requests attendees make a monetary or school supply donation. Donations can be brought to the event or made through the link found on the evite.
Please RSVP here as this event is capped at 30 attendees.
We look forward to seeing you on August 12!