GPSolo Magazine - July/August 2006
Doing Something for the Community
In addition to practicing law, I enjoy giving back to my communities as much as my schedule will allow. I give back to my Asian Pacific American (APA) community by serving as the president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). Headquartered in Washington, D.C., NAPABA advocates for the legal needs and interests of the APA community and represents 47 local APA bar associations and more than 40,000 attorneys whose practice settings range from solo practices to large firms, corporations, legal services organizations, nonprofit organizations, law schools, and governmental agencies. NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. As NAPABA president, I represent the organization at the local, state, and national level. I set the agenda for the bar year and work with our national board and staff to implement projects and policies that I believe will make a positive impact on the Asian Pacific American legal profession.
This year, for example, we are working to improve language access to the courts for Americans with limited English proficiency. For years, NAPABA also has advocated for diversity in the federal judiciary, including meeting with governors’ offices and members of the U.S. Congress on this issue. As the voice of the national Asian Pacific American legal profession, NAPABA has a duty not only to serve our members, but also to contribute to our communities through public service. NAPABA also seeks to increase the number of APA attorneys by facilitating career development and advancement of our members by providing network opportunities, mentorship relationships, and other programs.
On the state level, I was pleased that the Connecticut Bar Association Board of Governors appointed me to serve on the Board of the Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut, Inc. (SLS). SLS serves as the access point to the main legal aid services programs in Connecticut that provide legal assistance in civil matters to low-income persons.
Locally, I serve on an advisory committee for the Town of Westport in Connecticut. In June 2003 I was appointed by Diane Goss Farrell, the then-First Selectman of the Town of Westport, to a newly established committee called “TEAM Westport.” (TEAM stands for Together Effectively Achieving Multiculturalism.) The purpose of the committee is to bring together diverse members of the Westport/Weston community to learn from one another, analyze issues, evaluate options, and recommend specific actions to achieve and celebrate a more welcoming, multicultural Westport/Weston community.
Amy Lin Meyerson is a sole practitioner in Weston, Connecticut, practicing in the area of domestic corporate law, and is president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. She can be reached at amy@almesq.com.
Enjoy the benefits of membership:
- Award-Winning Periodicals
- Special Member Discounts
- Practice Area Committees
- Continuing Legal Education
- Networking Opportunities
- Leadership Opportunities
