Congratulations to Masaru Funai of Masuda Funai Eifert & Mitchell in Chicago on being awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Rosette by the Government of Japan.

Jennifer T. Lum was appointed as U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Central District of California. She becomes the first Chinese American woman appointed to the bench in this district.

Anita J. Ponder, a partner at Altheimer & Gray in Chicago, has been appointed to the State of Illinois Business Enterprise Council for Minorities, Females, and Persons With Disabilities.

Myron Quon is the new Deputy Regional Director for Lambda Legal Defense Fund's Western Regional Office. He will be responsible for education and outreach in the western United States.

Aurora Austriaco has been elected to a two-year term on the Chicago Bar Association Board of Managers.

Richard Nakashima of Blakely Sokoloff Taylor & Zafman is moving from the firm's Austin office to the Denver office where he will lead the biotech practice.

Victor M. Alvarez was elected managing partner of White & Case's Miami office.

Hon. Bernice B. Donald will be the guest speaker at the Oakland County Bar Association Diversity Dinner in October. Judge Donald is the president of the National Association of Women Judges and serves on the ABA Board of Governors.

Tania Shah is the new Executive Director of the California Minority Counsel Program. She succeeds Carol Rogers.

Congratulations to Fred Fujioka and Robert Sandoval on their appointments to the Los Angeles Superior Court.

Brian D. Mathis has been elected Chair of the ABA Law Student Division. Brian is a student at Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center.

Rocky Chin received the "Outstanding Attorney" award from the Asian American Bar Association of New York. Rocky is currently a candidate for the New York City Council in District One.

Xavier Ruiz has moved from the New York to the Miami office of Baker & McKenzie where his practice will focus on Latin America and Spain.

Congratulations to Trudy Senda on her appointment to the District Court of the Fifth District of Hawaii.

James Durant has been appointed to the ABA Standing Committee on Armed Forces Law.

Congratulations to Robert H. Muriel on his election as President of the Hispanic Bar Association of Illinois. The other new officers are President-Elect Elizabeth Granados; Treasurer M. Dolores Quiroz; Recording Secretary Daniel A. Trevino; and Membership Secretary Alejandro Caffarelli.

Former National Bar Association President Harold Pope has been appointed to the ABA Standing Committee on Bar Services.

Diane Yu has left Monsanto to join New York University's University Presidential Transition Team.

Congratulations to Martin Castro and Amalia Rioja on the birth of their son, Nez. Marty is currently a candidate for Congress in the 4th Congressional District in Illinois.

Congratulations to Andrew M. Taniguchi on his recent marriage to Naoko Taniguchi in Japan.

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Have some good, bad, happy or sad news you’d like to share with minority lawyers and others interested in diversity issues? E-mail any announcements or other news (personal or professional) to the Commission on Racial & Ethnic Diversity in the Profession at yamates@staff.abanet.org– of course, the Commission reserves the right to edit or refuse publication of any submission.