WELCOME TO OUR HOMEPAGE

GOAABA CELEBRATES LUNAR NEW YEAR WITH DIM SUM MEAL AT MING’S BISTRO
January 19, 2012

Click photo to enlarge

Over 20 GOAABA members and guests celebrated the Lunar New Year with a dim sum lunch at Ming’s Bistro in Orlando, January 19, 2012. The new lunar new year celebrates the Year of the Dragon.

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UPCOMING EVENTS
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Judicial Investiture of Judges Higbee and Jordan (February 3 2012, at 4 PM):
Please join GOAABA at the Investiture Ceremony for the Honorable Heather L. Higbee and the Honorable John E. Jordan as Judges of the Circuit Court on February 3, 2012, at 4 PM at the Orange County Courthouse’s Jury Room. GOAABA Board Member Stephen Chong will be representing GOAABA at the event. GOAABA’s traditional Asian Art will be presented to the Judges.

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GOAABA CLE on March 30, 2012, 11:30-1:00 PM:
TOPIC: “How Attorneys Kill Their Experts”
SPEAKER: Doug Gaskins of Business Appraisal Group, LLC
CREDIT: one CLE credit (ethics)
Orange County Bar Association Building
Contact Wanda Reas, wreas@znoskoreas.com, for details.
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Central Florida Diversity Picnic (spring 2012/details TBA)
Hosted by Orlando minority bar associations, OCBA, Hillsborough County Bar Association, and the Florida Bar Equal Opportunity in Law Section. (To alternate between Orlando and Tampa)
Contact: Kim.Nguyen@lowndes-law.com
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Mixer with Asian CPAs (TBD, April 2012 )
We are scheduling a mixer with local Asian Certified Public Accountants at Hawkers! Watch your emails for details! Contact Donna Hung, donna@donnahunglaw.com, with any questions.
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GOAABA Elections (April 3 to May 4, 2012)
If you are interested in serving on the Board of Directors for GOAABA:
1. the nomination period is April 2-13;
2. candidate statements are due on April 20, 2012; and
3. the election period is April 23 to May 4.
For more information, contact Kim Nguyen, President -Elect (and Nominating Committee Chair), at Kim.Nguyen@lowndes-law.com.

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Joint Diversity Picnic Committee (September 2012):
Through a joint effort of the Florida Bar Equal Opportunity in Law Section and a committee of the Orlando minority bar associations and the Orange County Bar Association (Diversity Committee and YLS), Orlando will now have a Diversity Picnic. If you are interested in helping with the inaugural Orlando picnic, scheduled for September of 2012, please contact Kim Nguyen at Kim.Nguyen@lowndes-law.com. Kim is GOAABA’s lead committee member for the joint committee, and Jessica Hew is the Co-Chair of the event. GOAABa joined the efforts of other local minority voluntary bar associations for a grant for funding this event.

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NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS (2011-2012) TAKES OFFICE

Magistrate Linh Ison (far right) swears in the new Board of Directors for 2011-2012 at Terrace 390 on June 30, 2011 (L to R): Don Nguyen, Donna Hung, Stephen Chong, Lisa Gong, Sunny Hillary, Kim Nguyen and Jessica Hew. (missing from picture: Wanda Reas and Agnes Chau)

Front row L to R: Lisa Gong (Treasurer), Angela Miller (outgoing Director), Donna Hung (Director), Magistrate Linh Ison, Kim Nguyen (President-Elect), Jessica Hew (President) and Sunny Hillary (Secretary). Back row: Stephen Chong (Director) and Glenn Leong (outgoing President). Missing from picture: Don Nguyen, Wanda Reas and Agnes Chau (Directors-at-Large).

MEMBERSHIP DRIVE

Whether you are a NEW or a RETURNING Member, the new membership year has begun (7/1/11-6/30/12).

Good Deal: Annual Membership $75.00
Better Deal: Two-Year Membership $125.00 ($25 discount)
Student Membership: $30.00
For membership questions, click here, or email Membership Chair,
Don Nguyen, at don.nguyen.esq@gmail.com
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GOAABA’S MISSION:

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders represent 3.8 percent of the Greater Orlando population, and we are proud to call Central Florida our home. As attorneys, we recognize our special responsibility to help under-represented segments of the community; to improve legal access to the courts; and to serve as a legal bridge between our ethnic communities and the Greater Orlando region.

Founded in October, 2009, the mission of the Greater Orlando Asian American Bar Association (GOAABA) is to:

● Represent and advocate the interests of the Asian community of the Greater Orlando region

● Encourage and promote the professional growth of the members of the Association

● Serve as a legal bridge between our many and diverse Asian and Asian-American communities and the Greater Orlando region

● Act as an information resource for all.

GOAABA is affiliated with the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), based in Washington, D.C.; the Asian American Federation of Florida; and the the Orange County Bar Association.

We welcome your ideas and any comments which will allow GOAABA to better serve our clients and the community and to allow us to become full partners in Central Florida.