Our Annual Banquet supports APABA-PA’s William M. Marutani Fellowship, established in 2003 to honor Judge Marutani’s legacy as a civil rights advocate, jurist, and pioneer in the law. Each year a first-year law student who exhibits the same commitment to social justice as Judge Marutani is selected to receive this financial award in support of summer employment with a public interest organization or government agency. A significant portion of the proceeds from the Annual Banquet will go towards funding the Marutani Fellowship. The 2024 Marutani Fellows will be presented at the Banquet.

Keynote Speaker:

Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia

Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

This year, our keynote speaker will be Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia, who currently serves as the Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In this capacity, Officer Wadhia oversees the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), which plays a crucial role in integrating civil rights protections into all DHS activities. The CRCL addresses vital issues such as racial profiling, discrimination, and civil rights abuses in immigration enforcement, working to ensure that national security measures do not infringe on individual rights and liberties.

Before joining DHS, Officer Wadhia was the Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Penn State Law, where she also directed the Center for Immigrants’ Rights Clinic. In these roles, she focused on advocating for immigrant communities, providing legal support, and educating future lawyers on immigration law and policy. Her academic work includes significant contributions to the field of immigration law, particularly on the topic of prosecutorial discretion, which allows immigration authorities to prioritize certain cases over others. Additionally, she has provided expert testimony before Congress on immigration issues, sharing her insights and research findings to inform legislative decisions. Officer Wadhia’s commitment to civil liberties and immigration reform has earned her numerous awards and recognition from various legal and advocacy organizations. Throughout her career, Officer Wadhia has been dedicated to promoting justice and equity, ensuring that civil rights are upheld within the framework of national security.

2024 Attorney of the Year

Deborah Hong

Partner and Co-Chair of Corporate and Securities Practice
Stradley Ronon Stevens and Young

Partner Deborah Hong serves as the co-chair of Stradley Ronon’s corporate and securities practice and has over 25 years of experience advising public and private companies in the technology, financial services and consumer products sectors on a wide variety of corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, joint ventures, divestitures, reorganizations, commercial finance, venture capital, and corporate governance.

Along with her formidable track record as a transactional lawyer, Deborah is a dedicated advocate for the Asian Pacific American legal and business communities. Outside of the firm, Deborah serves on the leadership advisory council of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania and served as an inaugural member of the steering committee for the Philadelphia chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiative. Sought after for her insights on leadership and achieving success in an industry traditionally underrepresented by women and APA practitioners, Deborah’s excellence as a lawyer and advocate has been recognized with accolades from numerous organizations, including the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Philadelphia Business Journal, The Legal Intelligencer and the National Diversity Council.

2024 Marutani Fellowship scholars

Justin Chang, University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law

Anthony Ryback, Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law