Learn more about the Community Outreach Committee here! (中文, 한국어, Tiếng Việt)

Celebrating over 25 years of professional and community service

Introduction

The Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania, or APABA-PA (formerly the Asian American Bar Association of the Delaware Valley, or AABADV) is an organization founded in 1984 to serve a wide network of Asian Pacific American attorneys admitted or practicing in Pennsylvania, Northern Delaware and Southern New Jersey. APABA-PA is dedicated to serving the Asian Pacific American community, as well as to the advancement of its members, and the mentorship of area APA law students.

Committee History

Community outreach has always been an important goal for this bar association, and it was not long after the bar association’s formation that a committee was formed to address the legal needs of local APA communities.

Over the years, APABA-PA’s Community Outreach committee has provided a number of seminars on legal topics of interest to local APA communities, including personal injury, wills and estate planning, family law, immigration, small business law, and criminal law. (See “Free Legal Seminars.”)

We also help APAs participate in the political process by assisting legal residents to become citizens, then to register to vote, and then to monitor polling places to observe and document any obstacles to exercising the right to vote.

Recently, we have presented free legal seminars to the following local APA organizations:

– Korean American Grocers Organization (KAGRO), Philadelphia chapter

– Korean Women’s Center of Montgomery County

– Hung Vuong Vietnamese Association

– Vietnamese Association of St. Alice Church, Upper Darby, Delaware County

– Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia

Mission Statement

The Community Outreach committee’s mission is simply stated: To educate local APA communities, especially legally underserved populations, about the law and available legal resources to help keep APAs out of legal trouble and to help APA immigrants adjust to the American legal framework.

Free Legal Seminars

The mainstay of the work of the Community Outreach committee is presenting free legal seminars. These seminars are usually targeted to a particular APA community group, and are tailored to meet the informational needs of that audience. We provide presenters knowledgeable in the requested legal topic, handouts explaining the topics in writing, and schedule the seminars for a time most convenient to the audience, including evenings and weekends. We ask the groups with which we work to provide a venue and to encourage their members to attend so that the information we provide can reach the largest audience possible. We also work closely with community groups to address other logistical issues, such as interpretation and translation services.

Our goal is to make the seminar as useful and interesting as possible to the target audience.

Comments from the Community

“Two years ago, I attended the immigration seminar given by the Asian bar association for KAGRO. At that time I had many questions in mind both for my own family situation and for my friends. The presenters were extremely helpful in giving us a basic understanding of what we should be aware of in various situations related to the immigration laws. The subsequent Q&A answered most of my questions and gave many of us a plan of action. Compared to other free legal clinics offered, this was more accessible to Koreans as it was offered in the heart of the Korean community and in Korean by offering interpretation. Thank you to all who have worked hard to make this happen!”

• Jean Alderman, attendee and volunteer interpreter, KAGRO seminar

“The APABA-PA volunteers were wonderful – a true blessing for our community.”

• Khiet Luong, community member, St. Alice Church

Read the appreciation letter for our June 15th, 2019 Legal seminar in South Philadelphia from Rev. Chay Oudomkhati of New Life Church.

If your APA community group would like to host a free legal seminar, please contact the chair of the Community Outreach committee. The contact information can be found online at www.apaba-pa.org, or you can call the APABA-PA president at the telephone number listed on the website.

The Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania
P.O. Box 60234
Philadelphia PA 19102
[email protected]
(484) 553 – 7192

The Philadelphia Bar Association has updated its Public Interest Legal Organizations Directory

Access the Directory of Philadelphia Area Public Interest Organizations here