MEDIA ADVISORY: Wednesday, January 20, 2010                                     

CONTACT: John Brown at (202) 857-6359 | Caroline Nguyen at (202) 663-6079

Washington, D.C.—The Vietnamese American Bar Association of the Greater Washington, D.C. Area (“VABA-DC”) today announced that the Hon. Jacqueline Nguyen of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California will be the keynote speaker at VABA-DC’s Second Annual Scholarship Dinner on March 18, 2010.  The theme of this year’s Scholarship Dinner is “Inspiring New Voices of Justice.”

On December 1, 2009, Judge Nguyen became the first Article III judge of Vietnamese descent, after the United States Senate confirmed her by a unanimous vote.  Judge Nguyen is only the third-ever Asian American female Article III judge.

“We are honored that Judge Nguyen will join us as the Keynote Speaker at this year’s Scholarship Dinner,” said Caroline T. Nguyen, president of VABA-DC.  “Her appointment to the federal bench is an important step forward in judicial diversity and is not only a testament to the inspiring promise of the American dream but also a milestone for the Vietnamese American community.”

President Barack Obama nominated Judge Nguyen for appointment to the federal bench on July 31, 2009.  Prior to her nomination, she had served for more than seven years as a judge with the California Superior Court.  Previously, Judge Nguyen was also an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division in Los Angeles, later becoming Deputy Chief of the General Crimes Section in that same office, and was an attorney with Musick, Peeler & Garrett in Los Angeles, where she handled commercial, intellectual property and construction cases.

VABA-DC is the only Vietnamese American Bar Association on the East Coast.  Its mission is to promote the professional growth and advancement of Vietnamese American attorneys, encourage and facilitate the entry of Vietnamese American students into the legal profession, contribute to the public interest by serving as a voice for the local Vietnamese American community and assist community members with legal concerns. 

As part of that mission, VABA-DC awards scholarships annually to two D.C.-area law students who have demonstrated leadership potential and a strong commitment to serving the Vietnamese American community.  This year’s Scholarship Dinner will take place on Thursday, March 18, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. at WilmerHale in Washington D.C.  For more information, please visit www.vabadc.com.

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