A Retrospective on APIS

When I first started practicing law nearly 20 years ago, there were about 30 lawyers of Asian-Pacific Islander heritage in the entire state of Texas. Today, that number exceeds 1,000! Now, more than ever, we need an umbrella organization both for Asian lawyers and for those interested in the affairs of our community and the Pacific Rim.

Our Section is the result of a state-wide meeting of Asian attorneys held in March of 1995. At that time, we decided to form a Section rather than a Standing Committee to give us some degree of independence from the State Bar, while still being a part of the Bar. It is my view that the independence of Sections, free from direct influence that could potentially result from presidential appointments, is one of the strong points of the Section. Our Section has certain specific concerns that may, at times, diverge from other Bar members, and independence could be vitally important.

That said, the Section's formation was not without some controversy. We had very few initial members, perhaps too few to maintain Section status under then-existing State Bar rules. And at the time only one Asian-Pacific Islander, Harry Gee, had ever served on the State Bar board. Since that time, however, our membership has grown, and to date, two additional APIs, Elsie Huang and I, have also served as State Bar board members. Fortunately for us, also, the State Bar soon revised its Section membership requirements to allow our organization to continue to flourish.

Our first major Section meeting was held in Houston at the 1997 State Bar convention. We founded the Section guided by the following purpose, as set forth in our by-laws:

"[T]o advocate the common professional interests of lawyers of Asian-Pacific Islander heritage and those having an interest in the affairs of the Asian community and the law of countries on the Pacific Rim. In addition, the Section seeks to utilize the legal skills of its members to promote Asian interests and concerns in both public and private forums throughout the State of Texas.... The Section strives to address Texas Asian legal concerns in order to heighten public awareness of how such legal issues can affect every facet of life in Texas."

The Section has worked hard to fulfill this purpose. In addition to the educational programs provided at the annual retreat and elsewhere, our Section actively fostered and promoted the Asian Legal Center of Texas, Inc., a non-profit legal services organization committed to access to justice for all. In 2001, the Section and the Asian Legal Center co-sponsored an event in Houston featuring EEOC Vice-Chair Paul Igasaki. The Asian Legal Center and your Section have also ensured appointment of an Asian-Pacific Islander to the Commission for Access to Justice. In addition, the Section has worked extensively with State Bar leadership to guarantee that Asian-Pacific Islanders are considered for important legislative and judicial appointments. If you are not a member of our Section, I strongly encourage you to join. And with your Section, we can use the bond of our common interests to continue helping one other.

Daniel David Hu
Founder and Section Chair, 1995 to 1997