The Vietnamese-American Bar Association of Washington's
3rd Annual Banquet

VABAW’s Third Annual Banquet was held on November 7, 2007. The theme for the evening was “Embracing Our Heritage,” which was reflected in the board members’ and guests’ wearing traditional Vietnamese dresses; the welcome speech presented in Vietnamese and English; the keynote speaker’s message; the recognition of two instrumental community service award recipients; and the closing entertainment by the martial arts group Vovinam.

Quang X. Pham, author of A Sense of Duty, was the keynote speaker and gave a universal message reminding all of the guests to be attentive to our moral compass.

At the Third Annual Banquet, VABAW presented its community service award to recipients Ghi Dang and Dr. Giap Phuc Dat who were recognized for their formation and ongoing contributions to the Vietnamese Community Activity Center (VNCAC), whose objective is to promote Vietnamese cultural identity in Vietnamese Americans.

The sold-out event was attended by 200 guests, including over 40 dignitaries comprised of state elected officials, judges, Washington State Bar Association’s Board of Governors, representatives from the King County Bar Association, representatives of each minority bar association, leaders from local organizations throughout King County, and representation from Seattle University and University of Washington.

The Third Annual Banquet was also marked by VABAW’s unveiling of its student clerkship program in Vietnam named the Hồng Dức Clerkship. “Hồng đức” was used in the 15th Century to refer to the legal code of Vietnam allowing women to inherit properties. VABAW has secured partnership with at least six law firms in Vietnam, one of which will be selected to host a law student for summer 2008. The Hồng Dức Clerkship will provide the student with substantive legal work and client relations. VABAW will provide airfare, housing, and reasonable living expenses for the law student. The Hồng Dức Clerkship will assist in outreach efforts to the Vietnamese community in Washington and abroad while also providing the law student with a unique clerkship experience from an international perspective in a fast emerging country.

Guests of the Third Annual Banquet also enjoyed the authentic Vietnamese embroidery paintings, which were donated for auction. The evening’s program and our theme of Embracing Our Heritage was concluded by the Vietnamese martial arts group Vovinam. All photos of our Third Annual Banquet were contributed by our event photographer Hien Nguyen, a fellow attorney and 2005 VABAW Board Member who is now doing a splendid job of picking up photography as a hobby.

Thank you to the Sponsors of our Third Annual Banquet, listed below.

Lychee Sponsors:

• Cohen & Iaria
• Davis Wright Tremaine

Tamarind Sponsor:

• Cairncross & Hempelmann

Papaya Sponsors:

• Aoki Sakamoto Grant
• Christensen O’Connor Johnson Kindness
• Helsell Fetterman
• Perkins Coie
• Ryan Swanson Cleveland
• Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt
• Stafford Frey Cooper
• Stokes Lawrence