32nd Annual AABA Installation Ceremony

Join FALA Chicago in celebrating the incoming officers and board members of the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area during the 32nd Annual AABA Installation Ceremony and Awards Reception on Tuesday, September 17 at the St. Jane Hotel!

We are proud to see several dedicated FALA Chicago members among those who will be sworn in as AABA leaders, including President Gary Zhao (current FALA Chicago honorary board member); First Vice President Kristy Gonowon (current FALA Chicago secretary); executive board members James Vergara and Armando Sandoval; and honorary board members Aileen Bhandari and Christine Bautista Jeon.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will be honored with the AABA Trailblazer Award, while FALA Chicago's own 2019 Trailblazer Courtney Fong will receive the AABA In-House Counsel Diversity Leadership Award. FALA Chicago honorary board member and past president of The Chicago Bar Association Aurora Austriaco will serve as emcee for the festivities.

Tickets are available at aabachicago.org/event-3516299. Prices go up after September 6, so register now for discounted admission!

--

We are pleased to announce that the Asian American Bar Association of Greater Chicago (“AABA-Chicago”) is celebrating its 32nd Annual Installation Ceremony and Awards Reception on September 17, 2019.

At this year’s Installation Ceremony, AABA is honoring several well-known Chicago lawyers who have made significant contributions to promoting diversity and inclusion in our legal profession. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will receive AABA Chicago’s Sandra J. Otaka Trailblazer Award, our bar’s highest honor, which recognizes the outstanding achievements, commitment, and leadership of lawyers who have paved the way for the advancement of other Asian Pacific American attorneys and diverse attorneys in general.

Also receiving awards will be Binal Patel, partner with Banner & Witcoff, Courtney Fong, Chief Legal Officer & Chief Privacy Officer with CompTIA, Kristina Yi, Chief of Homicide Task Force for the Cook County Public Defender’s Office, and Jean Y. Liu, attorney with Kaufman, Dolowich and Voluck. Binal will receive the Law Firm Partner Diversity Leadership Award for his substantial and lasting contributions to the legal profession, as well as the broader Chicago Asian-American community. Courtney will receive AABA Chicago’s In-House Counsel Diversity Leadership Award for his leadership in the local and national in house counsel communities. Kristina will receive AABA Justice Award for her long standing commitment to providing access to equal justice through public service.  Jean will receive AABA’s Rising Star Award for her high achievement, vision, leadership and community service.

For three decades, AABA Chicago has played a pivotal role in encouraging diversity, promoting the area’s vibrant legal community, and representing the interests of thousands of community stakeholders. In large part, we are able to pursue and advance our mission due to your generous support. As AABA Chicago’s 32nd Annual Installation fast approaches, we hope that you will support our endeavors.

In addition to supporting a good cause, sponsoring our Installation Ceremony and Awards Reception presents a number of benefits including exposure to other local bar associations and to over 1,500 members, colleagues and friends through our marketing and e-newsletters.

If you have any questions about sponsorship opportunities, please let us know. Thank you for your consideration, and we hope you will join us in celebrating AABA Chicago at its 32nd Annual Installation Ceremony and Awards Reception.

Very truly yours,

Gary Zhao, President of AABA Chicago

‍