MCLE Commitee
The MCLE Committee of the Asian Pacific American Lawyers of the Inland Empire (APALIE) is responsible for organizing several MCLE (Minimum Continuing Legal Education) events throughout the year. All MCLE events will be submitted to the California State Bar for approval. The MCLE Committee will strive to:
- Sponsor MCLE Programs of interest to members of APALIE and the Inland Empire’s legal community as a whole;
- Seek out accomplished leaders in the legal community to speak at MCLE events;
- Keep topics of MCLE events relevant to the current legal landscape and diverse in substance;
- Incorporate suggestions and ideas from APALIE members for speakers and topics for future events; and
- Ensure MCLE compliance for all events with State Bar regulations.
Membership Committee
The Membership Committee seeks to promote the advancement of its fellow members in the legal profession. APALIE’s members consist of judges, attorneys, and law students in the shared local legal community. The Committee is the helping hand for each other. As members, they participate in various community outreach and networking events, share meals together, and accrue MCLE credits. It is a close-knit, warm community that invites others to join and become members.
Judiciary Committee
General Mission
The Judiciary Committee works to increase the number of qualified Asian Pacific Americans serving in the judicial system in the Inland Empire through a number of ways: (1) organizing educational events to increase awareness of types of judicial opportunities and their selection processes at the state and federal levels; (2) identifying of Asian Pacific American candidates who are qualified, able and ready to serve in the judiciary and also those who show potential, interest, and/or commitment in taking the steps towards becoming qualified candidates; (3) providing support and mentorship through a network of attorneys, judges and other relevant contacts to advance an individual’s current and/or future candidacy ; and (4) working closely with relevant officials and organizational leaders to secure opportunities for appointing qualified Asian Pacific American candidates to the federal and state benches in the Inland Empire.
Educational Working Group
The Educational Working Group is tasked with organizing at least two events annually to promote awareness of types of judicial opportunities, their qualifications, their application process, their selection processes at the state and federal levels, and types of career tracks, backgrounds, benchmarks and/or training that facilitate successful judicial appointments.
Identification, Support, and Mentorship Working Group
The Identification, Support and Mentorship (ISM) Working Group is tasked with encouragement, promotion, and identification of and general outreach to individuals for current and/or future judicial positions, including but not limited to the state and federal judiciary, the United States Attorney’s Office, and other high level administrative or pipeline appointments. The ISM Working Group is also responsible for establishing a mentoring group of current and/or retired attorneys, judges and other professionals as a resource of knowledge, experience, and general mentorship to those individuals who are qualified, able and ready to service in the judiciary as well as those individuals show potential, interest, and/or commitment in taking the steps towards becoming those candidates.
Judiciary Advocacy Working Group
The Judiciary Advocacy Working Group is tasked with two main responsibilities: (1) formally representing the APALIE’s Judiciary Committee’s interests in any and all discussions at all levels of participatory politics, including but not limited to working with any official representative of state and federal government and any other advocacy groups; and (2) formally authorizing position statements with respect to endorsements of candidates and/or legislative measures affecting the judicial process. Any and all actions taken by the Judiciary Advocacy Working Group shall be deemed political actions that must meet the political action voting and Board approval requirements as set forth in APALIE’s by-laws.
Pro Bono/Community Service Committee
The Pro Bono/Community Service Committee organizes volunteer legal service opportunities for our members and non-members to serve the Inland Empire community. The Committee will also organize non-law related opportunities for public interest work or community service. Participation in these activities is not only beneficial to the community but also makes our professional lives more rewarding.
Potential Pro Bono/Community activities include:
- Volunteer services through the Inland Counties Legal Services or in conjunction with pro bono opportunities through the Riverside and San Bernardino County Bar Associations;
- Individual pro bono cases; and
- Service in other non-profit community organizations, including food banks and shelters.
Social Committee
The Social Committee organizes a variety of activities and events for members and non-members throughout the year. Its mission is to promote networking opportunities, mentorship, and involvement with the legal community and beyond. Activities include mixers, happy hours, membership meetings, and installation and end-of-year receptions.
Sponsorship Committee
The Sponsorship Committee is responsible for (1) establishing the sponsorship target goals for the year; (2) vetting ideas and the means to accomplish those goals; and (3) executing a plan based on those ideas to raise funds for APALIE’s activities. At the outset, there are two approaches on raising funds:
- Soliciting law firms or companies/affiliates in the Inland Empire; and
- Hosting at least three Community Event fundraising dinners during the year, setting up sponsorship packages for cross-market and joint hosting with local businesses and non-law business chambers such as the Asian Business Association of Inland Empire, and expanding the community profile of APALIE.
Student Outreach Committee
The Student Outreach Committee is charged with the task of developing and maintaining a network of individuals able to promote APALIE, to work with other APALIE and NAPABA/NAPALSA recruitment efforts, to help keep student members informed of various activities, awards and scholarships, and to review/evaluate APALIE’s student recruitment efforts.
The Student Outreach Committee is responsible for communicating with the local law student community about the events, internship and job opportunities, networking opportunities, and MCLE events or seminars through APALIE and its members. The committee members solicit names of students who may be interested in becoming members of APALIE. The committee members keep track of student organizations at local law schools near the Inland Empire and keep in touch with the law schools’student organizations as the liaison for APALIE. When student members join APALIE, the student outreach committee also serves to welcome the students and to introduce them to the attorney members.
Website Committee
The Website Committee maintains the organization’s online presence for the benefit of its membership, the local legal community, and the general public. It strives to provide timely information about upcoming meetings, social gatherings, and MCLE events; to highlight APALIE’s work and action in the legal and local communities; and to offer members access to networking and career development opportunities within the broader Inland Empire and Southern California legal community.