Michigan Asian Pacific American Bar Association (MAPABA)

The purpose of MAPABA is to promote improvements in the administration of justice, to advance relations between the legal profession and the public, to secure equality of Asian Pacific Americans in society, to advocate the interest of Asian Pacific Americans in the legal profession, and to promote equality and social justice for all people. MAPABA is a national associate member of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (“NAPABA”).

Let's connect.

Please email us at [email protected] to become a member, and check our Eventbrite and social media profiles for upcoming events. We'd love to have you.

EventDateEventbrite Link
2025 Lunar New Year DinnerSaturday, February 8, 2025Get tickets here

History of MAPABA

The Michigan Asian American Bar Association started as an idea among the volunteer attorneys of American Citizens for Justice (ACJ), the group that led the fight for justice during the Vincent Chin baseball bat beating death case and the subsequent civil rights trials. The ACJ attorneys, including “Chairman” Harold Leon, Roland Hwang, Jim Shimoura, and Liza Cheuk May Chan, wanted to switch hats and form a professional association of Asian American lawyers. The attorneys approached Nancy Galloway, Assistant Executive Director of the State Bar for Special Purpose Bars to undertake the steps for the State Bar of Michigan’s recognition the new bar association.In 1985, then-President of the State Bar of Michigan Dennis W. Archer, along with Nancy Galloway attended the inaugural meeting of the Asian American Bar Association which was held at the Golden Dragon Restaurant in Detroit’s Chinatown along Cass Avenue at Peterboro. The first members included: Harold Leon as its first president, Roland Hwang as vice president, Jim Shimoura, Perry Yun, Ann O. Lee, Richard O’Neill, Timothy Daines, Ben Liu, Haiki Hirata, and Liza Cheuk May Chan.The early meetings were primarily social, networking events. A few years later, the bar association inaugurated seminars. The bar association has since hosted joint events with the Michigan Women Lawyers Association, the Wolverine Bar Association, the Straker Bar Association, Armenian-American Bar Association, and the Hispanic Bar. The Michigan Asian American Bar Association was later named the Michigan Asian Pacific American Bar Association to establish itself as a chapter of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). MAPABA hosted NAPABA’s Central Regional Conference in 2010.Adopted from “A Thumbnail History of the Michigan Asian Pacific American Bar Association” by Roland Hwang, founding member and first Vice President of MAPABA.

2024-2025 Leadership

MAPABA is a national associate member of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).