Formed in 1986, the Chinese American Bar Association of Greater Chicago is the first local bar association for attorneys of Asian descent in the Chicago area. Part of our mission is to advance the rule of law by educating the pan-Asian community on legal issues and referring volunteer attorneys and translators to pro bono clinics.
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the urgency of this mission as we see a growing anti-Asian sentiment in a nation we call home.
To address this, CABA worked with other affinity bar organizations, as well as Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul to bring the issue of rising Anti-Asian sentiment to their attention and discuss resources available to hate crime victims.
Recognizing that the target communities are largely unaware of these resources, we summarized this information in Chinese and English flyers and distributed them to the public through community organizations targeting Chinese Americans and immigrants.
In today’s world, accessibility of legal services is paramount. CABA members continue to volunteer through pro bono clinics, including the Chinatown Pro Bono Clinic, the Lawyers Helping Our Community Clinic and the Illinois Free Legal Answers Virtual Clinic.
As in previous years, CABA continues to present legal panels for the community at large, including a small business panel discussion through the Small Business Development Center at Chinese Mutual Aid Association and a forthcoming immigration panel discussion through the Pui Tak Center.
In the last year, it has become more and more obvious that education is crucial to promoting the rule of law, defending liberty, and pursuing justice. CABA continues to promote education within its membership through CLEs and webinars. CABA covered topics ranging from career development, conflict resolution, to how the ever-changing U.S.-China relationship influences our daily lives.
In the coming year, CABA will continue to raise awareness and promote discussions on how we can best defend liberty and pursue justice.