Committees
Armenia Programs
The Armenia Programs Committee, formed in 1991 in response to the newly-gained independence of Armenia, coordinates the efforts of the Association and its members regarding legal projects in Armenia. The Association has sponsored seminars and conferences designed to facilitate legal reform and to develop the legal practice in Armenia. Many of our members have enjoyed working visits with judges, law students, legal institutions and parliamentarians to help promote the rule of law.
Committee Co-Chairs:
Professor Ruben Melikyan
Yerevan State University, Law Faculty
ruben.melikyan@gmail.com
Vahan Bournazian
Assistant Dean, AUA Law
Yerevan, ARMENIA 375010
T: 374.10.51.27.55
Armenian Rights Watch
The Armenian Rights Watch Committee monitors and takes action on issues affecting Armenians on the local, national and international levels. Members meet with international human rights organizations, raise media awareness of the Armenian Genocide and related issues, and join community task forces to battle discrimination and hate crimes against minorities.
Committee Chair:
Saro K. Kerkonian
Tennenhouse, Minassian & Adham
1101 N. Pacific Avenue, Suite 200
Glendale, CA 91202
T: 818.551.9990
F: 818.551.0273
Continuing Legal Education
The Continuing Legal Education Committee sponsors legal seminars for the Association's members in an effort to promote professional growth.
Committee Chair:
Ara A. Babaian
Ervin Cohen & Jessup LLP
9401 Wilshire Boulevard, Ninth Floor
Beverly Hills, California 90212-2974
Phone: 310.281.6344
Direct Fax: 310.887.6893
Committee Members:
Tamar Kouyoumjian
Assistant United States Attorney
300 North Los Angeles Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: 213.894.7388
Fax: 213.894.0115
Tina Odjaghian
Asvar & Odjaghian, APC
21300 Victory Blvd, Suite 250
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
T: 818.227.4848
F: 818.227.4846
Grants & Scholarship
The Grants Committee seeks and applies for governmental and privately endowed grants to fund its activities, such as the rule of law projects in Armenia, domestic legal assistance programs and exchange programs. The Scholarship Committee raises funds to support meritorious students of Armenian descent attending, or accepted for admission to, an approved law school in the United States, Armenia or elsewhere.
Committee Co-Chairs:
Christine J. Engustian
1 Grove Avenue
East Providence, RI 02914
T: 401.434.1250
F: 401.434.2934
E: cjengustian@gmail.com
Hon. Amy Hoogasian
USDOJ/EOIR, 120 Montgomery Ste. 800
San Francisco, CA 94104
E: amyhoogasian@gmail.com
Committee Members:
Laura Karabulut
Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP
150 King Street West, Suite 2601
Box 32
Toronto Ontario
M5H 4B6
T: 416.408.5522
Elizabeth Al-Dajani
5255 North Sawyer Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
Membership Development
The Membership Development Committee reaches out to potential members by keeping the multitude of individuals joining the legal profession informed of the Association's agenda. The committee also implements programs and activities to channel the interests of existing members.
Committee Co-Chairs:
Hovanes Margarian
The Law Offices of Hovanes Margarian
13425 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 303
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
T: 818.397.9624
F: 818.990.1418
E: hovanes@margarianlaw.com, hovanes@nexuslab.com
Nigol Manoukian
Manoukian & Associates
1101 N. Pacific Avenue, Suite 303
Glendale, CA 91202
T: 818.240.1199
F: 818.240.1120
E: manoukianlaw@yahoo.com
Committee Members:
Kathryn Ossian
Miller Canfield
150 West Jefferson, Suite 2500
Detroit, Michigan 48226
T: 313-496-7644
F: 313-496-8454
E: Ossian@millercanfield.com
Michael Amerian
Office of Los Angeles City Attorney
6262 Van Nuys Blvd., Room 160
Van Nuys, CA 91401
T: 818.374.3300
Newsletter
The Association's Newsletter Committee publishes the Newsletter, which apprises members of the Association's activities and informs them of events in the Armenian world community which warrant the Association's attention. It also features articles of human interest. The Newsletter is published on a quarterly basis.
Editor in Chief:
Vicken I. Simonian
131 N. El Molino Avenue, Suite 310
Pasadena, CA 91101
T: 626-584-0043
F: 626-795-6138
E: VISimonian@aol.com
Committee Members:
Armen K. Hovannisian
15456 Valley Vista Boulevard
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
T: 213-233-9662
E: akhova@aol.com
John J. Lulejian
1500 United States Courthouse
312 North Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
T: 213-894-2434
F: 213-894-3713
E: John.Lulejian@usdoj.gov
Harry Dikranian
Sternthal, Katznelson & Montigny
Suite 1020 Place du Canada
Montreal, Quebec H3B2N2
Montreal District, Canada
T: 514-878-1011 x 227
E: hd@skm.ca
Hon. Amy Hoogasian
USDOJ/EOIR, 120 Montgomery Ste. 800
San Francisco, CA 94104E
Pro Bono
The Pro Bono Committee facilitates access to basic legal services for those in need and apprises Armenian immigrants of their rights and responsibilities. The committee maintains close working relationships with prominent legal and social service agencies, and state bar associations.
Committee Co-Chairs:
Vicken I. Simonian
131 N. El Molino Avenue, Suite 310
Pasadena, CA 91101
T: 626-584-0043
F: 626-795-6138
E: VISimonian@aol.com
Garo. B. Ghazarian
Law Office of Garo B. Ghazarian
15915 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 203
Encino, CA 91436
T: 818-905-6484
F: 818-905-6481
E: gbglaw@sbcglobal.net
Development/Fundraising
The purpose of the Resource Development/Fundraising Committee is to establish a structure for effective fundraising for the organization, evaluating the organization's future financial needs and goals; creating a long-range fundraising plan and updating it yearly; instituting a public-relations program; reporting to foundations or large donors on specific projects; and visiting major donors.
Committee Chair:
Sara Bedirian
Bedirian & Associates
275 South Beverly Drive, Suite 202
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
T: 310-288-9797
F: 310-288-9798
E: SaraBedirian@BedirianLawFirm.com
Genocide Project Committee
The Committee has been involved in two major projects. The first was the location of funds held by Armenians in banks before 1915, especially the Ottoman Bank. The Committee has obtained certain records of deposits within the Bank, which was a foreign-owned bank that dominated banking in the latter days of the Ottoman Empire. Many Armenian names, as well as the names of Greek, Arab, and Assyrian depositors, appear on the rolls. The Committee has contacted representatives of the legal organizations of those ethnic groups in an attempt to consolidate efforts toward obtaining those funds for survivors and their descendants. There are few records left in survivors' families, and the old Ottoman Bank's deposits have been scattered throughout several banks in Turkey, which makes the funds difficult to trace.
The other major project has centered upon the life insurance cases, especially Marootian v. New York Life Insurance Company. The Chair cooperates with the Co-chairs of the Armenian Rights Watch Committee in monitoring the progress of those cases and in developing possible positions the Armenian Bar Association could take.
Committee Chair:
Professor Ann M. Lousin
The John Marshall Law School
315 S. Plymouth Court
Chicago, IL 60604
T: 312-987-1434
F: 312-427-8307
E: 7lousin@jmls.edu
Nominations Committee
Co-Chairs:
Vicken I. Simonian
131 N. El Molino Avenue, Suite 310
Pasadena, CA 91101
T: 626-584-0043
F: 626-795-6138
E: VISimonian@aol.comCommittee
Gary Moomjian
Moomjian, Waite, Wactlar & Coleman, LLP
100 Jericho Quadrangle, Suite 225
Jericho, New York 11753
T: 516-937-5900, Ext. 47
F: 516-937-5050
E: gmoomjian@mwwcllp.com
Social Media Committee
The purpose of the Social Media Committee is to maintain current information on the Armenian Bar Association Website and expand the site’s usefulness to members.
Committee Chair:
Hovanes Margarian
Law Offices of Hovanes Margarian
13425 Ventura Blvd., Suite 303
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
T: 818.397.9624
F: 818.990.1418
E: hovanes@margarianlaw.com, hovanes@nexuslab.com
Strategic Planning Committee
Committee Chair:
Sonya Nersessian
Sonya Nersessian Law Office
P.O. Box 1356
Dedham, MA 02027-1356
T: 781-899-7866
F: 781-899-7959
E: svn27@yahoo.com
Student Affairs
The Student Relations Committee cultivates and helps advance the careers of law students by offering periodic seminars and lectures, and by involving law students in the Association and its activities.
Committee Chair:
Hovanes Margarian
Law Offices of Hovanes Margarian
13425 Ventura Blvd., Suite 303
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
T: 818.397.9624
F: 818.990.1418
E: hovanes@margarianlaw.com, hovanes@nexuslab.com
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Glendale, Calif. - The City Council of Glendale, California has unanimously confirmed the nomination of law school dean and professor Garo Ghazarian to the City's Civil Service Commission. In making the nomination, Glendale City Council Member and two-time former mayor of Glendale, Rafi Manoukian, referred his Council colleagues to ...
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JUDGMENT STRASBOURG 25 October 2011 This judgment will become final in the circumstances set out in Article 44 § 2 of the Convention. It may be subject to editorial revision. ...
Glendale, CA. - The Armenian Bar Association (ArmenBar), in conjunction with the Armenian National Committee of Glendale (ANCG), conducted their fourth pro bono legal clinic on immigration-related matters. The venue was the Glendale Youth Center, on August 17, 2011. More than eighty community members were able to consult with volunteer attorneys ...
