GENOCIDE SCHOLARS, CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT JUSTICES, JUDGES AND HIGH PROFILE ATTORNEYS ATTEND ARMENIAN BAR ASSOCIATION’S 18TH ANNUAL NATIONAL MEETING IN SANTA MONICA

Genocide scholars Vahakn Dadrian and Taner Akcam joined California Supreme Court Justices Carlos Moreno, Marvin Baxter and Armand Arabian (retired), Federal Judges Dickran Tevrizian, Larry Burns, David Carter and Jacqueline Chooljian, state, county and city officials, high profile attorneys and media professionals as the Armenian Bar Association (ArmenBar) held its 18th Annual National meeting in Santa Monica, California the weekend of April 20-22, 2007.

The meeting was held at the Le Merigot Hotel, a boutique Santa Monica beachfront property, and the event drew a record number of participants. “We were thrilled with the caliber of our speakers and the content of their presentations” said Frank Zerunyan, Chairman of the Board of Governors of ArmenBar. “It is not a coincidence that we had our best attendance ever,” he said.

“The quality of our organization is evident by the fact that we featured two sitting California Supreme Court Justices, one retired California Supreme Court Justice, four federal judges, two of the worlds most noted Genocide scholars, a host of state judges, prominent state, county and city officials, journalists and high profile attorneys in one meeting,” said Zerunyan, the Mayor Pro Tem of Rolling Hills Estates. “I believe we can safely call this our best event ever.”

This was the first ArmenBar meeting since October, 2006, where the group became the first organization to feature Hrant Dink on United States soil. Dink was tragically assassinated on January 19, 2007, and ArmenBar has vowed to keep his memory alive. In honor of the fallen hero, the group of judges, lawyers and law students presented its first annual “Hrant Dink Freedom Award.”

The award was given to Dadrian and Akcam, at an evening banquet. Both Genocide experts gave lectures to the group. Akcam, is one of the first historians of Turkish descent to recognize the truth of the Genocide, and the author of the recently released book “A Shameful Act. The Armenian Genocide and the Question of Turkish Responsibility.” Akcam was a friend of Dink’s and is a contributing writer to Dink’s newspaper, Agos.

Dadrian is known throughout the world as one of the foremost authorities on Genocide. He is the current Director of Genocide Research at the Zoryan Institute, and in 2005 was given the lifetime achievement award by the International Association of Genocide Scholars. His lifelong quest to document and gain acknowledgment for the Armenian Genocide, led to his being chosen. Dink was murdered because he spoke out about the Genocide.

Also in attendance at the Saturday gala banquet, were State Controller John Chiang, State Assemblymen Paul Krekorian and Anthony Portantino, Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles County Presiding Judge J. Stephen Czuleger, and Lisa Kalustian, Chief Deputy Director for the Los Angeles Office of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.  The Governor expressed his good wishes by way of a congratulatory letter to ArmenBar for its good work and to its contribution to diversity in the state.

His Eminence, Archbishop Hovan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, blessed the gathering and gave words of encouragement and the opening prayer. Zerunyan joined Federal judges Tevrizian and Burns as the Masters of Ceremonies for the evening banquet.

California Supreme Court Associate Justice Carlos Moreno was the keynote luncheon speaker, and was  introduced by fellow Associate Justice Marvin Baxter, a founder and Honorary member of the Armenian Bar.  Moreno, who is of Mexican descent, focused on the issue of diversity in the judiciary.

Prior to Moreno’s speech, California Supreme Court Justice Armand Arabian (retired) and former California State Senator Chuck Poochigian offered words of praise for ArmenBar, and introduced other speakers. Arabian and Poochigian are also Honorary members of the organization. The Honorable Zaven Sinanian, Site Supervising Judge of the Burbank, California courthouse, and a former Chairman of ArmenBar, served as Master of Ceremonies.

The conference was punctuated by legal seminars and meetings of the Board of Governors at the scenic beach front property.  Zerunyan was reelected Chairman of the group, and promised that he would lead Armenbar to continue the good work of the organization, and to provide the Armenian legal communities throughout the world with first rate legal seminars.

The topics of the lectures presented at the 18th Annual Meeting included “High Profile Criminal Cases,” “The Court System and the Media,”  “Political Implications of the Assassination of Armenian Journalist  Hrant Dink,” and “The Origin and Evolution of the Concept of Crimes Against Humanity as an Integral Part of International Criminal Law.”

US District Court Judge David O. Carter, from Orange County, was a featured speaker on the criminal law panel, along with John Hueston, the lead prosecutor of Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling in the Enron case. Decorated criminal defense attorneys Mark Geragos and Harland Braun were also featured on the panel. They were joined by Loyola University law professor Laurie Levenson, who has regularly appeared on network television to offer legal commentary on high profile cases. Federal Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Chooljian served as moderator.

Some of the topics discussed by the panel included the rights and wrongs of trial publicity, media relations, the need for confidentiality, concerns of prejudice to a case, and press conferences.

The media panel included former Los Angeles District Attorney Robert Philibosian, David Kohler, former General Counsel of CNN, Linda Deutsch, a nationally recognized AP correspondent, Greg Krikorian, an award winning journalist from the Los Angeles Times, and Karlene Goller, Vice-President and Deputy General Counsel for the Los Angeles Times.

The media panel topics included freedom of the press, access to the court, broadcasting cases and protecting sources of information.

Akcam, is a visiting professor of history at the University of Minnesota, and spoke about common Turkish myths about the Genocide, his relationship with Dink, and the political implications of his murder. Tens of thousands of mourners, including Turks, Kurds and Armenians attended the slain journalist’s funeral and the assassination resulted in world wide condemnation of the senseless act, which may have an effect on Turkey’s bid for inclusion in the European Union. Akcam signed copies of his newest text after his lecture.

Dadrian has received many honors during his career and has published extensively on the subject of Genocide. He spoke of the origin of the crimes against humanity as an integral part of international criminal law, following the development of those laws and drawing references to the world’s failure to punish Turkey for the Genocide and the massacres of Armenians in the mid 1890's.  Two of his most recent texts include “Warrant for Genocide: The Key Elements of the Turko-Armenian Conflict” and “The History of  the Armenian Genocide” were made available after his lecture during a book signing ceremony.

ArmenBar will next meet in Paris, then Yerevan, Armenia in late September and early October for its Midyear meeting. The group was invited by Catholicos Karekin II to hold its meeting at Goshavank, or the Monastery of Mekhitar Gosh, the author of the first Armenian legal text. Goshavank is located in Dilijan, Armenia. The Board of Governors resolved to hold its 2008 Annual Meeting in New York City.