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 AMBASSADOR
JOHN MARSHALL EVANS TO BE THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT ARMENIAN BAR
ASSOCIATION’S 19TH ANNUAL NATIONAL MEETING IN NEW
YORK CITY, MAY 2-4, 2008
John Marshall
Evans, the former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia,
will join several legal scholars, judges and lawyers from
throughout the United States, Canada, France and Armenia, as the
Armenian Bar Association (ArmenBar) returns to New York City for
its 19th Annual National Meeting the weekend of May
2-4, 2008.
The conference will
be punctuated by legal seminars, receptions and a meeting of the
Board of Governors. In keeping with the tradition of alternating
the annual meeting to each coast of the United States, the 19th
installment of the gathering will be an East Coast affair,
following the memorable meeting in Santa Monica, California in
April, 2007.
Evans, who has had
a distinguished 35-year career as a diplomat, gained notoriety
in 2005 when he publicly used the word Genocide in correctly
describing the fate of Armenians killed during World War I by
the Government of Turkey. His use of the word Genocide was in
contradiction to the policy of the Bush Administration, and, as
a result, Evans was dismissed from his post as Ambassador to
Armenia, and forced into early retirement. He will be the
keynote luncheon speaker at the conference.
"Ambassador Evans
principled stand on the use of the word Genocide deserves
recognition and praise from not only Armenians, but from all who
cherish the truth and freedom of speech," said Gary Moomjian,
past Chairman of ArmenBar, and the co-chairman of the annual
meeting organizing committee. "Evans risked his livelihood
because he could not stay silent about the issue of Genocide
recognition. We are honored to have a person of such principle
and conviction as our guest speaker," said Moomjian.
Prior to his post
as Ambassador to Armenia, Evans served diplomatic posts in
Tehran, Prague, Moscow, Brussels, St. Petersburg and Washington,
D.C. He was a guest speaker at a recent legal symposium on
Genocide reparations presented by the USC Institute of Armenian
Studies, and co-sponsored by the Armenian Bar Association. The
symposium was held on the USC campus.
The New York
meeting will be presided over by ArmenBar Chairman Frank
Zerunyan, the mayor-elect of the City of Rolling Hills Estates,
California. "I am excited about the program our brothers and
sisters in New York have in store for our membership, and
encourage all to join us in the city that never sleeps. I am
confident that it will be a worthwhile event for all who
attend," said Zerunyan.
As usual, those in
attendance will earn up to five continuing education credits, as
ArmenBar is an approved provider of CLE and MCLE credits in
several states, including California, New York and Philadelphia.
Also, attendees will have the opportunity to experience all of
the attractions that New York has to offer, including Times
Square, the Empire State Building, Statute of Liberty, Ellis
Island, Wall Street, Central Park and much more. The meeting
will be held at a location to be announced, in Manhattan. |
