New York, NY: On January 27, 2012, close to 300 Armenian-Americans of the NY/NJ community gathered at St. Leon Armenian Church in Fairlawn, NJ to participate in the first serious conversation about the deplorable state of corruption and human rights in Armenia. The organizer’s stated purpose was to raise awareness, share information, consider the consequences of inaction, and begin the process of exploring solutions.

The forum, entitled Truth or Consequences: Challenges to Human Rights and Rule of Law in Armenia, was moderated by Arda Haratunian, a strategic communications and crisis management professional from New York. In her opening comments, Arda addressed Armenia’s documented problems with human rights and the rule of law, but emphasized that it’s much easier to address a problem than a crisis, and that the Diaspora can and must be aware, engaged and involved. She pointed to the cornerstones of any democracy: free and transparent elections; a free press; economic opportunity; and a functioning judicial system. “Clearly, credible and objective concerns have been raised about all of these in Armenia,” she said.

Las Vegas, Nevada-The recently renovated, elegant Tropicana Hotel and Casino will be the venue, as the Armenian Bar Association (ArmenBar) will present an outstanding group of legal experts on January 14, 2012. Garo Mardirossian, past Chairman of the Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles, who has gained acclaimed notoriety as a civil litigator will receive special recognition at a luncheon in his honor.

 The event is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., in the all new Tropicana Conference Center, and will include a luncheon and evening reception following the lectures. The Tropicana, once the gold standard on the Las Vegas strip, has recently undergone a $210 million renovation under the direction of new owner Alex Yemenidjian, and is on its way to re-establishing its reputation as a premiere Vegas destination. Features such as Nikki Beach, The Las Vegas Mob Experience, and a state-of-the-art sports book are just a few of the many attractions awaiting those who attend.

Dear Fellow Armenian Bar Member,

On Tuesday, October 25, 2011 the European Court of Human Rights granted an application by Turkish national and chairman of Armenian Genocide Studies at Clark University Professor Taner Akçam in the case of Taner Akçam vs. Republic of Turkey.

On June 21, 2007, Professor Taner Akçam submitted an Application against the Republic of Turkey for violations of Articles 7, 10 and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights ("ECHR"). The application arose from the effective criminalization under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code of historical scholarship and public discourse relating to the 1915-17 destruction of Ottoman Turkey's Armenian population. 

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 regarding the spectrum of issues relating to immigration.

As members of the Armenian Bar Association, which is comprised worldwide of thousands of lawyers, jurists, prosecutors and members of academia, we must express our deep concern regarding the latest non-combat death of a member of the Armenian Military Forces, Aghasi Abramian , an 18-year-old army conscript. The reports of the rising number of suspicious deaths of military personnel occurring in non-combat conditions is alarming, as are the reported acts of cruel, abusive and harmful acts committed against members of the military against their own.
 

Pasadena, CA – On July 28, 2011, the Armenian Bar Association held its inaugural “20 Rising Stars under 40” awards ceremony at the Pandora on Green restaurant in Old Town Pasadena.

The Rising Stars award recognizes 20 Armenian legal professionals under the age of 40 who have distinguished themselves in their professions and who have made a meaningful impact on their respective communities. This year’s honorees span the globe, coming from Toronto, Boston, Hong Kong and Los Angeles, among other locations.

LOS ANGELES, CALIF.–On August 2, 2011, a U.S. federal district court in Los Angeles handed Armenian plaintiffs an early victory in what will surely be a difficult legal battle over reparations for land seized from Armenians in Turkey during the Armenian Genocide (Alex Bakalian et. al vs. Republic of Turkey, the Central Bank of Turkey, and T.C. Ziraat Bankasi et. al, Case Number 2:10-CV-09596, December 15, 2010). Nearly eight months after the complaint was filed, the court determined that all three defendants, in a first-of-its-kind lawsuit in the United States, had been lawfully served.