The Harvard Club, in the heart of New York City, was rocking on the evening of June 3, 2011 with an overflow crowd of Armenian attorneys and medical professionals. On this evening, the Armenian Bar Association and the Armenian-American Health Professionals Organization jointly sponsored a cocktail reception, dinner and educational program. This was the first such event of these two esteemed professional organizations. Organizers of the event initially anticipated a gathering of 60 persons; to their shock, and delight, the 122 attendees exceeded room capacity.

One-time California governor remains a fixture around the Shore.
By Doug Krikorian. Press-Telegram Columnist

He belies his age as he navigates the neighborhoods near his home in Belmont Park where he has resided for 51 years with his wife and where they raised their three children.

The gait is firm, the voice is strong, the eyes are alert, the posture is erect, the hair is plentiful, and the face is unlined.

His birth certificate insists he's 83, but the laws of time have been rescinded with George Deukmejian, who doesn't look that dramatically different now than he did when serving two terms as governor of California.

June 7, 2011, New York.

Claire S. Kedeshian, a federal prosecutor in New York, received the prestigious 2011 Henry L. Stimson Medal from the City Bar Association on behalf of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, Civil Division. The medal is awarded annually to outstanding Assistant U.S. Attorneys from both the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York, one from the Civil Division, one from the Criminal Division, who exemplify the characteristics of integrity, fair play and superior commitment to the public good. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the EDNY is one of the largest and most active offices in the country and represents the
government in federal cases throughout New York City and Long Island.
 

ABA Vice Chair Garo Ghazarian providing legal commentary on Al Jazeera regarding the criminal case pending against former IMF Director Strauss-Kahn.

San Francisco—More than a hundred-fifty Armenian American lawyers, judges, and community leaders gathered in the city by the bay from April 29 to May 1, 2011 for a breakthrough convention of the Armenian Bar Association.

“This has been the most fantastic convention of the Armenian Bar Association,” Chairman Edvin Minassian said. “We now return to work with high spirits and a renewed dedication to justice—before our country, our homeland, and our history.”

Armenian Bar Association, led by Chairman Edvin Minassian and Vice Chair Garo Ghazarian attends the 96th Genocide Commemoration Ceremonies and places a wreath at the Genocide Monument in solemn memory of those who have perished. The delegation was also joined by Federico Hairabedian, the Argentinian-Armenian attorney who delivered powerful and well received remarks during the ceremonies. Mr. Hairabedian, who successfully litigated a case which led to a legal finding as to the Armenian Genocide before the Argentinian High Court, will be a guest speaker of the Armenian Bar Association during our Annual Meeting in San Francisco, April 29 - May 1st.

Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye touted the commencement of construction for a new court facility in Long Beach at a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday as proof of the foresight and effective leadership of the branch.

In what the chief justice said is likely a first in this country, the project is being overseen by the Administrative Office of the Courts but financed by a consortium from the private sector. That demonstrates how the judiciary “is always taking innovative leadership ideas and executing them” and willing “to try things in new ways,” she said.

“It’s about time!” exclaimed Raffi K. Hovannisian, the founder of the Armenian Bar Association who went on to become independent Armenia’s first minister of foreign affairs. He was sitting on a green bench at Liberty Square in Yerevan, an unlikely smile sweeping across his face on March 22, 2011, the eighth day of his Fast for Freedom. He had just learned that his younger brother, Armen K. Hovannisian, was set to receive the Armenian Bar Public Service Award at the ABA’s annual convention planned for the weekend of April 29 in San Francisco.

Homenetmen Glendale Ararat Chapter Family Forum Inspires Passionate Dialogue

By Lara Garibian

Glendale CA - Not a day that goes by without a person questioning who they are, where they come from, and what it all means. The process isn’t necessarily a conscious one, since a majority of a person’s day is spent dealing with work, taking care of family and other minute, trivial things like traffic, dinner and laundry.

Usually, an event, a circumstance, or an emotion elicits questions like, Who am I, Who do I want to be, or What is it that I want to leave behind? While these questions exist within us and while we live them out every day, at what point do we stop to ask ourselves what we want our responses to be?

Identity is part of our human nature. It’s our road map in life. It defines our lives, our personalities, our relationships. Our gender, ethnicity, race, economic status, and historical background play a crucial role in helping us discover who we are.

A special tour of the California Supreme Court followed by a luncheon with Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye are the one-two punch of a momentous start of the Armenian Bar Association’s 22nd Annual National Meeting in one of the world’s most beautiful places, San Francisco, from April 29 - May 1, 2011. Leading the homeland’s team across the Diaspora-to-Armenia bridge directly into everyone’s favorite city will be the Justice Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Hrayr Tovmasyan.