The
Ukrainian American Bar Association (UABA) ("Asotsiyatsiya Ukraiins'kych
Pravnykiv Ameryky") is a national bar association of U.S. judges
and attorneys admitted to the Bar of any State. and U.S. law students,
of Ukrainian descent and those with an interest in Ukrainian matters.
Local associations, such as the Ukrainian American Bar Association
of Michigan (the oldest local association), also co-exist and
operate on a state level. The national UABA was formed over a quarter of a century ago in September, 1977, at the first national convention
of Ukrainian American attorneys in Cleveland Ohio. The UABA was
forged out of a desire to work more closely on a national level
with the Ukrainian community and its organizations, and to stand
in defense of its Ukrainian brethren. A separate federal tax-exempt
IRC 501 (c)(3) corporation, The UABA Scholarship Fund Inc., was
formed in the 1980's for the purpose of providing monetary assistance
to needy students enrolled in law programs.
Some
of the pro bono initiatives and causes in which the UABA and/or
its members were involved with or supported in the last quarter century
include: Human Rights-Dissidents Defense; Estate matters involving
citizens of the Soviet Union; the protestation of the ABA-Soviet
Lawyers Agreement; Myroslav Medvid-INS proceedings; UABA v. Schultz
(INS lawsuit), Ivan Demjanjuk proceedings; Walter Polowchak; Stepan
Chmara Defense; the formation of the World Congress of Ukrainian
Jurists and participation in four World Congresses in Ukraine;
development of a working relationship with Ukrainian judges, jurists
and government officials; Rule of Law-Legal Reform Projects for
Ukraine; the New Constitution of Ukraine; CBS 60 MINUTES "The
Ugly Face of Freedom" FCC and legal proceedings; U.S.A.I.D. grants
for Commercial Law Projects; UABA Scholarship grants for Ukrainian
jurists and law students; commemoration of the 50th Anniversary
of "Akcija Wisla"; assistance to Ukrainian Embassy and Consular
offices in U.S.; and Congressional Lobbying.
Many
UABA members are directors and officers of various Ukrainian American
as well as, American organizations and associations, and often
provide prominent leadership and active community support on a
local level.
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