Ukrainian American Bar Association meets at annual fall meeting (12/08/96)

Ukrainian American Bar Association meets at annual fall meeting

NEW YORK - The Ukrainian American Bar Association held its annual fall meeting last month in New York City. As a preliminary event to the meeting itself, on November 8, the UABA conducted a one-day seminar at the Consulate General of Ukraine in New York for the Ukrainian as well foreign diplomatic corps on various American legal issues affecting foreign nationals in the United States. This was the second such effort by the UABA, following last year's seminar held at the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington.

Participants in the most recent seminar included Orest Jejna, Walter Lupan, Bohdanna Pochoday, Myroslaw Smorodsky, Peter Piddoubny, as well as several non-UABA invited speakers. Topics of discussion ranged from criminal and civil law and procedure to government public assistance programs, immigration law and customs issues. Based upon the active participation and questions from the audience, the seminar proved both entertaining and informative for the attendees.

At the conclusion, Consul General Viktor Kryzhanivsky presented each of the UABA member participants with certificates of recognition, forwarded and signed by Ukrainian Ambassador Yuri Shcherbak, in appreciation of their contributions in assisting the Ukrainian diplomatic corps in its work in the United States. The consul general then hosted the UABA's traditional cocktail party that evening at the Consulate.

UABA President Orest Jejna opened the Saturday morning meeting held in the conference room of the Ukrainian Orthodox Federal Credit Union. The session's speakers included Judge Bohdan Futey, who gave his observations and critique of the newly adopted Ukrainian Constitution. Judge Futey commented on the new Constitution's treatment of individual rights, its establishment of separate and co-equal branches of government, and its organization of the judiciary. He concluded that while not everyone is pleased with every provision of the document, it should be remembered that the constitutions of most democracies are the result of compromises between various factions.

The UABA membership also heard a report on the World Congress of Ukrainian Lawyers that took place in Yalta in October of this year. Participants of the world conference, Messrs. Jejna, Lupan and Piddoubny, and Judge Futey, each gave their impressions of the three-day event on the Crimean peninsula that saw a truly international meeting of lawyers of Ukrainian descent from as far away as Australia and Argentina. Some 13 countries were represented at the congress in Yalta, which U.S. Ambassador William Green Miller also attended as a guest for its duration.

The congress re-elected as its president for the next two years Volodymyr Stretovych, a member of the Verkhovna Rada and chairman of its Committee on Legal Policy and Law Reform. This was the third such meeting since the world body's inception in 1992. The fourth World Congress of Ukrainian Lawyers is scheduled to take place in 1998 in either Odesa or Kharkiv.

Other speakers at the UABA's Saturday meeting included Alexander Kuzma, who discussed the latest developments with the Children of Chornobyl Foundation and emphasized the need for increased congressional lobbying to maximize funding for this worthy cause. Nina Polywko of Michigan also gave an interesting presentation on the practical aspects of conducting legal negotiations.

Finally, the membership heard from a Ukrainian guest from Kyiv, Mykhailo Brodovych, counselor to the Consular Division of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who informed the audience of some of the salient issues that affect the ministry's consular services throughout the world.

The UABA fall meeting concluded with a dinner reception at the Old Homestead, New York's oldest restaurant. The keynote speaker was Adrian Karatnycky, president of Freedom House, who gave his insights into the political and economic problems and achievements encountered by Ukraine over the last five years of its independence.

In conclusion, the UABA bestowed two awards that were a genuine surprise to the respective recipients. Michael Waris, a former UABA governor and long-standing member, received an award in recognition and appreciation for his distinguished service and commitment on behalf of Ukrainian legal causes.

Also, Consul General Kryzhanivsky received an award and was made an honorary member of the UABA for his many years of service and devotion as a distinguished member of the Ukrainian diplomatic corps, working with and serving as an effective liaison to the Ukrainian American community at large.

The next UABA meeting is scheduled to take place in the spring in Toronto in cooperation with Ukrainian Canadian attorneys. In the interim, plans are in the works to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the UABA, slated for 1997. Further details on both events will be forthcoming.