Ukrainian American Bar Association to celebrate 25th anniversary; Philadelphia to host commemorative conference (06/09/02)

Ukrainian American Bar Association to celebrate 25th anniversary;
Philadelphia to host commemorative conference

PHILADELPHIA - The Ukrainian American Bar Association (UABA) announced on June 4 that it will celebrate 25 years of activity at its annual conference on September 27-29 in Philadelphia. The venue for this commemorative event will be the Sheraton Rittenhouse Square Hotel, located in one of the most prestigious areas of Philadelphia's historic Center City.

Twenty-five years ago, on September 23-24, 1977, the first national conference of Ukrainian American lawyers took place in Cleveland. The purpose of that gathering was to organize the first national association of American attorneys of Ukrainian descent, and to begin promoting and defending the interests of the Ukrainian American community as well as individuals in Soviet Ukraine.

"The founding members of the UABA were committed to the idea that they, as advocates, had an absolute duty to offer their legal expertise for the benefit of Ukrainian Americans," said Andre Michniak, current UABA president. "They also believed that human rights violations in Ukraine had to be exposed and brought to the attention of the international legal community. They were idealists, and set an example emulated by many who succeeded them throughout the UABA's 25-year history."

The UABA and its members have been involved in numerous matters of importance to the Ukrainian American community: litigation in federal court, including cases arising from the denial of asylum to Ukrainian sailor Myroslav Medvid in 1985, and the defamatory portrayal of Ukrainians in "The Ugly Face of Freedom," which aired on CBS' "60 Minutes" in 1994; and representation of Ukrainian Americans accused of persecution during World War II, in denaturalization lawsuits brought by the Office of Special Investigations. Recently, the UABA filed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief with the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) challenging its characterization of the National Movement of Ukraine (Rukh) as an anti-Semitic organization that persecutes Jews in Ukraine.

Besides litigation and representation of victims of discrimination and human rights violations, the UABA awards scholarships to law students, assists governmental and private institutions to implement rule of law projects in Ukraine, and develops contacts and working relationships between judges and lawyers in Ukraine and their American colleagues.

While the program is still being finalized, the September conference will include a panel and workshop on Ukrainian foreign adoptions, a presentation on current legislation to establish credit unions in Ukraine, and an overview of recent developments in U.S. employment law. There also will be workshops of practical importance to attorneys, including Internet website set-up, design and maintenance. The conference will begin on Friday, September 27 with a reception hosted by the UABA. On Saturday evening, the UABA's 25th anniversary commemorative reception and banquet will take place in Sheraton's magnificent skylit atrium ballroom.

"We are very pleased that Philadelphia was selected to host this special event," stated UABA Vice-President Andrew E. Steckiw. "An interesting and timely program in a great location. We are all looking forward to a successful and memorable conference."

The UABA's newly elected officers and board of governors have been responsible for organizing the September conference. They assumed their positions at this bar association's annual conference in Clearwater, Fla., in October 2001. In addition to Messrs. Michniak and Steckiw, the UABA's officers are Treasurer Hilary A. Kinal and Secretary Bohdan Zachariasevych. The board of governors is chaired by UABA's immediate past president, Peter Piddoubny, and its members are George Pazuniak, Andrew A. Pidgirsky, Irene Romanelli, and Nancy E. Medwid. The UABA's long-standing Scholarship Committee consists of Roman Badiak (chair), George Pazuniak and Lidia B. Shandor.

The UABA's September conference will have a twofold purpose: celebrate its 25th anniversary and to embark on the second quarter century of activity and service to its members and the Ukrainian American community. During the last 25 years, the challenges facing this organization and Ukrainian Americans were many, and usually clearly defined. Often they had to do with issues involving human rights abuses in Ukraine and with that country's subjugated status.

With Ukraine's independence, the issues of concern have become more vague and complex. Like other organizations, the UABA is faced with growing apathy among its members. "We see this lack of interest as a serious problem, but one that can be overcome. What is needed is a careful analysis of what really are the important issues facing our community here as well as the people in Ukraine," stated Mr. Michniak.

While the issues may have changed somewhat over the last 25 years, the challenges are still present. The derogatory and baseless characterization of Rukh as an extremist and bigoted group is a prime example. The United States still denaturalizes Ukrainian Americans, and various public and private institutions continue to defame Americans of Ukrainian heritage. Members of the community still require legal assistance in numerous important matters. Ukrainian American attorneys can play a vital role in all of these areas. "Our mission is to ensure that the UABA continues its role as an advocate for the community and a promoter and defender of the intersests of Ukrainian Americans and the citizens of Ukraine through the rule of law," concluded Mr. Michniak.

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