NEW YORK – The Executive Board of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), the representative assembly of nearly 30 regional and national associations of Ukrainian Americans representing the interests of nearly 2 million Americans of Ukrainian descent, has announced that the Ukrainian American Bar Association (UABA) has been accepted as the newest member organization of the UCCA National Council.
Assembling in New York City on December 7, 2019, UCCA National Council delegates – representing Ukrainian Churches and Ukrainian American religious associations, educational institutions, national and central member organizations, and local UCCA chapters – reviewed a year’s worth of UCCA activities at a meeting presided over by National Council Chair Stefan Kaczaraj, who is the Ukrainian National Association’s president/CEO.
The high point of the afternoon, however, was the report of UCCA’s Membership Committee, which is authorized and required to review each applicant for membership. On the recommendation of the committee’s chair, Marie Duplak, the UCCA National Council, the highest ruling body between the UCCA’s quadrennial conventions, unanimously voted to admit the UABA as its newest member organization.
Founded in 1977, the Ukrainian American Bar Association (UABA) is a national bar association whose members are U.S. judges, attorneys and law students of Ukrainian descent and those American attorneys with an interest in Ukrainian matters.
Over four decades, UABA members have developed working relationships with Ukrainian judges, jurists and government officials, led pro bono initiatives on behalf of Ukrainian American causes, established a legal scholarship fund, provided assistance to Ukrainian Embassy and consular offices in the United States, and held multi-day conferences at the U.S. Capitol attended by members of Congress, U.S. diplomats, judges, U.S. State Department and foreign policy experts, and representatives from the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington and guests from Ukraine, on issues relevant to Ukraine’s security from foreign aggression and continued development as a sovereign democracy governed by the rule of law.
“We have been fortunate that in the past few years several prominent national organizations have returned to the UCCA, giving our community a better opportunity to speak with one voice to foster a greater understanding of and stronger advocacy for Ukraine,” stated UCCA President Andriy Futey.
“I am delighted to welcome UABA as our newest member organization, and look forward to their active involvement and to the many contributions they will make. I would also like to thank UCCA’s Membership Committee and the leadership of the UABA in getting us to this historic vote. It is a prime example of how, in working together, we can wield much more influence on the political process in the United States, and have a greater ability to assist our vibrant community and our brethren in Ukraine,” added Mr. Futey.
Bohdan Shandor, newly elected president of the UABA, commented on the new relationship with the UCCA by saying, “The UABA is both excited and enthusiastic at becoming a member, and we look forward to working closely with UCCA, an organization with a stellar history that over the years has worked tirelessly for the Ukrainian American community and the freedom-loving people of Ukraine.”