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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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