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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