LBAW is gearing up for our 21st Annual Gala and Awards Dinner in Seattle on January 18, 2013 at the Westin in Seattle.

This is our opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of the past year, reconnect with old and new friends and share our goals for the upcoming year. We want you to be part of the celebration, to catch-up on the latest happenings, as well as the pressing issues confronting our community.

Every year our dinner is attended by hundreds of attorneys, judges, educators, politicians and community leaders.  Please join us and take advantage of the opportunity to meet with many of these influential people. 

You and your firm can participate by becoming a sponsor and attending the Gala.   Please consider the sponsorship opportunities detailed in the Sponsorship Information Packet. 

If you would like to be a sponsor, visit our Sponsorship Registration page, select your sponsorship level, and submit your payment online.  If you would rather pay by check, please complete the Sponsorship Commitment form and mail it to LBAW.  

Please do not hesitate to contact us at LBAWGala@gmail.com if you have any questions.   

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LBAW is pleased to announce that the Keynote Speaker is Professor Joaquin Avila.  Joaquin Avila is a Distinguished Practitioner in Residence at Seattle University School of Law.  He is a graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School.  Avila is the founding Director of the National Voting Rights Advocacy Initiative.

Professor Avila has focused his professional endeavors on ensuring equal representation for minorities. He first developed this passion in the 1970s while working for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (“MALDEF”). During his tenure with MALDEF, he filed actions challenging discriminatory at-large elections, gerrymandered election districts, violations of the “one person, one vote” principle, and noncompliance with the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. In 1985, Professor Avila established a private practice, which continued his focus on protecting minority voting rights. He was actively involved in efforts to dismantle many discriminatory methods of election throughout California and parts of the Southwest. He also successfully argued two appeals in the United States Supreme Court, which involved enforcement of the special provisions of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 - one decision was unanimous and the other was 8-1.