The South Asian Bar Association of Southern California held its annual gala

LOS ANGELES - The South Asian Bar Association of Southern California held its annual gala dinner on May 14 at the DoubleTree hotel in downtown Los Angeles, bringing together members of the bench, bar and legal community in a show of support and solidarity.

The evening's keynote speaker was Los Angeles County Superior Court Assistant Presiding Judge Ricardo Ocampo, the first Asian American to serve in that role. In heartfelt remarks, Ocampo spoke about the unique challenges facing the South Asian community, referencing the horrific shooting at a San Diego mosque the day before and emphasizing the importance of unity, visibility and community support in moments of fear and uncertainty.

Judges and legal leaders attended the event, including Chief Judge Dolly Gee of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, U.S. District Judges André Birotte Jr. and Rozella Oliver, Assistant Head Deputy of the Criminal Division Olivia Rosales, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charles Clay III, Judge Lisa Cohen, and Justice Stephen Goorvitch.

The evening also honored several distinguished award recipients: Puneet V. Kakkar, the Department of Justice Attaché to France and Monaco; Rohit D. Nath, partner at Susman Godfrey; and Mona R. Shah, adjunct professor at USC Gould School of Law and the outgoing executive director of the North American South Asian Bar Association (NASABA).