NAPABA Awards - National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

NAPABA Awards - Military and Veteran Service Award

Military & Veteran Service Award

The NAPABA Military and Veteran Service Award recognizes individuals within the NAPABA community serving the United States Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, including Reserve and National Guard) as uniformed personnel or as civilians or as veterans of the Armed Forces whose outstanding achievements (1) greatly enhanced the mission of the Armed Forces; (2) contributed to the advancement of rights for service-members, their families, and/or veterans; or (3) furthered the administration of justice. The NAPABA Military and Veteran Service Award is meant to acknowledge NAPABA member attorneys who exhibit the highest integrity, competency and commitment to serving others, the AANHPI community, and their country and whose character and commitment reflect the highest standards of the Armed Forces.

Award Qualifications

Please be advised that honorees must be:

Current with their NAPABA membership, and
Present to be eligible to receive award

Selection Criteria

The Award recipient will be selected on the basis of the following factors:

Employment status at the time of the outstanding achievement:

All uniformed members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, including Reserve or National Guard;
All civilian employees of the Department of Defense, Department of the Navy, Department of the Army, Department of the Air Force, the United States Coast Guard, or the Department of Veterans Affairs;
All veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces whose outstanding achievement furthered the interests of the U.S. Armed Forces, service-members, veterans, and/or their families as outlined below.

Outstanding achievements in a legal field that:

Involved impact litigation (criminal or civil; trial or appellate) that advances or protects individual rights or the mission of the Armed Forces; or
Involved legal assistance to further the rights of service-members, veterans, and/or their families; or
Provided direct legal services to individual service-members, veterans, and/or their families in the furtherance of the administration of justice; or
Involved political, diplomatic, or other policymaking or programmatic efforts at the local, national, or international level to advance the principles of justice, rule of law, equity and/or opportunity.

Demonstrated dedication to the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Armed Forces, veterans, and military families through:

Subject matter and difficulty of the case(s), or matter(s); and
Time expended on the case(s), or matter(s)
Impact upon the military community

Demonstrated dedication to and service to the AANHPI community.

Required Materials

Statement in support of the nominee detailing the nominee’s outstanding achievement and how they have met the award criteria (no more than 5 pages);
Current CV, resume, or Performance Report;
Biography
Any supporting material (reported decisions, press clippings, letters of support) if applicable.

Nominations are Now Open

2025 Awardee | Congressman Ted W. Lieu

Ted W. Lieu represents California's 36th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. Ted is serving in his sixth term in Congress and sits on the House Judiciary Committee and Foreign Affairs Committee. He was elected by his colleagues to serve as Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, making him the highest ranking Asian American to have ever served in House Leadership. Ted is a veteran, having served on active duty and then in the Reserves for the Air Force. He retired in 2021 with the rank of Colonel.

In the 118th Congress, Ted was the Co-Chair of the House's Bipartisan Taskforce on Artificial Intelligence. Prior to becoming Caucus Vice Chair, Ted served as Co-Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee in the 116th and 117th Congresses. In that role, Ted helped to shape messaging around key Democratic priorities. In his first term in Congress, Ted was elected Freshman Class President by his colleagues.

He is also an outspoken proponent of more effective government oversight and adherence to the rule of law. Following the Jan. 6 insurrection, Ted co-authored the Article of Impeachment advanced by the House and subsequently served as an Impeachment Manager for the second Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.

In addition to government reforms, Congressman Lieu is a champion of measures to reduce the harms of climate change. The first bill Ted introduced after coming to Congress was the Climate Solutions Act, which aims to make California's ground-breaking renewable energy goals and climate emissions reduction targets a national model. Ted is also a founder and co-Chair of the California Coastal Caucus, which advocates for issues that impact California's coastal communities.

As one of four Members of Congress with a computer science degree, Ted is frequently sought out for his insights on technology and innovation matters including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and innovation as well as the creative economy. He has introduced legislation to improve cyber security in consumer products; create a national AI Commission; prioritize consumer safety in technologically-advanced cars; and ensure law enforcement and tech companies protect consumer privacy.

Ted has been a leader in Congress against ethnic and racial profiling, including discrimination against the LGBTQ community and hate toward the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. He serves as Whip of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Vice Chair of the LGBTQ Equality Caucus, and Co-Chair of the Cloud Computing Caucus.

Prior to being elected to Congress in 2014, Ted served as a California State Senator from 2011 to 2014, and before that, as a State Assemblyman from 2005 to 2010. Ted's legislative accomplishments included authoring landmark legislation regulating the subprime mortgage industry; a first-in-the-nation ban on gay conversion therapy for children; and a first-in-the-nation ban on the use of tanning beds for minors. Ted fought for California state tax reform that saved small businesses from millions in retroactive taxes, and tax incentives for film and TV production. Ted also co-authored California's landmark Global Warming Solutions Act and co-authored the law banning state pension funds from investing in Iran's nuclear and energy industries.

Ted started his elected service as a Member of the Torrance City Council in 2002. Prior to serving on the Council, Ted was a Torrance Environmental Quality Commissioner.

Looking for a better life and opportunity, Ted and his family immigrated to the United States when he was three years old. Settling in Cleveland, Ohio, Ted's parents sold gifts and jewelry at flea markets to make ends meet. They were eventually able to operate six gift stores, where Ted and his younger brother worked as teenagers. With the support of hard-working parents and a country that provided limitless opportunity, Ted would go on to attend Stanford for his undergraduate degrees in Computer Science and Political Science, and then Georgetown University, where he received his law degree magna cum laude after serving as Editor-in-Chief of the law review. Ted also received four American Jurisprudence Awards.

Recognizing the great opportunities America had given to his family, Ted wanted to serve his country to preserve the American Dream. He joined the United States Air Force, where he served in the JAG corps. After serving on active duty for four years, Ted joined the Air Force Reserve before retiring from the Air Force in 2021. Ted received numerous medals for his outstanding military service, including the Air Force Humanitarian Service Medal and multiple Meritorious Service Medals.

Ted's wife, Betty, is a member of the Torrance Board of Education; a member of California’s Commission on Special Education; and a former California Deputy Attorney General. They live in Torrance and have two sons, Brennan and Austin.