[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 172 (Friday, October 2, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E917]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                     RECOGNIZING JUDGE CHUNG K. PAK

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DAVID J. TRONE

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 2, 2020

  Mr. TRONE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Judge Chung K. 
Pak, who was recently appointed Chief Administrative Law Judge of the 
Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings.
  On June 10, 2020, Judge Pak made Maryland State history by becoming 
the third Chief Administrative Law Judge of the Maryland Office of 
Administrative Hearings, and the first ever minority Chief 
Administrative Law Judge. As Chief Administrative Law Judge, he leads 
the Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) and its 
Administrative Law judges, who are responsible for conducting fair and 
impartial hearings to resolve a variety of disputes stemming from 
actions of Maryland's many executive agencies.
  Prior to this appointment, Judge Pak served as an Administrative 
Patent Judge at the United States Patent Trial and Appeal Board for 
over 23 years, where he adjudicated over 6,000 patent cases involving 
emerging technologies and complex legal issues and wrote over 2000 
opinions eligible for appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 
Federal Circuit. Judge Pak also served as a corporate intellectual 
property counsel at Union Carbide Corporation and Praxair, Inc. While 
there, he provided legal advice and counsel on a wide range of 
intellectual property issues, including domestic and foreign patent 
procurement, litigation, trade secrets, antitrust, licensing, and 
technology transfer issues.
  Although Judge Pak is a proud and longtime Marylander, he grew up in 
Alabama after he and his family immigrated to the United States from 
South Korea over 49 years ago. Like many immigrants, Judge Pak and his 
family faced difficulties due to limited economic resources and 
language and cultural barriers. However, due to their resolve, hard 
work, faith, and neighbors' help and friendship, Judge Pak and his 
family were able to overcome these obstacles. In the years that 
followed, Judge Pak worked his way through school and graduated from 
Auburn University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical 
Engineering. He later graduated from the Columbus School of Law at The 
Catholic University of America with a Juris Doctor degree while working 
as a U.S. Patent Examiner at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Judge 
Pak then was admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of 
Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 
Federal Circuit, Maryland Bar, Virginia Bar, D.C. Bar and Patent Bar.
  Judge Pak's dedication to public service and making a difference in 
our country and community is also evident in his activism. Justice Pak 
is a highly venerated civic activist and leader in Montgomery County 
and Maryland. Over the years, he has served on the boards of and in 
leadership positions on a number of nonprofit community organizations. 
In particular, he has served as Commissioner of Maryland Higher 
Education Commission, the Maryland Governor's Commission on Asian 
Pacific American Affairs, and Montgomery County License Commission; Co-
Chairman of the Montgomery County NAACP Multicultural Partnership; 
Board Member of Progressive Maryland, Montgomery County Branch NAACP, 
Committee for Montgomery, Maryland Attorney General's Advisory Council, 
Montgomery County Executive's Asian American Advisory Board, Montgomery 
County State's Attorney's Asian American Advisory Board, and Montgomery 
Upcounty Citizens Advisory Board; Chairman and President of League of 
Korean Americans of Maryland; Montgomery County Asian American Police 
Advisory Committee, Taskforce to reduce racial tension in John F. 
Kennedy High School, Comptroller Peter Franchot's Transition Team, and 
County Executive Ike Leggett's Transition Team.
  Known as a consensus and bridge builder, Judge Pak has worked closely 
with Latino, African American, Asian Pacific American, labor, women, 
religious, and civil rights groups on issues of common concern. His 
extraordinary life story and significant contributions to the community 
have been featured in the Gazette's ``One of Forty Who Cared,'' and in 
other newspaper articles. For his outstanding service and 
contributions, he was inducted into Montgomery County Human Rights Hall 
of Fame. He also received International Leadership Award; The 
President's Volunteer Service Award; Maryland Governor's Volunteer 
Service Award; Progressive Maryland's Progressive Leader Award; 
Montgomery County Executive's Office of Community Partnership's 
Trailblazer Award, MCDCC's Kelsey Cook Volunteer of Year Award; Census 
Department's Census Outstanding Volunteer Service Award; Asian Pacific 
American Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Community Leader Award, 
Federal Asian Pacific American Council Outstanding Leader Award, 
Maryland Coalition of 100 Organizations for Recognition of Asian Lunar 
New Year's STAR of Maryland Asian Pacific American Community Award; 
League of Korean Americans of Maryland Outstanding Service and 
Presidential Awards; Korean American Senior Citizens' Advocate Award; 
Montgomery County Branch NAACP Certificate of Appreciation; USPTO Asian 
Pacific American Network Leadership Award; and many other awards. As 
Senator Barbara Mikulski once said, ``Judge Pak has spent a lifetime 
fighting injustice and inequality. His story is truly an embodiment of 
the American dream and an example of leadership with compassion and 
commitment to public service.''

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