[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 7123-7124]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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    IN CELEBRATION OF THURGOOD MARSHALL AWARD RECIPIENT DALE MINAMI

   Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I take this opportunity to 
recognize Dale Minami, the 2003 recipient of the American Bar 
Association's Thurgood Marshall Award.
  Mr. Minami has had a successful law practice in San Francisco for 
many years. Additionally, for over 30 years, Mr. Minami has worked 
tirelessly to promote civil liberties and social justice. He has 
selflessly provided pro bono legal representation to minorities and 
disadvantaged communities. Because of his dedication, Mr. Minami has 
become an accomplished leader in the national civil rights community.
  Among his many accomplishments in the courtroom, Mr. Minami is known 
for successfully reopening the landmark Supreme Court cases of Fred 
Korematsu, Gordon Hirabayashi, and Minoru Yasui. The Supreme Court 
subsequently overturned their convictions for refusal to be interned 
during WWII.
  Mr. Minami cofounded the Asian Law Caucus, the first Asian Pacific 
legal service organization in the Nation, established in 1972. Mr. 
Minami also helped establish the Asian American Bar Association of the 
Greater Bay Area in 1976, the first Asian American Bar Association in 
the country. Additionally, he helped found the Asian Pacific Bar of 
California. He has also taught and lectured at various colleges and 
universities and has spoken widely across our country.
  Mr. Minami has also been involved in developing public policy and 
legislation. He has volunteered his time on numerous boards and 
commissions, including California's Fair Employment and Housing 
Commission, the California Attorney General's Asian Pacific Advisory 
Committee, and the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund Commission. I 
am pleased and honored to say that Mr. Minami also served as a member 
of my Judicial Screening Committee, from 1993 to 1996. Mr. Minami did 
an outstanding job on the committee, and his contributions were 
invaluable. He has been a successful advocate for increasing the 
selection of African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian 
Americans for executive and judicial appointments at both State and 
Federal levels.
  Dale Minami embodies the legacy of Thurgood Marshall. I commend him 
for his dedication, hard work, and many achievements in the areas of 
civil liberties and social justice and wish him well in all future 
endeavors. He is the kind of person who makes my State and our country 
a better place. 

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