President's Message

On behalf of the entire SABA-DC Board of Directors, I would like to wish you all an overdue Happy New Year. It is my honor to serve as this year’s SABA-DC President, and I am excited to introduce you to the new and diverse programming, mentoring, and public interest opportunities we have slated for our members this year.

SABA-DC will continue to feature the events that we have come to be known for, such as our monthly Dinner Series, the annual Civil & Human Rights Symposium, and the annual Benefit Gala, which raises funds for SABA-DC’s Public Interest Fellowship. I am proud to announce that last year’s Benefit Gala raised more funds for the Fellowship than any previous fundraiser had raised in the past. We set the bar higher every year and will continue to meet this standard this fall. Stay tuned for this year’s excellent new programs.

SABA-DC will be introducing two important new initiatives this year. The first is SABA-DC’s newly created Mentorship Program, which is designed to help attorneys and law students become more aware of the legal, social, and personal issues involved in the practice of law. SABA-DC has already begun to pair up mentors and mentees based upon their practice areas and interests. The Mentoring Program includes the Women’s Networking Circle, a forum for South Asian women where they can address the issues and problems in the day-to-day practice of law. No matter how long you’ve been practicing or what field you’re in, you can always be a mentor to help guide a younger attorney or law student, and I encourage all of you to participate. For more information, please contact secretary@sabadc.org or sabastudents@gmail.com.

The second major initiative is to increase the number of pro bono opportunities available to SABA-DC members. SABA-DC will continue its partnership with the D.C. Bar’s Pro Bono Program by staffing the quarterly pro bono advice and referral clinic with volunteers from SABA-DC’s membership. This year, SABA-DC will also be pairing up with additional legal service organizations to offer further opportunities to our members to participate in providing quality legal services to low-income individuals and families. SABA-DC will also make more resources available to pro bono attorneys by linking them to the appropriate legal aid assistance organizations, such as probono.net/dc and LawHelp.org/DC. As SABA-DC endeavors to enhance the professional and personal development of our members, I hope to continue relying on our members’ dedication to improving access to legal services for the entire D.C. community.

I have had the honor of being a member of the SABA-DC Board of Directors since 2006 and have served witness to this organization’s exceptional growth. However, our growth and success would not be what it has been without the dedication and support of our members, and I want to personally thank all of you for your continued commitment to SABA-DC. I look forward to seeing you all at our annual Kickoff Reception at Kellari Taverna on Thursday, February 10 at 6:00 p.m., and if not there, then at the next event. Remember to take advantage of our low membership rates that end on February 1, 2011, and let’s make this a wonderful 2011.

Very truly yours,

Habib F. Ilahi