South Asian Bar Association (SABA) of North America

SABA North America wishes everyone a Happy and safe Labor Day!

SABA North America congratulates Sharad Desai for his nomination to the United States District Court for the District of Arizona. If confirmed, Mr. Desai will be Arizona’s first South Asian federal district judge.   As Mona Shah, Executive Director of SABA North America, remarks: "SABA North America is thrilled about the historic nomination of Sharad Desai and what his confirmation would mean to the community. He would be the first South Asian Article III judge to serve in the district of Arizona. His incredible commitment to public service and justice speaks for itself."     A member of the South Asian Bar Association of Arizona, Mr. Desai currently serves as Vice President and General Counsel for Honeywell International’s Integrated Supply Chain and Information Technology divisions in Phoenix, Arizona since 2023. He has worked in senior legal counsel roles at Honeywell since 2015. From 2007 to 2015, Mr. Desai worked as an attorney with the Phoenix law firm Osborn Maledon, P.A., first as an associate and later as partner. He began his legal career serving as a law clerk for Justice Rebecca White Berch on the Arizona Supreme Court from 2006 to 2007. Mr. Desai received his J.D. from New York University School of Law in 2006 and his B.A. and B.S. from the University of Arizona in 2003.

Meet our 2024-2025 SABA North America Executive Committee! Our Executive Committee is working on some exciting programming initiatives that we are enthusiastic to share with all of you in the coming months. Feel free to reach out to any of our EC members with any questions or queries.

South Asian Bar Association (SABA) of North America's President Elect, Nishi Kothari, was proud to attend the 8th Annual SABA Dallas gala this past weekend, held at the stunning Texas Discovery Gardens, benefitting CHETNA-DFW, a local non profit organization that supports victims of domestic violence in the South Asian community. This year’s theme was Secret Garden. The evening started off with captivating dance performances by Ethnique, a local dance school in the Dallas area. SABA Dallas President Abhishek Dube urged attendees to continue to give back and get involved. President Elect Kothari spoke about the importance of SABA North America’s advocacy efforts and how our local chapters can help support these efforts. As President Elect Kothari stated, “The most important thing you can do is to do something. Whether it’s registering your friends and families to vote or educating your community about why issues such as immigration, reproductive justice and voting rights matter to our community, we all have an obligation to do something.” The SABA Dallas gala kicks off the fall gala season for our chapters and SABA North America looks forward to attending and supporting our chapters.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Annapoorni “Anna” Sankaran, a past president of our bar association, and a former President of one of its eight founding chapters, SABA Greater Boston (SABAGB). We remember Anna for her leadership, dedication, and vision that profoundly shaped both our national and local bar associations, leaving a legacy that will endure for years to come. Our thoughts are with Anna's family during this difficult time. We are deeply grateful for her contributions to SABA North America. She will be remembered fondly by her SABA family. 

In recognition of the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, SABA North America stands in solidarity with other affinity bar associations in advocating for DEI in the legal profession. Last week, President Keerthi Sugumaran proudly signed on to a joint statement encouraging leaders to continue prioritizing DEI work alongside Anna Mercado Clark, of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Wiley Adams of the National Bar Association, Matthew Archer-Beck of the National Native American Bar Association, Kristin Bauer of the National Association of Women Lawyers, Bendita Cynthia Malakia, Esq., CPC, ELI-MP of the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association, Daniel Mateo of the Hispanic National Bar Association, and Ronza Othman of the National Association of Blind Lawyers.   Read the full letter below, or click here to view: https://lnkd.in/gfH5uTt7

SABA North America wishes all who celebrate Happy India Independence Day!

SABA North America wishes all who celebrate Happy Pakistan Independence Day!

The next video in our Listen & Learn Series is the third installment of the three-part Secret to Success set! Part 3 showcases Rashmi, Charan, and Namita discussing the importance of being yourself and establishing your personal brand. Watch the video below! Produced by: Rashmi Chandra and Inakshi Chandra-Mohanty Edited by: Inakshi Chandra-Mohanty. Attorneys featured in part 3: Namita Shah Charan Sandhu Rashmi Chandra

The next video in our Listen & Learn Series is the second installment of the three-part Secret to Success set! Part 2 showcases Rashmi and Asha discussing personal anecdotes on the benefits of taking risks and getting out of your comfort zone. Produced by: Rashmi Chandra and Inakshi Chandra-Mohanty Edited by: Inakshi Chandra-Mohanty