During my term as president from 2000-2001, SCCLA achieved many milestones. Perhaps SCCLA's most significant activity was in combating the unauthorized practice of law. SCCLA's Unauthorized Practice of Law (UPL) Committee, formed to educate and protect recent immigrants from being victimized by unlicensed law practioners, was instrumental in the passage of new state legislation sponsored by Assemblymember (now State Senator) Dr. Gloria Romero regarding immigration consultants. SCCLA received a great amount of publicity in the various Chinese newspapers and in the Los Angeles Daily Journal concerning its efforts to combat UPL.

As an authorized MCLE provider, SCCLA was able to provide a record number of MCLE programs at the lowest possible cost to our members with a diversity of substantive topics such as unlawful detainers, legal ethics, patent and trademark law, disability rights, immigration law, criminal law, financial planning, accounting software for lawyers, employment discrimination, and environmental law. Most significantly, I must especially thank Phil Lam and Alexander Dai for successfully co-chairing SCCLA's signature two-day "Virtual Reality" trial skills workshop, which was taught by 16 Los Angeles Superior Court judges.

Thirdly, in continuing its support of law students, SCCLA was able to provide a record-breaking seven academic scholarships and three fellowships.

Fourthly, SCCLA continued to enhance its website, www.sccla.org, as well as improve the weekly SCCLA "e-Newsletter," thereby greatly improving its communications with its members, and making SCCLA the leader of electronic communications amongst all of the minority bar associations in Los Angeles County.

In 2000-2001, SCCLA strengthened its ties with other Asian bar associations like APABA, JABA, KABA, PABA, and the Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers' Alliance, as well as with non-Asian minority bars like the Mexican American Bar Association, Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, Black Women Lawyer's Association and the John M. Langston Bar Association. Through our efforts in networking with the Langston Bar, SCCLA helped to get Karen Nobomoto elected as the State Bar President-Elect! In addition, SCCLA also increased its involvement with the "mainstream" bar associations like the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the LACBA Barristers, and the State Bar of California, as well as with the Asian Pacific Bar of California (ABC) and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). I was thrilled to have Howard Halm of Los Angeles serve as the President of NAPABA during the same time as my presidency.

Finally, SCCLA was able to provide a myriad of opportunities to simply have fun! Special thanks to Jack Yeh for making the Westside Lawyers Lunch a big success. Also special thanks to Luci Chun who helped plan the Downtown Lawyers Lunch, the Hollywood Bowl Night, and the SCCLA/OCA/APAWLA Annual Summer Picnic. I also want to express my gratitude to Adam Ritter who organized the SCCLA/KABA/APEX Summer Associate Mixer at the Bonaventure Brewing Company, to Elaine Lu who helped with the Salsa Dance Party and Mixer at Club Soho, to Jennifer Chang and Betty Chim who organized the End-of-Summer Party at the home of Tom and Stephanie Loo, and to Justin Lum, May Chung, and Jack Yeh who helped on the SCCLA/ABL Golf Tournament at the California Country Club. I also want to thank Geoff Chin and Luci Chun (as well as Panda Express for the delicious food), for making our Holiday Reception a lot of fun! Our annual holiday Food Basket Program was able to not only feed 325 needy families, but also included a toy drive for the first time.

It was a privilege and an honor to have served as President of SCCLA. Thank you for the opportunity and for the memories!

* FRANK W. CHEN is a partner in the law firm of Ku, Fong & Chen, LLP in Los Angeles, which has an established practice in the areas of corporate, real estate, insurance, employment, business litigation, intellectual property, and international trade practice, with a specialty in serving the legal needs of the Chinese community in Southern California and in the Pacific Rim.