Tweet
Black Robes in the Armenian Bar Association
Friday, January 9th, 2015
http://asbarez.com/130575/black-robes-in-the-armenian-bar-association/
The Honorable Claire Cecchi with Scott A. Ohnegian
Five Profiles of Judges in the Federal Sector
BY KARNIG KERKONIAN
It seems we, in the Armenian Bar Association and beyond, are compelled
to find unifying threads in the lives of the people we value. Similar
stories of origin, upbringing, influences and aspirations must
underpin, we believe, the lives of those holding similar, indeed
coveted, stations in life. It perhaps comforts one to know that there
is some teleology to the whole thing--that the path can be gleaned from
the end itself. And to some extent, of course, there is.
In glimpsing into the lives of these judges of Armenian origin within
the federal legal system , themes of ancestral l hardship, paying
homage to humble beginnings and, of course, giving back to their
community abound--and for good reason, of course. But what overwhelmed
me in reading these interviews is just how much more interesting
everything else was. I heard voices of homage but also of
self-satisfaction, echoes of humility but also of pride, reflections
of drive but also of disenchantment. We are a complicated people,
indeed: it is clear in considering these profiles that our history in
the deserts escapes none of us, that our titles hide nothing of our
historic disenfranchisement and, that our future may never outpace the
memory of whence we came. You will see these themes in these
interviews--each judge reflecting on them differently, each
contextualizing the impact personally and, of course, each teaching
the practical lessons of their path to the bench, and for the future,
with a tenor uniquely theirs.
And this is what one should expect when one inquires, as we did, as to
what advice a judge would give to young Armenian-American lawyers.
Each was ready to teach, to impart. This, of course, is an amazing
thing--something for which we, as the Armenian Bar Association, are
most appreciative. But, there is so much more that was compelling in
their responses. In reading the interviews, I challenge you to read
more deeply, to study more critically and to think more broadly about
our interviewees and their reflections. Look beyond their positions
and even their common heritage, and capture what emerges in some as
resounding bells and in others as a marked whisper: that, even in
achievement, there is always something more that must be sought; that,
even in our hardship, there is always something that must be
celebrated; and that, even in our confident identity, there is always
something that is steadily changing.
We would like to thank our interviewees for their graciousness and, of
course, our interviewers for bringing their meaningful stories to us.
The Honorable Larry Alan Burns
Honorable Larry Alan Burns
U.S. Federal District Judge for the Southern District of California
Judge Burns started our conversation with "Parev, inch bes es?" I knew
this was going to be a very friendly and pleasant conversation,
particularly as he recounted to me that he has been married for 35
years and tells his wife all the time that his next wife will be
Armenian. He attributed much, including a long and successful
marriage, back to his Armenian roots and the fact that he is a
religious individual. He insisted that being a good person has led him
to have a blessed life, for which he has immense gratitude and then
reminded me: "God's providence has had implications on culture and
people as well."
Judge Burns was nominated to the federal bench in the Southern
District of California by President George W. Bush in 2003, and
confirmed shortly thereafter by a 91-0 U.S. Senate confirmation vote.
Previously, he had served a magistrate judge in the same court and,
prior to that, a state and federal prosecutor. His passion for trying
cases was unavoidable as he recounted his own experiences and offered
advice that every attorney, at some point, should try cases and not
shy away from sitting first or second chair in at least a handful of
trials. His most important piece of advice, however, was abundantly
clear: "Always consider your reputation in any action you take as a
lawyer." Reflecting on his 36 years of experience, Judge Burns added:
"Law isn't everything--it's just your chosen profession" and
recommended that attorneys should strive to strike a balance among
family, health and work. One of his few regrets, he said, was not
taking more time to enjoy his life along the way.
Considering the achievements of the Armenian-American community, Judge
Burns stated matter-of-factly: "Of course we are successful, we are
Armenian." He described the collective Armenian people as industrious,
hard-working, smart, and highly-motivated--a people who are able to
overcome adversity. In fact, he attributed his own personal success to
the fact that he is half-Armenian. He recalled with visible somberness
that his grandfather only survived the Armenian Genocide because his
mother hid him beneath her undergarments and bribed a Turkish guard to
secure their escape. These and similar stories of survival, reminded
Judge Burns, have had a profound impact in shaping our people. He
remains proud to carry his heritage forward by hiring Armenian law
students when he can and maintaining a close relationship with his
local Armenian church: "As Armenians, we have overcome a great deal
and, therefore, we each must do our part to advance our collective
interest."
Honorable Claire Cecchi
U.S. Federal District Judge for the District of New Jersey
Claire (Chadirjian) Cecchi was raised in Whitestone, New York, the
daughter of second generation Armenian-American parents. She explained
that her ancestors came with nothing but their traditions, hoping to
build a better life for themselves and their offspring. They were
proud to be Americans, overcoming great obstacles as did other
immigrant groups while, at the same time, true to the great moral
courage and work ethic of the first generation of Armenian-Americans.
She considers Armenian-Americans' greatest achievement as becoming an
integral part of building this country, living the American dream, and
distinguishing themselves in the arts, politics, law and business.
Judge Cecchi grew up and attended the Bronx High School of Science,
Barnard College, Columbia University and Fordham University School of
Law in New York City, the original American melting pot. She met her
husband, James Cecchi, on her first day of law school. She believed
that becoming a lawyer would give her a unique opportunity to give
back to the community. Judge Cecchi's first post-law school position
was in the office of the Corporation Counsel of New York City, then on
to private practice as a litigator in New Jersey for 24 years until
being selected as a United States Magistrate Judge. Judge Cecchi was
then nominated by President Obama to the United States District Court
for the District of New Jersey where she continues to serve today. Her
advice to newly admitted or aspiring attorneys is to be courteous and
civil while remaining a strong advocate. Excellent attorneys, she
maintains, present all facts to the Court, even those that are not
favorable, and they know when to yield an argument if their position
is not strong.
She is always mindful of how we, as Armenian-Americans, have
distinguished ourselves in many fields and finds it inspiring to look
back upon her own family--and to remember what they did to make what
she and the rest of us have today possible. Judge Cecchi views our
role going forward as working to ensure that, as time passes, our
children continue to learn about our great cultural heritage: "If we
do that, we forge a bond between ourselves and our past and, in doing
so, maintain our ongoing success within the multicultural American
community."
The Honorable Jacqueline Chooljian
Honorable Jacqueline Chooljian
Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court of the Central
District of California
"As I'm not quite five feet tall, it's a definite novelty and not an
unattractive perk of the job to be the tallest person in the room when
I sit on the elevated bench in the courtroom," says Judge Chooljian.
When she was applying to the bench, there were no female Armenian
judges in the country, she remembers--a fact that is no longer the
case. She loves the intellectual challenge of "getting to drill down"
to the facts and make educated decisions in a variety of areas of the
law, and reminded us that "the civilized and peaceful resolution of
disputes/conflicts - especially when one looks around the world today
- is a heck of a lot better than the alternative." One of her
motivations to become a federal magistrate judge, was "so that other
Armenian female lawyers/aspiring lawyers . . . could see that being a
federal judge was a realistic possibility for them."
Judge Chooljian's career path was certainly marked with achievement.
Upon graduation, she clerked for U.S. Federal District Judge
Alicemarie H. Stotler, then spent two years working at Gibson, Dunn &
Crutcher. She then spent the bulk of her legal career at the United
States Attorney's Office in Los Angeles prosecuting a variety of
federal criminal cases. Reflecting on opportunities available to
lawyers seeking federal experience, she recommended that members of
the bar should take advantage of the many possibilities available in
Los Angeles, such as volunteering to work on a pro se civil rights
cases, undertaking limited engagements to assist with discovery or
motions, and even participating in pro se clinics where lawyers can
volunteer for discrete hours at a time.
Judge Chooljian is proud that Armenians have made contributions to
American society in many fields such as law, medicine, literature,
politics and others while, at the same time, retaining a unique
cultural identity. "We, like many other ethnic groups, contribute to
the rich cultural fabric that makes America what it is." She concluded
with a thought: "Maintaining that balance of being modern American
citizens but retaining our unique cultural identity will always be the
challenge--ensuring that our 'Armenianness' doesn't melt away in this
great melting pot that is America."
Honorable Amy C. Hoogasian
United States Immigration Judge with the U.S. Department of Justice's
Executive Office for Immigration Review
Judge Amy C. Hoogasian grew up in suburban Chicago--under the
encouraging eye of her late father, the Hon. Jack Hoogasian and her
lawyer mom, Claudia Aho Hoogasian. The late Judge Hoogasian served on
the Board of Governors of the Armenian Bar Association as did the
current Judge Hoogasian. Her father's election as a Circuit Court
Judge certainly motivated her to pursue a career in law, she recalled.
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she
attended The John Marshall Law School in Chicago and also studied law
at Uppsala Universitet in Sweden. Her passion for international law
was born of her family's history--her grandparents' ship manifests
evidencing their arrival to Ellis Island in 1923 adorn the wall in her
chambers and, she added, serve as a constant reminder of her
grandparents' hardship in immigrating to the United States.
The Honorable Amy C. Hoogasian
Like her father and mother, Judge Hoogasian served as a county
prosecutor when she graduated from law school. Her interest in
environmental law then led her to a position with the Illinois
Pollution Control Commission where she served as a hearing officer
writing hundreds of decisions. In 1999, she joined the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a
prosecutor. Looking to broaden her experience, Judge Hoogasian then
served as chief counsel to Illinois-based Uline Inc., a
privately-held, billion-dollar company, launching and managing its
in-house legal department. In 2010, Judge Hoogasian applied for and
was appointed a U.S. Immigration Judge in San Francisco, California
where she currently serves.
Throughout her career, Judge Hoogasian has taken the time to mentor
law students and attorneys. She maintained that the decision to become
a judge was not necessarily part of an overall plan but makes sense
now as she looks back and connects the dots--even tracing the dots back
to the steps her Armenian grandparents and Finnish ancestors took to
come to America. Judge Hoogasian said it reminded her of a quote from
Steve Jobs, who once said, "[y]ou can't connect the dots looking
forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to
trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future[.]" So true,
in the case of Judge Hoogasian.
The Honorable Dickran M. Tevrizian, Jr.
Honorable Dickran M. Tevrizian, Jr. (Ret.)
Former U.S. Federal District Judge for the Central District of California
"I was a big fan of the Andy Hardy movies starring Mickey Rooney,"
said Judge Tevrizian, "where Andy Hardy's father was a Judge, and I
thought that was really cool." Judge Tevrizian was only 31 years old
when he joined the California municipal bench after having made
partner at the Law Offices of Kirtland and Packard only two years
earlier. He served on the Los Angeles Municipal Bench for 4 years and
then in the Superior Court for 6 years. He was appointed by President
Ronald Reagan as a United States Federal District Court Judge for the
Central District of California in 1985. Today, he is retired from the
federal bench and, in addition to being a mediator/arbitrator with
JAMS, he serves on the legal advisory board for Legal Zoom and the
AGBU.
His advice to aspiring attorneys was specific: "Go to college and get
a technical background in science, computer science, medicine, or
chemical engineering." He insisted that diverse course experience is
essential and, moreover, that law schools and the legal profession are
looking for people with technical and engineering backgrounds.
Interestingly, after law school Judge Tevrizian worked for the
accounting firm of Arthur Andersen before beginning his career in law.
He believes that the legal profession is in need for more stability
and more professionalism and that a change in such direction is
necessary.
Judge Tevrizian's efforts to assist the Armenian Bar Association and
mentor numerous Armenian lawyers has been important to bringing
cohesion to, and awareness of, the Armenian legal community,
particularly in southern California. That said, he views the
contributions of the Armenian community to the American society in a
broader context: "Our contributions are no different from the other
ethnic communities with regard to the cultural contributions they made
to make America a diverse mosaic of interests." And his advice for
what the Armenian community must do moving forward is as pragmatic as
it is aspirational: "We need to reduce the number of Armenian
defendants in the criminal justice system." Together with our
achievements as Armenian-Americans, there are certainly difficulties
we must face--and this particular challenge weighs heavily on the mind
of Judge Tevrizian.
Afterword
As we reflect on these thoughts, we should not forget how fortunate we
are as an Armenian Bar Association to have among us judges in the
federal system whose stories show us the possibility of achievement
within the greater American legal community and whose consciences
remain steadfast on the challenges we face as Armenian-Americans. We
thank each of the judges for allowing us the opportunity to bring
their stories to you, and we trust you have found these brief insights
meaningful.
The interviews above proceeded with the following pairings, Judge
Larry Burns with Vanna Kitsinian, Judge Claire Cecchi with Scott A.
Ohnegian, Judge Jacqueline Chooljian with Saro Kerkonian and Lucy
Varpetian, Judge Amy Hoogasian with Haig Baghdassarian, and Judge
Dickran Tevrizian with Tina Odjaghian.
Karnig Kerkonian, from Chicago, is a distinguished graduate magna cum
laude of Harvard University who holds two law degrees--a Doctorate in
Law from the University of Chicago and a post-doctoral Diploma in
International Law from Cambridge University, England. Since 1999,
Karnig has represented numerous U.S. companies and multinational
entities in transactional matters as well as complex business
litigation matters. He is well recognized for his work in
international law, both public and private, and has been tapped as
specialized counsel in cross-border matters as well as a leading
speaker before law associations on various international legal issues.
Haig Baghdassarian, from San Francisco, is the principal attorney of
the Law Office of Haig Baghdassarian. He has extensive experience
advising clients and litigating labor and employment, municipal law,
and governmental relations matters. Haig also has an active
immigration law practice, handling most aspects of immigration issues,
including asylum claims, family-based petitions and employment and
investor based immigration matters. He is a graduate of Hastings Law
School.
Saro Kerkonian, from Glendale, has been an attorney for 26 years and
is a partner in the firm of Kerkonian & Chakerian, LLP, where the
practice areas include workers' compensation, personal injury and
social security law. He is certified by the California State Bar as a
specialist in the field of workers' compensation law. Besides his
family and law practice, Saro has devoted his life to the Armenian Bar
Association of which he is a founding member and a current Executive
Committee and Board Member.
Vanna Kitsinian, from Los Angeles, who is a member of the Armenian
Bar's Board of Governors, is a graduate of Pepperdine University
School of Law, where she was a member of the Law Review. Vanna's
practice is in civil litigation matters with an emphasis on
pharmaceutical liability, product liability and personal injury cases.
Tina Odjaghian, from Los Angeles, who is the newest member of the
Armenian Bar's Board of Governors, practices workers' compensation
litigation with an emphasis on complex and high-stakes brain injury
litigation. Tina also represents a select group of insurance companies
and self-insured employers in workers' compensation matters. She is a
graduate of Loyola Law School.
Scott A. Ohnegian, from northern New Jersey, is co-chair of Riker
Danzig Scherer Hyland Perretti, LLP's Labor & Employment Group. He
focuses on the representation of management in litigating federal and
state employment matters including claims involving allegations of
discrimination, whistleblowing, harassment, Sarbanes-Oxley
retaliation, misappropriation of trade secrets and restrictive
covenant claims.
Lucy Varpetian, from Los Angeles, is a Senior Assistant City Attorney
in the Office of the Glendale City Attorney, where she focuses on
general municipal transactional matters. She is a graduate of
Southwestern University School of Law, and the former President of the
Glendale Bar Association and former Executive Director of the Armenian
Bar Association.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Friday, January 9th, 2015
http://asbarez.com/130575/black-robes-in-the-armenian-bar-association/
The Honorable Claire Cecchi with Scott A. Ohnegian
Five Profiles of Judges in the Federal Sector
BY KARNIG KERKONIAN
It seems we, in the Armenian Bar Association and beyond, are compelled
to find unifying threads in the lives of the people we value. Similar
stories of origin, upbringing, influences and aspirations must
underpin, we believe, the lives of those holding similar, indeed
coveted, stations in life. It perhaps comforts one to know that there
is some teleology to the whole thing--that the path can be gleaned from
the end itself. And to some extent, of course, there is.
In glimpsing into the lives of these judges of Armenian origin within
the federal legal system , themes of ancestral l hardship, paying
homage to humble beginnings and, of course, giving back to their
community abound--and for good reason, of course. But what overwhelmed
me in reading these interviews is just how much more interesting
everything else was. I heard voices of homage but also of
self-satisfaction, echoes of humility but also of pride, reflections
of drive but also of disenchantment. We are a complicated people,
indeed: it is clear in considering these profiles that our history in
the deserts escapes none of us, that our titles hide nothing of our
historic disenfranchisement and, that our future may never outpace the
memory of whence we came. You will see these themes in these
interviews--each judge reflecting on them differently, each
contextualizing the impact personally and, of course, each teaching
the practical lessons of their path to the bench, and for the future,
with a tenor uniquely theirs.
And this is what one should expect when one inquires, as we did, as to
what advice a judge would give to young Armenian-American lawyers.
Each was ready to teach, to impart. This, of course, is an amazing
thing--something for which we, as the Armenian Bar Association, are
most appreciative. But, there is so much more that was compelling in
their responses. In reading the interviews, I challenge you to read
more deeply, to study more critically and to think more broadly about
our interviewees and their reflections. Look beyond their positions
and even their common heritage, and capture what emerges in some as
resounding bells and in others as a marked whisper: that, even in
achievement, there is always something more that must be sought; that,
even in our hardship, there is always something that must be
celebrated; and that, even in our confident identity, there is always
something that is steadily changing.
We would like to thank our interviewees for their graciousness and, of
course, our interviewers for bringing their meaningful stories to us.
The Honorable Larry Alan Burns
Honorable Larry Alan Burns
U.S. Federal District Judge for the Southern District of California
Judge Burns started our conversation with "Parev, inch bes es?" I knew
this was going to be a very friendly and pleasant conversation,
particularly as he recounted to me that he has been married for 35
years and tells his wife all the time that his next wife will be
Armenian. He attributed much, including a long and successful
marriage, back to his Armenian roots and the fact that he is a
religious individual. He insisted that being a good person has led him
to have a blessed life, for which he has immense gratitude and then
reminded me: "God's providence has had implications on culture and
people as well."
Judge Burns was nominated to the federal bench in the Southern
District of California by President George W. Bush in 2003, and
confirmed shortly thereafter by a 91-0 U.S. Senate confirmation vote.
Previously, he had served a magistrate judge in the same court and,
prior to that, a state and federal prosecutor. His passion for trying
cases was unavoidable as he recounted his own experiences and offered
advice that every attorney, at some point, should try cases and not
shy away from sitting first or second chair in at least a handful of
trials. His most important piece of advice, however, was abundantly
clear: "Always consider your reputation in any action you take as a
lawyer." Reflecting on his 36 years of experience, Judge Burns added:
"Law isn't everything--it's just your chosen profession" and
recommended that attorneys should strive to strike a balance among
family, health and work. One of his few regrets, he said, was not
taking more time to enjoy his life along the way.
Considering the achievements of the Armenian-American community, Judge
Burns stated matter-of-factly: "Of course we are successful, we are
Armenian." He described the collective Armenian people as industrious,
hard-working, smart, and highly-motivated--a people who are able to
overcome adversity. In fact, he attributed his own personal success to
the fact that he is half-Armenian. He recalled with visible somberness
that his grandfather only survived the Armenian Genocide because his
mother hid him beneath her undergarments and bribed a Turkish guard to
secure their escape. These and similar stories of survival, reminded
Judge Burns, have had a profound impact in shaping our people. He
remains proud to carry his heritage forward by hiring Armenian law
students when he can and maintaining a close relationship with his
local Armenian church: "As Armenians, we have overcome a great deal
and, therefore, we each must do our part to advance our collective
interest."
Honorable Claire Cecchi
U.S. Federal District Judge for the District of New Jersey
Claire (Chadirjian) Cecchi was raised in Whitestone, New York, the
daughter of second generation Armenian-American parents. She explained
that her ancestors came with nothing but their traditions, hoping to
build a better life for themselves and their offspring. They were
proud to be Americans, overcoming great obstacles as did other
immigrant groups while, at the same time, true to the great moral
courage and work ethic of the first generation of Armenian-Americans.
She considers Armenian-Americans' greatest achievement as becoming an
integral part of building this country, living the American dream, and
distinguishing themselves in the arts, politics, law and business.
Judge Cecchi grew up and attended the Bronx High School of Science,
Barnard College, Columbia University and Fordham University School of
Law in New York City, the original American melting pot. She met her
husband, James Cecchi, on her first day of law school. She believed
that becoming a lawyer would give her a unique opportunity to give
back to the community. Judge Cecchi's first post-law school position
was in the office of the Corporation Counsel of New York City, then on
to private practice as a litigator in New Jersey for 24 years until
being selected as a United States Magistrate Judge. Judge Cecchi was
then nominated by President Obama to the United States District Court
for the District of New Jersey where she continues to serve today. Her
advice to newly admitted or aspiring attorneys is to be courteous and
civil while remaining a strong advocate. Excellent attorneys, she
maintains, present all facts to the Court, even those that are not
favorable, and they know when to yield an argument if their position
is not strong.
She is always mindful of how we, as Armenian-Americans, have
distinguished ourselves in many fields and finds it inspiring to look
back upon her own family--and to remember what they did to make what
she and the rest of us have today possible. Judge Cecchi views our
role going forward as working to ensure that, as time passes, our
children continue to learn about our great cultural heritage: "If we
do that, we forge a bond between ourselves and our past and, in doing
so, maintain our ongoing success within the multicultural American
community."
The Honorable Jacqueline Chooljian
Honorable Jacqueline Chooljian
Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court of the Central
District of California
"As I'm not quite five feet tall, it's a definite novelty and not an
unattractive perk of the job to be the tallest person in the room when
I sit on the elevated bench in the courtroom," says Judge Chooljian.
When she was applying to the bench, there were no female Armenian
judges in the country, she remembers--a fact that is no longer the
case. She loves the intellectual challenge of "getting to drill down"
to the facts and make educated decisions in a variety of areas of the
law, and reminded us that "the civilized and peaceful resolution of
disputes/conflicts - especially when one looks around the world today
- is a heck of a lot better than the alternative." One of her
motivations to become a federal magistrate judge, was "so that other
Armenian female lawyers/aspiring lawyers . . . could see that being a
federal judge was a realistic possibility for them."
Judge Chooljian's career path was certainly marked with achievement.
Upon graduation, she clerked for U.S. Federal District Judge
Alicemarie H. Stotler, then spent two years working at Gibson, Dunn &
Crutcher. She then spent the bulk of her legal career at the United
States Attorney's Office in Los Angeles prosecuting a variety of
federal criminal cases. Reflecting on opportunities available to
lawyers seeking federal experience, she recommended that members of
the bar should take advantage of the many possibilities available in
Los Angeles, such as volunteering to work on a pro se civil rights
cases, undertaking limited engagements to assist with discovery or
motions, and even participating in pro se clinics where lawyers can
volunteer for discrete hours at a time.
Judge Chooljian is proud that Armenians have made contributions to
American society in many fields such as law, medicine, literature,
politics and others while, at the same time, retaining a unique
cultural identity. "We, like many other ethnic groups, contribute to
the rich cultural fabric that makes America what it is." She concluded
with a thought: "Maintaining that balance of being modern American
citizens but retaining our unique cultural identity will always be the
challenge--ensuring that our 'Armenianness' doesn't melt away in this
great melting pot that is America."
Honorable Amy C. Hoogasian
United States Immigration Judge with the U.S. Department of Justice's
Executive Office for Immigration Review
Judge Amy C. Hoogasian grew up in suburban Chicago--under the
encouraging eye of her late father, the Hon. Jack Hoogasian and her
lawyer mom, Claudia Aho Hoogasian. The late Judge Hoogasian served on
the Board of Governors of the Armenian Bar Association as did the
current Judge Hoogasian. Her father's election as a Circuit Court
Judge certainly motivated her to pursue a career in law, she recalled.
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she
attended The John Marshall Law School in Chicago and also studied law
at Uppsala Universitet in Sweden. Her passion for international law
was born of her family's history--her grandparents' ship manifests
evidencing their arrival to Ellis Island in 1923 adorn the wall in her
chambers and, she added, serve as a constant reminder of her
grandparents' hardship in immigrating to the United States.
The Honorable Amy C. Hoogasian
Like her father and mother, Judge Hoogasian served as a county
prosecutor when she graduated from law school. Her interest in
environmental law then led her to a position with the Illinois
Pollution Control Commission where she served as a hearing officer
writing hundreds of decisions. In 1999, she joined the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a
prosecutor. Looking to broaden her experience, Judge Hoogasian then
served as chief counsel to Illinois-based Uline Inc., a
privately-held, billion-dollar company, launching and managing its
in-house legal department. In 2010, Judge Hoogasian applied for and
was appointed a U.S. Immigration Judge in San Francisco, California
where she currently serves.
Throughout her career, Judge Hoogasian has taken the time to mentor
law students and attorneys. She maintained that the decision to become
a judge was not necessarily part of an overall plan but makes sense
now as she looks back and connects the dots--even tracing the dots back
to the steps her Armenian grandparents and Finnish ancestors took to
come to America. Judge Hoogasian said it reminded her of a quote from
Steve Jobs, who once said, "[y]ou can't connect the dots looking
forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to
trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future[.]" So true,
in the case of Judge Hoogasian.
The Honorable Dickran M. Tevrizian, Jr.
Honorable Dickran M. Tevrizian, Jr. (Ret.)
Former U.S. Federal District Judge for the Central District of California
"I was a big fan of the Andy Hardy movies starring Mickey Rooney,"
said Judge Tevrizian, "where Andy Hardy's father was a Judge, and I
thought that was really cool." Judge Tevrizian was only 31 years old
when he joined the California municipal bench after having made
partner at the Law Offices of Kirtland and Packard only two years
earlier. He served on the Los Angeles Municipal Bench for 4 years and
then in the Superior Court for 6 years. He was appointed by President
Ronald Reagan as a United States Federal District Court Judge for the
Central District of California in 1985. Today, he is retired from the
federal bench and, in addition to being a mediator/arbitrator with
JAMS, he serves on the legal advisory board for Legal Zoom and the
AGBU.
His advice to aspiring attorneys was specific: "Go to college and get
a technical background in science, computer science, medicine, or
chemical engineering." He insisted that diverse course experience is
essential and, moreover, that law schools and the legal profession are
looking for people with technical and engineering backgrounds.
Interestingly, after law school Judge Tevrizian worked for the
accounting firm of Arthur Andersen before beginning his career in law.
He believes that the legal profession is in need for more stability
and more professionalism and that a change in such direction is
necessary.
Judge Tevrizian's efforts to assist the Armenian Bar Association and
mentor numerous Armenian lawyers has been important to bringing
cohesion to, and awareness of, the Armenian legal community,
particularly in southern California. That said, he views the
contributions of the Armenian community to the American society in a
broader context: "Our contributions are no different from the other
ethnic communities with regard to the cultural contributions they made
to make America a diverse mosaic of interests." And his advice for
what the Armenian community must do moving forward is as pragmatic as
it is aspirational: "We need to reduce the number of Armenian
defendants in the criminal justice system." Together with our
achievements as Armenian-Americans, there are certainly difficulties
we must face--and this particular challenge weighs heavily on the mind
of Judge Tevrizian.
Afterword
As we reflect on these thoughts, we should not forget how fortunate we
are as an Armenian Bar Association to have among us judges in the
federal system whose stories show us the possibility of achievement
within the greater American legal community and whose consciences
remain steadfast on the challenges we face as Armenian-Americans. We
thank each of the judges for allowing us the opportunity to bring
their stories to you, and we trust you have found these brief insights
meaningful.
The interviews above proceeded with the following pairings, Judge
Larry Burns with Vanna Kitsinian, Judge Claire Cecchi with Scott A.
Ohnegian, Judge Jacqueline Chooljian with Saro Kerkonian and Lucy
Varpetian, Judge Amy Hoogasian with Haig Baghdassarian, and Judge
Dickran Tevrizian with Tina Odjaghian.
Karnig Kerkonian, from Chicago, is a distinguished graduate magna cum
laude of Harvard University who holds two law degrees--a Doctorate in
Law from the University of Chicago and a post-doctoral Diploma in
International Law from Cambridge University, England. Since 1999,
Karnig has represented numerous U.S. companies and multinational
entities in transactional matters as well as complex business
litigation matters. He is well recognized for his work in
international law, both public and private, and has been tapped as
specialized counsel in cross-border matters as well as a leading
speaker before law associations on various international legal issues.
Haig Baghdassarian, from San Francisco, is the principal attorney of
the Law Office of Haig Baghdassarian. He has extensive experience
advising clients and litigating labor and employment, municipal law,
and governmental relations matters. Haig also has an active
immigration law practice, handling most aspects of immigration issues,
including asylum claims, family-based petitions and employment and
investor based immigration matters. He is a graduate of Hastings Law
School.
Saro Kerkonian, from Glendale, has been an attorney for 26 years and
is a partner in the firm of Kerkonian & Chakerian, LLP, where the
practice areas include workers' compensation, personal injury and
social security law. He is certified by the California State Bar as a
specialist in the field of workers' compensation law. Besides his
family and law practice, Saro has devoted his life to the Armenian Bar
Association of which he is a founding member and a current Executive
Committee and Board Member.
Vanna Kitsinian, from Los Angeles, who is a member of the Armenian
Bar's Board of Governors, is a graduate of Pepperdine University
School of Law, where she was a member of the Law Review. Vanna's
practice is in civil litigation matters with an emphasis on
pharmaceutical liability, product liability and personal injury cases.
Tina Odjaghian, from Los Angeles, who is the newest member of the
Armenian Bar's Board of Governors, practices workers' compensation
litigation with an emphasis on complex and high-stakes brain injury
litigation. Tina also represents a select group of insurance companies
and self-insured employers in workers' compensation matters. She is a
graduate of Loyola Law School.
Scott A. Ohnegian, from northern New Jersey, is co-chair of Riker
Danzig Scherer Hyland Perretti, LLP's Labor & Employment Group. He
focuses on the representation of management in litigating federal and
state employment matters including claims involving allegations of
discrimination, whistleblowing, harassment, Sarbanes-Oxley
retaliation, misappropriation of trade secrets and restrictive
covenant claims.
Lucy Varpetian, from Los Angeles, is a Senior Assistant City Attorney
in the Office of the Glendale City Attorney, where she focuses on
general municipal transactional matters. She is a graduate of
Southwestern University School of Law, and the former President of the
Glendale Bar Association and former Executive Director of the Armenian
Bar Association.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress