Friday, September 7, 2001
Page 3
Metropolitan News-Enterprise Chooses Karen Nobumoto as ‘Person of the Year’
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Incoming State Bar President Karen Nobumoto has been selected as the Metropolitan News-Enterprise’s “person of the year” for 2001, it was announced yesterday.
MetNews co-publisher Jo-Ann W. Grace said that Nobumoto, a Los Angeles deputy district attorney, is an “extremely dynamic leader whose stewardship of the State Bar over the next year is bound to reshape that organization for the better.”
She noted that Nobumoto had “broad-based business experience prior to becoming an attorney” which, Grace predicted, will aid her in the year ahead.
Nobumoto, who will be sworn in as president tomorrow, will be feted by the MetNews Jan. 25 at a black-tie dinner at the Regal Biltmore Hotel and will be spotlighted in the Dec. 31 issue of the newspaper, Grace said.
Nobumoto will be the twentieth person to receive the award. Former persons of the year include Court of Appeal Presiding Justice Mildred Lillie, 1983; the late California Supreme Court Justice Stanley Mosk, 1984; the late Court of Appeal Presiding Justice Lester Wm. Roth, 1985; the late Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Kathleen Parker, 1986; then-Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Billy G. Mills (since retired), 1987; then-Los Angeles Superior Court Executive Officer Frank Zolin, 1988 (now retired); then-Court of Appeal Justice Lynn “Buck” Compton (since retired), 1989; Court of Appeal Justice Miriam Vogel and then-State Bar President (now Court of Appeal Presiding Justice) Charles Vogel, 1990; Court of Appeal Presiding Justice Vaino Spencer, 1991; and Court of Appeal Presiding Justice Joan Dempsey Klein, 1992
Other recipients of the award are then-Los Angeles Superior Court Presiding Judge (now Court of Appeal Justice) Robert Mallano, 1993; Court of Appeal Justice Norman Epstein, 1994; then-California Attorney General Dan Lungren, 1995; California Chief Justice Ronald George, 1996; Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Victor E. Chavez (then assistant presiding judge), 1997; U.S. District Court Judge Ronald S.W. Lew, 1998; Los Angeles Sheriff Lee Baca, 1999, and Judicial Appointments Secretary Burt Pines, 2000.
Nobumoto received her law degree from Southwestern University School of Law in 1989, and was admitted to practice the same year. She immediately joined the Office of District Attorney.
In 1997, she became president of the Langston Bar Assn., and was elected to the State Bar Board of Governors the following year.
Copyright 2001, Metropolitan News Company