UABA focuses on CBS litigation, immigration law and other issues (07/11/99)

Joint Conferences of Ukrainian American Organizations

UABA focuses on CBS litigation, immigration law and other issues

by Olena W. Stercho
Special to The Ukrainian Weekly

ARLINGTON, Va. - The Ukrainian American Bar Association (UABA), one of the sponsors of the recent Joint Conferences of Ukrainian American Organizations, held its annual meeting on June 25, as a conference event. The daylong session considered organizational matters, topics of pure professional interest, and law-related Ukrainian-American subjects.

A topic of the afternoon session, "CBS" '60 Minutes' Litigation and Beyond," drew a standing-room only crowd. After a viewing of the television program segment, the four attorneys who represented the complainants against CBS offered their perspective on the lengthy litigation: Arthur Belendiuk of Smithwick & Belendiuk, outgoing UABA President Bohdanna Pochoday, outside legal advisor and FCC litigator William H. Crispin, and Askold S. Lozynskyj, president of both the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America and the Ukrainian World Congress.

Observing that the Ukrainian American community is structurally unprepared to proactively counter similar attacks, Mr. Belendiuk recommended three steps: the formation of a political action committee (PAC), creation of a stronger political voice through greater representation in Washington and better public relations.

Mr. Crispin, a recipient of an award from the Joint Conferences for his service in the case, commented from the non-Ukrainian perspective. He underscored that, in negotiating with CBS, three divides between the parties were observable: commercial (CBS's profit motive); freedom of speech (CBS's perception that the First Amendment serves as an absolute shield); and cultural (CBS's almost complete ignorance of Ukrainian history and of diaspora community life).

Mr. Crispin emphasized that the third divide was the most difficult to bridge and strongly urged Ukrainian Americans to try by telling their story often.

In addition, Ms. Pochoday outlined the legal aspects of the case, while Mr. Lozynskyj discussed the settlement. [For more detail on the viewpoints of these commentators, please see the May 23 issue of The Ukrainian Weekly.]

The UABA's morning session began with organizational matters, including introductory remarks by Ms. Pochoday, and financial reports by Bohdan Ozaruk, treasurer, and Andre Michniak, co-chair of the UABA Scholarship Fund, Inc. Peter Piddoubny offered the recommendations of the By-Laws Committee for revising the organization's by-laws. The morning concluded with two sessions: Ms. Pochoday offered pointers for building a successful law practice, while Mr. Piddoubny addressed the topic "Civil Forfeitures and Government Seizures."

Also in the afternoon, a panel was held on the "Progress of Judicial and Legal Reform in Ukraine." Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, Anton Buteiko, highlighted his view of a functional Ukrainian judicial system, focusing particularly on the Constitutional Court, U.S. Court of Federal Claims Judge Bohdan A. Futey outlined the continuing need for judicial reform culminating in the establishment of an independent judiciary. Also, Stephen B. Nix, outside legal counsel to the Ukraine Parliamentary Committee on Law Policy and Legal Reform, discussed legislative reform, while Mr. Lozynskyj spoke about the commercial law project.

Presentations concluded with Mr. Michniak's talk about the differences between how current U.S. immigration laws have treated Pavlo Lazarenko and members of the Galicia Division.

The meeting concluded with the election of the following slate of new officers: president - Mr. Piddoubny; vice-president - Mr. Michniak; treasurer - Hilary A. Kinal; secretary - Mark O. Liss. Elected to the board of governors were: Vera O. Kachnykewych, Tanya K. Karpiak, Markian B. Silecky, Andrew E. Steckiw, Andrew A. Pidgirsky, Jurij D. Fedorak, Borys J. Lewyckyj and Voldymyr Bazarko.

The UABA is a national bar association of attorneys admitted to the bar of any state and U.S. law students. It welcomes members of Ukrainian descent and those with interest in Ukrainian matters. For further information, please call 1-800- UABA-LAW.

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