U.S. Senate Confirms Harold Koh as Legal Adviser of Department of State

noemail@advancingequality.org — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, June 25, the U.S. Senate confirmed Yale Law School Dean Harold Koh as the legal adviser of the U.S. Department of State. Koh will head up the department’s legal staff, advising Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on a variety of issues. Karen K. Narasaki, president and executive director of the Asian American Justice Center, issued the following statement praising the confirmation.

“Harold Koh’s confirmation as legal adviser to the State Department is not only a great honor for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, but for our country as a whole. We applaud President Obama for his continued commitment to diversity. Koh is the first Asian American to serve in the post of legal adviser and the fourth Asian American appointee under the new administration.

As a leading expert on public and private international law, national security law and human rights, Koh is exceptionally qualified to take on these duties. He’s also a veteran to the Department after having served as an assistant secretary of state during the Clinton administration.

More than 56 Asian American and Pacific Islander organizations across the country pushed for Koh’s confirmation. Thanks to the outstanding efforts of Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who helped champion the confirmation, Koh was confirmed with a 62-35 vote.”

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The Asian American Justice Center is a national organization dedicated to defending and advancing the civil and human rights of Asian Americans. It works closely with three affiliates – the Asian American Institute in Chicago the Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco, and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center in Los Angeles – and nearly 100 community partners in 44 cities, 24 states and the District of Columbia.

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U.S. Senate Confirms Harold Koh as Legal Adviser of Department of State