On May 12, 2026, the Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego (PALSD) honored Dale Minami, Senior Counsel and co-founder of Minami Tamaki LLP, with its Legacy Award at the organization's 48th Annual Dinner at Jasmine Seafood Restaurant in San Diego.

In addition to accepting the honor, Dale delivered the evening's keynote address to a sold-out crowd of over 420 state and federal judicial officers, attorneys, elected officials, community leaders, and law students. He was introduced by U.S. District Court Judge Dana Sabraw, the Southern District's first Asian Pacific American chief judge.

Photo by Saejung Lee

"I was so lucky to have met Dale Minami and Fred Korematsu in 1993 when I invited both of them to headline a Day of Remembrance event at Stanford Law School where I was a 1L,” said San Diego County Superior Court Judge Selena Dong Epley. “Over the last 33 years I have continued to be inspired by Dale, his civil rights work and his pioneering role in the Asian Pacific American legal community.”

Judge Epley continued, saying, “I served as a deputy public defender for 19 years and then in 2014 was appointed to the San Diego Superior Court. I was delighted as the co-chair of the Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego annual dinner committee that the PALSD board unanimously agreed that Dale should be our 2026 Legacy Award recipient. We were thrilled to honor Dale's many accomplishments and hear his profound keynote address, which included the memorable words, 'dissent is not the opposite of patriotism.' ”

​“As part of a long career fighting for civil rights, Dale led the team of attorneys that overturned the unjust conviction of Fred Korematsu for refusing to obey the government's orders to join more than 120,000 people of Japanese descent (80,000 of whom were US citizens) in internment camps during WWII,” wrote dinner attendee Mark Arimoto. “It was one of the cases that sparked my interest in the law and some of my mentors and friends served on Dale's team on that landmark case. His keynote address was a stirring call to action and patriotism and a reminder of the good that our chosen profession can do.”

“(Dale's) remarks were a powerful reminder of the role lawyers play in protecting constitutional rights, particularly during moments of fear and national pressure,” said Saejung Lee, one of the dinner attendees.

Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego is dedicated to empowering APA leaders in the legal field through scholarships, mentorship, career development, and continuing legal education programs. Their work builds a strong, supportive pipeline for the next generation of legal professionals.

Photo by Korean American Bar Association of San Diego (KABA-SD)