Japanese American Bar Association

What Japanese American Bar Association does

The Japanese American Bar Association (JABA) is a nonprofit professional bar association founded in 1977 in Los Angeles, California, serving Japanese American judges, attorneys, and law students. Its mission centers on supporting the Japanese American legal community through tiered membership, networking events, mentorship programs, and scholarships administered via the affiliated JABA Educational Foundation, a 501(c)(3) established in 2006. JABA also engages in public advocacy, notably becoming the first bar association in California to endorse the state reparations task force in 2022, and hosts a signature Annual Installation and Awards Dinner (49th edition held in 2026, honoring Justice Sonia Sotomayor with a Lifetime Achievement Award).

The association generates revenue through three primary channels: individual membership dues structured across tiers ($30 student, $100+ standard, $1,000 lifetime), corporate sponsorships and table sales for the annual gala and other events, and tax-deductible donations to the Educational Foundation. Geographic footprint extends beyond the Los Angeles base to regional committees in Orange County, San Diego, and Chicago. The technology stack is minimal and association-typical — a content website (jabaonline.org), social media presence, and recently deployed AI-based accessibility tooling for WCAG compliance. There are no proprietary technology products, no software revenue line, and no technology-focused hiring signals visible in source material.

Name

Japanese American Bar Association

Legal name

Japanese American Bar Association

Website

https://jabaonline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Japanese American Bar Association is a nonprofit professional bar association founded in 1977 serving Japanese American judges, attorneys, and law students through tiered membership, mentorship programs, scholarships via its educational foundation, and annual galas primarily in California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees ranging from free for non-California practitioners and new admittees to $1,000 for lifetime membership. Provides recurring annual revenue from practicing attorneys, sustaining members, and lifetime members.
2. Gala Sponsorships and Ticket Sales: Annual installation and awards gala generates revenue through table sponsorships at various levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Tribute), individual tickets, and corporate sponsorships from law firms and companies.
3. Donations to JABA Educational Foundation: Tax-deductible donations to the 501(c)(3) educational foundation supporting law student scholarships. Donations accepted via website and mail.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

JABA is a professional bar association providing tiered membership services to legal professionals (judges, attorneys, law students) with ties to the Japanese American community. Its core offerings include annual membership subscriptions, mentorship programs pairing law students and young attorneys with seasoned practitioners, scholarships for law students through the JABA Educational Foundation, judicial candidate mentoring, and an annual installation and awards gala.

Product overview

JABA is a professional bar association providing membership services to legal professionals with ties to the Japanese American community. The organization offers a tiered membership program, a mentorship program pairing law students with experienced attorneys, and scholarships through its educational foundation (JEF). Additional services include the JABA Attorneys List for public referrals, judicial candidate mentoring, and annual events including galas and networking functions. The organization publishes regular newsletters and coordinates regional committees in Chicago, Orange County, and San Diego.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• JABA Educational Foundation (JEF): The scholarship arm of JABA that awards scholarships to law students and recent graduates connected to the Japanese American and/or API community

Products and services

• JABA Membership Tiered annual professional membership for legal professionals with ties to the Japanese American community. Includes free options for non-California practitioners and new admittees, paid tiers ($30 for 1-3 years of practice, $50 for 4+ years, $100 sustaining), and a $1,000 lifetime membership. Members gain access to networking, mentorship, events, and the JABA community.
• JABA Mentorship Program Structured program pairing law students and young attorneys with seasoned JABA practitioners in mentorship families, fostering long-term professional relationships and career guidance. Applications submitted via Google Forms.
• JABA Educational Foundation (JEF) Scholarships Scholarship awards from the JABA Educational Foundation (a 501(c)(3) entity) for deserving law students and recent law school graduates with connections to the Japanese American and/or API community. Scholarships are named after Justice John F. Aiso, Justice Stephen K. Tamura, and Elmer Yamamoto, and include funding from the LimNexus Foundation.
• Judicial Candidate Mentoring Program Program connecting attorneys interested in judicial appointments with members of the bench, providing guidance on becoming judges or commissioners. Coordinated by Judicial Appointments Committee Chair Mike Madokoro.
• JABA Attorneys List Public directory of JABA members who volunteer to be listed, providing a community resource for individuals seeking attorneys with Japanese American community connections.
• Annual Installation and Awards Gala Annual black-tie gala celebrating JABA's achievements, featuring installation of new officers and recognition of Lifetime Achievement, Legacy, and Community Impact award recipients. Includes table sponsorships (Bronze through Tribute levels) and individual ticket sales.
• JABA Newsletters Regular newsletters featuring community spotlights, news, and updates about the organization and its members, distributed to members and published on the JABA website.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & SuitescoreOthers · 9 February 2026Venue partner for the 49th Annual Installation and Awards Dinner. Located at 404 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, California 90071. Enhanced security measures in place for the event.
• Omni Los Angeles HotelcoreOthersVenue for the 48th Annual Installation and Awards Gala. Located at 251 S Olive St, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Provided hotel room rate discounts for gala guests.
• Crowell & Moring LLPcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor of the 46th JABA Gala. Major law firm partner supporting JABA events and programs.
• Bowman and Brooke LLPcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor of the 46th JABA Gala. Law firm partner supporting JABA events and programs.
• BuchaltercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor of the 46th JABA Gala. Law firm partner supporting JABA events and programs.
• Sidley Austin LLPcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor of the 46th JABA Gala. Major international law firm supporting JABA events.
• Greenberg Glusker LLPcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor of the 46th JABA Gala. Los Angeles-based law firm supporting JABA programs.
• Davis Wright Tremaine LLPcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor of the 46th JABA Gala. National law firm supporting JABA events.
• Latham & Watkins LLPcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor of the 46th JABA Gala. One of the world's largest law firms supporting JABA.
• Littler MendelsoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor of the 46th JABA Gala. Labor and employment law firm supporting JABA programs.
• O'Melveny & Myers LLPcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor of the 46th JABA Gala. Major international law firm supporting JABA events.
• Little Tokyo Service CentercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner sponsor of the 46th JABA Gala. Nonprofit organization promoting community control in Little Tokyo.
• California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African AmericanscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJABA was the first bar association in California to endorse the Task Force's Interim Report documenting harms from slavery, Jim Crow, and ongoing racial injustice. Historic partnership on reparations advocacy.
• California Asian Pacific American Judges AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of events including the Disparities in Advancement of API Women in the Law webinar with The State Bar and California Asian Pacific American Bar Association.
• The State Bar of CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of events addressing disparities in advancement of API women in the legal profession.
• California Asian Pacific American Bar AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of events addressing professional development and advancement for API legal community.
• JABA Attorneys List RecipientsminorOthersMembers who volunteer to be on the public list for community legal referrals. JABA does not endorse listed attorneys.
• Judicial Candidate Mentoring Program ParticipantsminorOthersJABA members interested in judicial appointments paired with mentors. Contact Judicial Appointments Committee Chair Mike Madokoro.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• California Lawyers Association: California statewide voluntary bar association that co-sponsors programming with JABA (e.g., Disparities in Advancement of API Women in the Law webinar); serves as institutional partner rather than direct competitor but operates a similar member-services model.

Broad incumbents

• Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA): National umbrella bar association for Hispanic American legal professionals with analogous membership tiers, annual convention/gala, mentorship pipelines, and law student scholarship programming.
• National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA): Federation of Asian Pacific American bar associations across the U.S. Directly comparable as a higher-tier umbrella membership organization representing the same ethnic-legal professional community JABA serves at the state/regional level.
• National Bar Association (NBA): Largest predominantly African American bar association in the U.S.; parallel institutional role as a leading ethnic bar association with membership, mentorship, scholarship, and advocacy programs comparable to JABA's.

Direct peers

• South Asian Bar Association of Southern California (SABA-SC): Southern California ethnic bar association for South Asian legal professionals, with comparable membership dues structure, mentorship program, annual gala, and law student scholarship arm.
• Korean American Bar Association of Southern California (KABA SoCal): Ethnic-specific bar association in the same Southern California legal market offering parallel membership tiers, annual gala, mentorship, and scholarship programs targeting Korean American legal professionals.
• Filipino American Bar Association (FABA): Ethnic-specific bar association serving Filipino American legal professionals with parallel membership, networking, mentorship, and scholarship structures; overlaps significantly with JABA's community-building model.
• California Asian Pacific American Bar Association (Cal-APABA): Statewide Asian Pacific American bar association operating in the same California market as JABA, offering comparable membership tiers, mentorship, scholarships, and an annual gala with law firm sponsorships.
• Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles (APABA LA): Direct geographic peer bar association in Los Angeles serving a broader Asian Pacific American legal community; comparable membership model, gala fundraising, and law student scholarship programming.

Emerging players

• National LGBTQ+ Bar Association (Lavender Law): National bar association serving LGBTQ+ legal professionals with comparable community-driven membership model, annual conference/gala, mentorship, and law student engagement programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/jabaonline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jabaonline
• Instagraminstagram.com/jabaonline

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Japanese American Bar Association