History and Mission Statement

The Iranian American Bar Association Foundation (IABA Foundation) was formed in 2013 as the charitable affiliate organization of the Iranian American Bar Association (IABA). The objectives of this corporation are to carry out various charitable and educational activities within the Iranian-American community and to support IABA, as a professional organization. IABA, established in the year 2000, has grown to include nine chapters throughout the US, with a membership of over 1500 prominent attorneys, law students, law professors and members of the judiciary.

The IABA Foundation is committed to continuing IABA’s Iranian American Law Student Scholarship program. This program provides for scholarships to selected full-time students at accredited law schools in the United States and is meant to encourage legal education within the Iranian-American community. This program is now well established and financial awards have been granted to more than 28 law students.

With the objective of creating national dialogue and connection of IABA members across the US, the National Annual Conference was inaugurated in 2014. The first conference was held in Los Angeles, California, with over 150 members from various states in attendance. US Representative Edward Royce of the 39th District of California and prominent attorney and Chairman of the board of the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) , Ali Mojdehi, honored the conference as keynote speakers. The 2015 conference was held in Irvine, California, co-sponsored by the University of California Irvine, School of Law. Distinguished Keynote speakers at the 2015 conference included, Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of University of California, Irvine, School of law, Danette Meyers, Deputy District Attorney at Los Angeles County District Attorney Office and past president of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and Dr. Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, prominent human rights’ attorney and co-founder of Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran. In addition, a multitude of experts in various areas of legal practice provided seminars and presentations as part of the conference’s continuing education program. The 2016 National Conference is scheduled to take place in San Francisco, CA.

The Foundation, in coordination with IABA and in furtherance of its objectives to promote educational and charitable events, regularly sponsors continuing education legal seminars open to the public and to members of the Bar through its collaboration with the local IABA Chapters across the US.

IABA Foundation is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. As such, all donations to IABA Foundation are tax-deductible.

IABA Foundation Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation 

The Iranian American Bar Association (“IABA”) was formed in 2000 in the District of Columbia. Having begun with one chapter and only four founding members, IABA has grown to include nine chapters nationwide and a membership of prominent attorneys, law students, and members of the judiciary. In 2013, IABA reorganized into a 501(c)(6) and created a separate organization, the IABA Foundation to handle its charitable work.

The IABA Foundation is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

IABA Foundation Bylaws
IABA Foundation – Articles of Incorporation