Originally created to provide a support group for the handful of Asian-Pacific American lawyers practicing in Houston at the time, the AABA has continually evolved to meet the needs and objectives of its ever-growing membership. The organization is now the largest collective voice for the Asian-Pacific American legal community in the state of Texas, representing the interests of well over 500 attorneys in the Greater Houston area. Over the past 20 years, the AABA has presented gala events featuring such special guests as Governor Rick Perry, Senator Phil Gramm, United States District Judge Ronald S.W. Lew, Xerox General Counsel Don Liu, Dell General Counsel Lawrence P. Tu, and Shell Oil Company General Counsel Catherine Lamboley. In 1990, the AABA also hosted the Second Annual National Asian Pacific American Bar Association ("NAPABA") Convention in Houston, where it established the national Thomas Tang Moot Court Competition. And in 2004, in conjunction with its 20th Anniversary Gala & Silent Auction, the AABA created a non-profit charitable and educational affiliate, the Asian American Bar Foundation ("AABF"), to further serve and support community efforts within the city. Today, the AABA provides regular Continuing Legal Education, networking, and other professional opportunities for its members; organizes and sponsors free legal clinics