Dale Minami facts for kids

Dale Minami (born October 13, 1946) is an important Japanese American lawyer. He works in San Francisco, California. He is known for helping people with their civil rights. He also helps people who have been hurt in accidents.

Mr. Minami is famous for leading a group of lawyers. They helped to clear the name of Fred Korematsu. Fred Korematsu had refused to follow unfair orders during World War II. These orders led to many Japanese Americans being held in camps. This situation led to a famous court case called Korematsu v. United States. Many people think this was one of the most unfair decisions ever made by the Supreme Court.

Dale Minami is also known as a top lawyer for personal injury cases. He has won many awards for his work. He is often called a "Super Lawyer" and a "Best Lawyer."

Early Life and School

Dale Minami was born in Los Angeles, California. His birthday is October 13, 1946. His parents were Nisei, which means they were born in America but their parents were from Japan. They were among the many Japanese Americans who were held in camps during World War II.

He grew up in Gardena, a town near Los Angeles. He went to Gardena High School. There, he was the student body president. He also played basketball and baseball.

He went to the University of Southern California. He graduated with high honors in 1968. Then, he earned his law degree in 1971. He got his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.

Fighting for Civil Rights

In the early 1980s, Dale Minami helped lead a team of volunteer lawyers. They worked to reopen the Korematsu v. United States case. This was a very important case from 1944. The Supreme Court had said that Fred Korematsu's conviction was okay. He was convicted for not following military orders. These orders led to about 125,000 Americans of Japanese background being put into camps. Two-thirds of these people were American citizens. They were not told what they were accused of. They also did not get a trial or a lawyer.

The new lawsuit led by Minami's team was a big success. It erased Fred Korematsu’s criminal conviction. This was a huge step for justice.

Mr. Minami also worked on many other cases. These cases helped protect the civil rights of Asian Pacific Americans. For example, he worked on a case called United Filipinos for Affirmative Action v. California Blue Shield. This was the first time Asian-Pacific Americans brought a class action lawsuit about jobs. It helped Asian Americans get promotions and better job programs.

He also helped a professor at UCLA, Don Nakanishi. The professor was unfairly denied a permanent teaching position. After a long fight, the university finally gave him the position.

Dale Minami has also helped with important government decisions. He was part of the California Fair Employment and Housing Commission. He also led a group that advised the California Attorney General on issues for Asian American communities. He helped make sure that Asian American voices were heard.

In 1996, President Bill Clinton chose him to lead a special board. This board gave out money to teach people about the unfair treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

Minami also helped start several important groups. These include the Asian Law Caucus. This was the first group in the country to help Asian Americans with legal issues. He also co-founded the Asian-American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area.

His Law Firm

Dale Minami's law firm is called Minami Tamaki LLP. It is in San Francisco. The firm helps people with personal injury cases. They also work on immigration, protecting consumers, and job issues.

Mr. Minami is known as one of the best personal injury lawyers in the Bay Area. He has been named a "Top Ten" personal injury lawyer many times. He is also often listed as a "Super Lawyer" and a "Best Lawyer."

His clients have included famous people like Kristi Yamaguchi (an Olympic figure skater). He also advises groups like the Center for Asian American Media.

Awards and Honors

Dale Minami has received many awards for his work. In 2019, he received the ABA Medal. This is the highest award given by the American Bar Association. In 2003, he received the Thurgood Marshall Award from the same group.

In 2008, UC Berkeley School of Law gave him its highest honor, the Citation Award. He also received the ACLU Civil Liberties Award in 2003. A special scholarship for public interest law at UC Berkeley Law is named after him.

In 1993, students at the University of California at Santa Cruz voted to name a building block after him. They chose him alongside Queen Liliʻuokalani.

He has also received honorary law degrees from two universities. These were the McGeorge School of Law in 1995 and the University of San Francisco School of Law in 2010.

Some of His Awards

• Honorary Law Degree, University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, 1995
• Distinguished Service Award, Berkeley Law Alumni Association, 1996
• Spirit of Excellence Award, American Bar Association, 1997
• Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Award, KQED, 1998
• Matthew O. Tobriner Public Service Award, Legal Aid Society Employment Law Center, 2002
• Thurgood Marshall Award, American Bar Association, 2003
• Civil Liberties Award, ACLU of Northern California, 2003
• Legal Impact Award, Asian Law Alliance (San Jose), 2006
• Vision Award, Japanese American Citizens League National Youth Council, 2007
• Citation Award, UC Berkeley School of Law, 2008
• Justice in Action Award, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, 2009
• Honorary Law Degree, University of San Francisco School of Law, 2010
• Silver Spur Award, SPUR, 2011
• Inaugural From Roots to Branches Award, USC Asian Pacific Islander Students, 2012
• ABA Medal, American Bar Association, 2019
• Norman Y. Mineta Lifetime Achievement Award, Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies, 2021
• Yuri Kochiyama Honorary Visionary Award, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, 2022

Other Activities

Dale Minami has also been involved in movies. He was a co-executive producer for two films. These were Drinking Tea and Life Tastes Good. Both films were shown at the Sundance Film Festival.

He is very active in groups that help the Asian American community. He has served on the board of governors for the Japanese American National Museum. He has also taught at UC Berkeley and Mills College.

Personal Life

Dale Minami is married to Sandra Ai Mori. They have two daughters. They also have a dog named Coco. He has two brothers, Dr. Roland Minami and Neil Minami.