Mia Yamamoto: The US Military Ban on Transgender Service Members

In wake of the 2017 presidential announcement that transgender individuals would be barred from serving in the United States military and the 2019 implementation of the ban, there remain a number of legal and ethical questions around this issue. The Office of Student Affairs invites you to join Mia Yamamoto in a conversation regarding the about legal perspectives of the United States military’s ban on transgender service members.

Mia Yamamoto is a criminal defense attorney and civil rights activist based in Los Angeles. She is a transgender woman of Japanese American descent, born in the Poston War Relocation Center during World War II. She served in the U.S. Army from 1966-68 in the 4th Infantry Division, USARV. She was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Vietnam Service Medal.  

Ms. Yamamoto has represented thousands of clients in both the public and private sector since 1985. Selected past honors include: ABA’s “Spirit of Excellence” award, NAPBA’s “Trailblazers” Award, “Criminal Defense Attorney of the Year” by the LA County Bar Association, “100 Most Influential Lawyers in California” by the California Daily Journal, “Criminal Defense Attorney of the Year” by the Century City Bar Association, and has been voted as a “Southern California Super Lawyer” for fifteen years running. Ms. Yamamoto has also served on the ABA’s Commission on Sexual and Gender Diversity. She was the co-founder and a founding board member of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Southern California.

Lunch will be provided, please RSVP if you plan on attending.