Vietnamese-American lawyer Jimmy Nguyen has been announced as one of the 7 preliminary judges at Miss Universe 2011 held in Brazil this September.

Brazilian like Vietnamese contestant
More photos of Hoang My at Miss Universe 2011
Hoang My’s traditional costume and evening gown for Miss Universe

The jury will judge 89 contestants in interviews, swimsuits and evening gowns and select 9 out of 16 semifinalists to compete for the crown in the finale to be held on September 12 in Sao Paolo.

Other 6 semifinalists will be chosen by the Miss Universe Organization. The remaining one will be selected by the general public.

 A well-known entertainment and media law practitioner in America, Nguyen was born in 1973 in Vietnam to an American father and a Vietnamese mother and later moved to California in 1975.

Graduating from college when he was only 19, Nguyen became a lawyer three years later and in 2009 had his name listed in the top 500 lawyers of America.

Vietnam’s representative for Miss Universe this year is Vu Thi Hoang My, a runner-up at Miss Vietnam 2010 who has been praised for her mix of Western and Eastern charm, intelligence and excellent English skills.

Currently a student at RMIT International University in Ho Chi Minh City, My was born in Dong Nai in 1988 and has a perfect body measurement of 85-65-89 with a 1.71-m height.

Nguyen’s presence as a judge at Miss Universe 2011 has raised hope for many beauty pageant observers and fans in Vietnam who said he might help motivate My to give her best performance.

In related news, Alvaro Garnero, a successful Brazilian businessman who was originally announced as one of the judges has been removed from the list after a picture of him and Luo Zilin, China’s representative, meeting privately in his office was published in the internet on August 22.

Lao Dong/Tuoi Tre