Hosted by AABANY, the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession (“IILP”), and the National Association of Women Lawyers (“NAWL”)
NY CLE: 1.5 Credits in Diversity & Inclusion, Non-Transitional Only
A video replay is not available for this session.
Program Chair: Sandra Yamate, CEO, Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession
Speakers:
Anna Mercado Clark, Partner, Phillips Lytle LLP
Judy Lam, Partner, Maynard Cooper & Gale
Honorable Grace E. Lee, Administrative Law Judge, State of New York
Sandra Leung, General Counsel, Bristol Myers Squibb
Sapna Palla, Partner, Wiggin and Dana
Moderators:
Connie Montoya, Partner, Hinshaw & Culbertson
Sandra Yamate, CEO, Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession
Asian Americans are the most likely racial minority group to enter private practice upon their graduation from law school and a majority of those new law firm associates are women. Success for Asian American women lawyers, however, brings with it challenges that many women may face but that may be compounded by Asian cultural values, gender roles within the Asian American community, stereotypes about Asian American women, exoticism and fetishism about Asian American women, and limited role models. What do you do when you look far younger than you are or when being petite and pretty is a disadvantage? How do you handle the lawyers who make inappropriate advances without sacrificing professional networking opportunities? How do you deal with men who try to bully you? Can you make tough decisions without making lifelong enemies? Is it possible to balance family and community expectations with the career you are trying to build? How can Asian American women lawyers support each other beyond lip service? What structures can we build so that the power dynamics between and among sex and gender are diminished? Superficially, these issues may appear generational; they are not. These are issues that should unite all women and anyone else who believes that the legal profession generally, Asian American lawyers specifically, and Asian American women especially, are stronger together.
Become part of a bigger network of Asian American lawyers committed to the empowerment of Asian American women in the profession. Join us for a candid conversation among Asian American women lawyers as they speak publicly about the problems, the strategies they’ve had to employ, how they handle the stress, and how Asian American women can achieve success in the legal profession.