Eileen Liu On the Importance of Representation and Building a Support Network
“Diversity and inclusion needs to be integrated into the law firm structure. Since almost 50% of our associates are women and about one-third of them are diverse, the committee that evaluates them should be appropriately representative.”
You are a role model for many at the firm. Do you think your professional experience has been different as an Asian American woman lawyer?
One of the obstacles to the success of any diverse lawyer, not just Asian Americans, is the lack of role models that are “like you.” For Asian Americans, this can be further complicated by the diversity within the category we refer to as ‘Asian American Pacific Islander,’ which encompasses a lot of different cultures, traditions and heritages. My own professional experience was shaped from having to piece together a role model using the traits I admired most in the people around me, none of whom looked like me.
Read Eileen’s complete profile here.
Jack Yeh Discusses Advancing Justice-LA & the Significance of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
“I view mentoring as a core responsibility of every single lawyer, particularly Asian lawyers. We stand on the shoulders of so many others and it is our obligation to make sure others can stand on ours.”
How has Advancing Justice-LA responded to the wave of negative acts against Asian American’s in response to the COVID-19 pandemic?
As many have seen in recent news coverage, Asian Americans are facing a wave of xenophobic harassment and discrimination related to the COVID-19 pandemic. At Advancing Justice-LA, we have responded to the crisis with targeted initiatives and projects.
For example, to fight anti-discrimination against Asian Americans based on the misconception that COVID-19 is a “Chinese virus,” we have participated and facilitated dozens of virtual town halls throughout Southern California. These programs build upon what Advancing Justice has been doing on a national level, including the documentation of hate crimes and hate incidents since 2017 and partnering with other non-profits to launch anti-harassment campaigns such as hosting free online Bystander Intervention training courses.
Read Jack’s complete profile here.
