APABA-DC Women’s Forum: November 2006 in Review

Written by Rosy Lor, co-chair, APABA-DC Women's Forum

November was an eventful month for the APABA-DC Women’s Forum. The Women’s Forum presented two events dealing with important issues affecting Asian American women attorneys.

Breaking Common Barriers

On November 8th, over 100 participants attended the event “Breaking Common Barriers: Advancement, Retention, and the Minority Experience for Women in Law Firms, ” a joint effort of the Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia (“WBA”), National Bar Association, Hispanic Bar Association, and APABA-DC Women’s Forum. The event featured a panel discussion which focused on the combined impact that race and gender have on women of color in law firms. In particular, the discussion examined the American Bar Association’s 2006 study “Visible Invisibility: Women of Color in Law Firms” and the WBA’s 2006 study “Creating Pathways to Success: Advancing and Retaining Women in Today’s Law Firms.” The discussion was led by panelists Gaela Gehring Flores, Partner at Winston & Strawn LLP; Kimberly Tan Majure, Partner at Miller & Chevalier LLP; Pamela Roberts, Partner at Nelson Mullins Riley and Scarborough, Chair of the ABA Commission on Women; and Grace Speights, Partner at Morgan Lewis LLP. Karen Lockwood, Partner at Howrey LLP and WBA President ex officio, moderated.

The panelists and audience explored the possible reasons why 81% of minority women associates hired in large law firms leave within five years of being hired, as the ABA study revealed. Panelists also offered advice and suggestions as to how minority women attorneys in large law firms can speak up about obtaining assignments that would better develop and showcase their skills, use their unique cultural background and language skills in cultivating clients and a practice area, and unite to address similar concerns that they have at their places of work.

The event was hosted by the law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. Both the ABA and WBA studies can be found at their respective websites: http://www.abanet.org/women/home.html and http://www.wbadc.org/.

Asian American Women Attorneys in Criminal Law

The APABA-DC Women’s Forum held its event “Asian American Women Attorneys in Criminal Law” on November 15, 2006 at the law firm of King & Spalding. Panelists included Jeannie E. Cho, Esq., a shareholder at Shulman Rogers Gandal Pordy & Ecker, P.A.and former Assistant State’s Attorney for Montgomery and Howard counties in Maryland; and Jessie K. Liu, Esq., Deputy Chief of Staff, National Security Division/U.S. Department of Justice and former Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The discussion was moderated by Cynthia Lee, Professor of Law in Criminal Law and Procedure at George Washington University Law School. About 20 participants attended the event.

Ms. Cho and Ms. Liu shared their insights as to how being Asian American women have impacted their careers in the criminal law. Ms. Cho explained that during her career, she has often been the only Asian American woman attorney in the respective places where she has worked. She stated that at the beginning of her legal career, she felt like she was under a microscope and was vividly aware that everything she did was symbolic. She described feeling that she had to work harder and be better than the average attorney because of the stereotypes that exist about Asian American women and their ability to be effective trial attorneys. Ms. Cho noted, however, that at times being the only Asian American woman in her practice has worked to her advantage. She has often been asked to take on leadership positions because of her unique experience.

Ms. Liu noted that when she first began pursuing a career in criminal law, she received some resistance to her plans from her family because of their own perceptions on the role of Asian women. She also described growing up very shy and her efforts to overcome that shyness as she pursued a legal career. Ultimately, Ms. Liu stated that her career in the criminal law and as a prosecutor has been very rewarding. She noted that as an Assistant United States Attorney, she has had significant opportunities to handle trials and prepare cases.

Both Ms. Cho and Ms. Liu encouraged audience members to take advantage of volunteer opportunities in the legal community and make connections. They also advised the audience not to be intimated by the idea of litigation. Through practice, one can become a skilled trial attorney and find litigation enjoyable and rewarding.

The Women’s Forum looks forward to presenting exciting events for 2007!