impact the Asian Pacifi c American community. We also focused on strengthening our relationships with sister diverse bar associations, primarily through our work with the Coalition of Bar Associations of Color (CBAC). T e CBAC members together with the American Bar Association designed and implemented the inaugural Collaborative Bar Leadership Academy (CBLA) to grow and nurture the pipeline of diverse bar leaders, and we are already hard at work plan- ning the next CBLA. Finally, I like to believe that my background in corporate governance with public companies and major nonprofi t organizations has helped to strengthen NAPABA’s governance and build a high-performing Board of Governors.
While you were president, the sitting presidents of all four national bar asso- ciations of color (HNBA, NBA, NNABA, and NAPABA) were in-house attorneys. The role is traditionally held by attorneys in private practice. Why do you think in- house attorneys are embracing the role? As I mentioned, it’s tough to hold offi ce in a national bar association when your day job is to represent the legal interests of a major corporation where, the higher up you are in the food chain, the job is virtually 24/7. T at’s true to a certain extent for all successful attorneys, yet law fi rms seem better able to appreciate the value add of their members being involved with voluntary bar associations. Many in-house attorneys began their careers in private practice and brought with them a solid foundation of bar association involvement when they transitioned to in-house positions. In-house practice today is as sophisticated and demanding as ever, especially as law departments are challenged to perform with excellence at lower costs. So it is natural for in- house attorneys to see the benefi ts of bar association involvement, especially in the areas of building networks for sharing best practices and professional development through substantive programming. As
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for taking on leadership roles, the in-house attorneys who have ascended to the presidencies of the national bar associations of color—Peter Reyes of the HNBA, John Page of the NBA, and Mary Smith of NNABA—are natural-born leaders who brought to their presidencies a wealth of expertise from their in-house experience in areas that serve a bar association well. T ese include, to mention just a few, organizational dynamics, strategic planning, corporate governance, budget development, and fi nancial acumen.
Why is it important to have in-house attorneys join as members of NAPABA and other bar associations? NAPABA’s In-House Counsel (IHC) Committee is among our most active and is co-chaired by two prominent general counsels. T roughout the year, the IHC Committee provides invaluable networking for its members via its formal mentoring program and informal mentoring that occurs in countless ways on professional development questions, job referrals, and outside counsel referrals. IHC members are in high demand to speak at our regional confer- ences and affi liate programs, and the committee plans a track of CLE programs for each annual convention that are among the most well attended. Mindful of their key role as clients who can help shape and infl uence the path of diversity and inclusion in our profes- sion, IHC members serve as guest speakers for law fi rm diversity and inclusion programs. T ey also participate at each annual convention in our Pitch Program that provides law fi rm attorneys the opportu- nity to meet one-on-one with IHC attorneys, and our Prospective Partners Program that provides senior associates the opportunity to receive feedback and coaching from a panel of IHC attorneys aimed at enhancing their successful conversion to partnership.
What’s your next project or undertaking? As NAPABA’s immediate past president, I have a fi nal year of serving on our Board of Governors. I plan to remain involved with several projects for NAPABA and the American Bar Association, especially the Collaborative Bar Leadership Academy, which we inaugurated during my term as president of NAPABA. I also will continue to accept speaking engagements in the areas of corporate governance, diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, and women’s leadership, and to remain active in the nonprofi t arena. Beyond that, my husband hopes that I will fi nd some time for golf and travel.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 DIVERSITY & THE BAR®
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