Finding Family and Creating Community

Finding Family and Creating Community

At the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession (“IILP”), we’ve had the privilege of presenting programs all over the U.S. One of the challenges that we’ve consistently heard from employers is that of not only recruiting top talent but retaining it. That challenge is compounded for those employers who are hoping to recruit and retain talent in geographic locations that may not offer a large, ready-made community with the kinds of cultural affinities some talented individuals might desire, seek, or expect. For lawyers and legal professionals of Asian and Pacific Islander ancestry, for example, the West Coast or New York City, with their significantly larger populations of these communities, might seem the only attractive options.

But are they? Nope. We know they are not.

In our work around the US, we’ve discovered that plenty of cities and places can prove to be not only attractive but desirable locations in which to build a career, regardless of a perceived lack of an affinity community. Doing that, however, can feel daunting and even intimidating. But the rewards and the chance to make a difference by helping to support and advance others, shattering glass ceilings while breaking through seemingly solid walls, can be empowering in unimagined ways. For Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, please join us as we examine what it takes for Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage to find that sense of family and build community in less traditional geographic locations.

Chris Javillonar, Vice President, Corporate & Commercial Legal and Assistant General Counsel, Eastman

Kenzo Kawanabe, Partner, Olson Grimsley Kawanabe Hinchcliff & Murray LLC

Jenny Lee, Editor-in-Chief, Inclusion at Work Blog, Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession (Moderator)

Mytrang Nguyen, Senior Program Counsel for Pro Bono Innovation, Legal Services Corporation

Summra M. Shariff, Executive Director and President, Twin Cities Diversity in Practice

Yeyun (Carrie) Xu, Corporate Attorney, K&L Gates