Asian and Pacific Islander Americans have, like in all other facets of American society, played a critical role in the legal industry. This role has been increasingly pronounced since Hong Yen Chang became the first Chinese American lawyer in 1988 after being admitted to the New York Bar. For instance, the number of Asian American lawyers has multiplied five times in a single generation: from around 10,000 in 1990 to over 50,000 in 2015 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession).
This Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Advocate Marketers is recognizing six lawyers who have made their mark in the field or contributed to society at large.
Dale Minami
Image Source: ABA Journal
This list would be incomplete without Dale Minami, who has been at the forefront of legal advocacy for Asian Pacific Americans. Renowned for the landmark Korematsu v. United States case, he has also been involved in the first class action employment lawsuit brought by Asian Pacific Americans on behalf of Asian Pacific Americans. In addition to co-founding the first community interest firm and bar association serving Asian Pacific Americans in the country, he has been asked to serve on several prominent governmental and non-governmental boards. It should be no surprise that he has collected a great number of awards for both his professional excellence and community work, including the American Bar Association’s highest honor in 2019.
Linda Wong
Image Source: Linda Wong
Linda Wong is a leading attorney who has grown the minority-led Wong Fleming from a three-attorney setup to a national law firm over the past 28 years. Her practice is concentrated around employment law, for which she has been recognized as a Super Lawyer from 2005 to 2021. She is no stranger to awards, having bagged the prestigious Trailblazer Award from the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association in 2005 and most recently, the NJBIZ Leaders in Law 2022 Award. Her accolades are due, in part, to her involvement in the community: she has presided over Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey and served as a member of the ABA Commission on Women.
Melody Kapilialoha MacKenzi
Image Source: University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
Currently a Professor of Law Emerita at the University of Hawai’i, Melody MacKenzi’s extensive career spans both academia and legal practice. A graduate of the inaugural class of William S. Richardson Law School, she has led the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation and the Hawaiian Claims Office, both as Executive Director. An expert and litigator in traditional and customary Hawaiian rights, she led the creation of Native Hawaiian Law: A Treatise, which is widely regarded as the most authoritative source in the domain. She has also presided over the Native Hawaiian Bar Association and has been awarded the University of Hawaiʻi Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching.
Michelle Wu
Image Source: Michelle Wu Twitter
Daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, Michelle Wu is a lawyer who has repeatedly made history in her progressively successful political career. After breaking glass ceilings on the Boston City Council, she is now the first woman, person of color and Asian American to serve as Mayor of Boston. A young lawyer herself, she has been involved with community advocacy while providing legal assistance to low-income small business owners and survivors of domestic violence. She has been a supporter of the Asian American Lawyers’ Association of Massachusetts, having benefited herself from the association’s scholarship during her time at Harvard Law School.
Mike Madokoro
Image Source: Bowman and Brooke
A seasoned trial attorney, Mike Madoko is a Managing Partner at Bowman and Brooke, specialising in automotive product liability litigation. He also participates actively in the Diversity & Inclusion Committee at his firm, which has won CMCP’s Majority-Owned Law Firm Diversity Award. Outside of his stellar legal practice, which has won him the Southern California Super Lawyer title for seven years, he is actively involved in the community: a former president of the Japanese American Bar Association, he is still active in its Educational Foundation among several other boards and associations. Affirming his calibre, the Los Angeles Business Journal named him among the most influential minority attorneys.
Preeta Bansal
Image Source: Preeta Bansal LinkedIn
Preeta Bansal is an established lawyer who has served at various levels of the government, including Solicitor General of the State of New York and General Counsel & Senior Policy Advisor to the White House. In the latter role, she took the lead in preparing the first White House statistical report on the status of American women since 1965. She has also made her mark in the private sector and academia, including at HSBC, MIT and Harvard. Yet another feather to her cap is her leadership of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom; work which involved diplomacy across the globe and helping with constitution drafting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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