AsianAttorneys@Weil

In 2023, Weil hosted Radiating Brilliance, a conference bringing together Asian, Black, Lantinx and Multiracial attorneys across our U.S. and U.K. offices. The conference was designed to connect attorneys of color across offices and practice groups and provide access to internal and external role models sharing career guidance. The conference featured remarks by Executive Partner Barry Wolf, roundtable discussions with Weil leaders, presentations on professional and business development, and affinity group-specific breakout sessions.

AAW members participate in affinity group specific mentoring circles, which supplement the existing mentoring program for associates who seek additional access to partners as advisors and role models. The circles foster peer mentoring and provide a forum to discuss diversity-related topics at the Firm.

Mentors Across Borders facilitates Partner and Counsel connections with affinity group members when visiting other Weil office locations. These meetings have ranged from one-on-one coffee meetings to breakfasts or lunches hosted for a larger group of associates.

In our continued efforts to support and celebrate the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community Weil hosted the following distinguished speakers.

• Fireside chat with Kenji Yoshino, author of Say the Right thing: How to Talk about Identity, Diversity and Justice and the Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at NYU School of Law.
• General Counsel Spotlight series, Weil partners moderated an insightful conversation with Arlene Hong, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary at Bed Bath & Beyond Inc., and Don Liu, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Risk Officer at Target.
• Fireside chat with Jay Sean, acclaimed British Asian singer songwriter and culture icon, to discuss his career and experiences in the entertainment industry as a person of color in advance of a networking reception.
• Conversation with author and activist Min Jin Lee and ABC correspondent and WABC-TV New York news reporter CeFaan Kim on how they have used their voice and platforms to make a difference.
• Fireside chat with John C. Yang, President and Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice
• Discussion with Liz Kleinrock, an antiracist educator, who shared how individuals can act in solidarity with members of other communities against racism.
• In partnership with AlixPartners Asian Leadership Insights and Growth Network (ALIGN), Weil hosted a cultural networking event at the New York Asian Film Festival where industry peers, and clients enjoyed networking and a screening of A Tour Guide directed by Kwak Eun-mi.

Starting in May 2020, Weil has hosted a webinar series on the recent spike in instances of anti-Asian hate with leaders such as Jerry Vattamala, Democracy Program Director at the Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund (AALDEF) and John C. Yang, President and Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice. Weil also joined the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) to denounce anti-Asian hate, violence, and racism. Weil, along with other law departments and firms, joined in the creation of The Alliance for Asian American Justice, a national pro bono initiative.

Weil’s pro bono legal work addresses access to adequate legal representation on a broad range of critical issues, ranging from housing to refugee and asylum matters. Recent examples of Weil’s pro bono work to address racial justice and with a particular impact on communities of color include:

• Make Us Visible, an organization that activates and empowers local communities to build curriculum and advocate for the integration of Asian American contributions, experiences and histories in K-12 classrooms. Weil assisted in exploring, assessing, and entering into a fiscal sponsorship arrangement.
• Weil’s expertise in voting rights litigation is engaged in two major matters in Texas and New York, where low-income communities of color have been stripped of their right to vote.
• Working with Start Small Think Big, the VOLS Microenterprise Program, Ascendus, and other clients and legal services organizations, Weil supports dozens of low-income entrepreneurs, many of whom are people of color, by assisting with business organization and related governance issues. Weil’s pro bono awards are also sourced from BIPOC-owned businesses connected to these NGOs.

For more information, visit the Pro Bono page.

Weil has been a longtime supporter of PALS (Practicing Attorneys for Law Students), a nonprofit organization committed to attorney and law students of color, including sponsoring and hosting mock interview and 1L exam writing workshops. Other notable pipeline efforts include longstanding partnerships with organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Pencil and Read Alliance.

Additionally, Weil recently hosted an Interview Prep Workshop with APEX for Youth, an organization that empowers underserved Asian and immigrant youth from low income families in NYC to help them unlock their potential. During the workshop, attorneys and staff conducted mock interviews with the students, provided feedback, and identified areas of growth.

Weil’s recent past partnerships also include AAPI Youth Rising, a youth organization that was created in response to the rise in xenophobia against the Asian community following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their mission is to take small actions to make positive changes in communities.

In addition to our longstanding relationships with the Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund and the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance, Weil is working with the Asian American Justice Center, the Asian American Business Development Center and the Sikh Coalition on initiatives to protect, support, and empower the AAPI community nationally.

Weil also sponsors a number of bar associations, including Asian Pacific American Bar Association Educational Fund (AEF); National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA); Asian American Bar Association of NY (AABANY); and South Asian Bar Association (SABA).

The AAW group regularly celebrates key holidays such as Diwali, Eid, Lunar New Year, and Vaisakhi. Past cultural events include a cooking demonstration at Morimoto, a client reception with spoken word poet Kelly Tsai, a private exhibit viewing at the Museum of Chinese in America, and group dinners at Au Zatar, BarBar, and Hutong.

In November 2023, Weil also partnered with the National South Asian Bar Association (SABA) of North America, South Asian Bar Association of New York (SABANY), South Asian Bar Association of New Jersey (SABA-NJ) and South Asian Bar Association of Connecticut (SABAC) for a celebration of Diwali. Taranjit Singh Sandhu, the Indian Ambassador to the U.S., as the keynote speaker.