Many Chinese American and some Asian American parents and students possess certain stereotypes and misconception over law school and the legal profession. They often think there is a high entry barrier to enter the legal profession given the fact that law school is expensive and trials are intimidating. At the same time, it is often heard that lawyers have relatively high income and some rise to prominent positions in the public and private sectors (e.g., 24 out of the 44 presidents of the United States had “lawyer” as their occupation, 55 of the 100 members of the 113th US Senate have legal background).
So, parents, is the legal profession a good or bad option for your children or yourself? Chinese American Lawyers of the Bay Area (CALOBA) and Stanford Law School’s China Law and Policy Association (CLPA) will be hosting a free seminar on this very topic. What does it take to be admitted to law school? What are the typical career paths after law school? How does legal education or practice help further one’s career goal, whether such a goal relates to intellectual challenges, services to the society, or self-fulfillment, or is not much more than just fame and fortune?
We have assembled an extraordinary panel of speakers with diverse background to share with you their experiences and perspective of the legal career. We anticipate a lively discussion; please join us!
The panelists include:
- Michael Farn, Partner, Fenwick & West (Moderator)
- Charles Huang, Deputy District Attorney, Santa Clara County, President of NAPIPPA
- Otto Lee, Former mayor of Sunnyvale
- On Lu, Partner, Director of APAC Practice, Novak Druce
- Susan Robinson, Associate Dean for Career Services, Stanford Law School
- Christie Wang, Entrepreneur & former in-house counsel at HP
Organizer: Darlene Chiang (SK Hynix)
The following topics will be covered:
- Getting in and surviving law school – an overview of the law school application process and how much it costs, life in law school, different law school programs, finding internships, campus recruiting while at law school.
- “Standard” career paths after law school – jobs in large or small law firms, corporations, non-profits, and the government (and, how much do they make?)
- Reformed lawyers – many lawyers have left the legal profession and become successful in another profession (e.g., entrepreneurs, corporate executives, politicians). How does one’s legal training help (or not help) him/her in such endeavors?
Time, Venue and Registration:
Date: September 13, 2014 (Saturday) - 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Place: Stanford Law School (Room 290 at the F.I.R. Classroom Building) Address: 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, CA 94305
Registration Required: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/12407111003
Who we are:
CALOBA: Chinese American Lawyers of the Bay Area (CALOBA; 湾区华人律师协会) is a non- profit mutual benefit organization of mostly Chinese attorneys, law students and other professionals. One general purpose of the organization is to facilitate the mutual understanding and dialog of U.S. and Chinese laws between the legal professionals of two countries. As the economies of the U.S. and China are increasingly intertwined, lawyers on both sides are collaborating to assist a greater flow of cross-border transactions to enable the two countries to prosper together with the aid of one another.
CLPA: The China Law and Policy Association (CLPA) is dedicated to increasing student and faculty understanding of pressing China-related legal issues at Stanford Law School, in addition to fostering ties between Stanford, legal practitioners and scholars in China, and the greater China-interested community in the U.S. The CLPA's mission is to seek out salient legal and policy issues that affect aspects of modern Chinese business, politics, and society and present them to both the law school and the broader Bay Area communities. Each year, the CLPA hosts a number of lunch and dinner events featuring a broad spectrum of speakers, many from China, including scholars, attorneys, judges, policy-makers, entrepreneurs, and diplomats.