NEW YORK – May 28, 2015 – On May 26, as part of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”), the Asian American Law Fund of New York, Inc., and White & Case LLP presented the New York premiere of Kicking Glass from the Boardroom to the Courtroom: Two Decades and Counting, a follow-up to a 1995 video produced by AABANY and White & Case regarding the position of Asian American women in the legal profession. The New York screening of Kicking Glass at the New York offices of White & Case LLP attracted approximately 100 attendees and was simultaneously live-broadcast to the White & Case offices in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Miami and Tampa. Click here to read the full Kicking Glass press release.
Photos by AABANY and Karen Zhou.
Check out the latest issue of the Advocate, hot off the presses and available at tonight’s Kicking Glass event. pic.twitter.com/UCHGNX5zKa
Thanks to @WhiteCase for hosting Kicking Glass from the Board Room to the Courtroom: Two Decades and Counting. pic.twitter.com/uYa6nrLMOt
Broadcasting Kicking Glass live to Tampa, Los Angeles, & Washington, DC! @WhiteCase pic.twitter.com/ApH45nHSDv
You’re not seeing double. That’s Judge Ling-Cohan standing in front of Judge Ling-Cohan. #KickingGlass pic.twitter.com/z53fICJLDB
The room’s filling up. Can’t wait for the New York premier of #KickingGlass to begin. pic.twitter.com/pmT5eX192T
1995: “I just don’t buy the myth that women aren’t entering the legal profession. We’ve been 30-40% of the workforce for 15 years.”
Hon. Ling-Cohan: I didn’t know any female Asian attorneys when I went to law school. There were few Asian judges when I wanted to be a judge
Hon. Chen: The solution has to be multi-faceted. [Progress] is slow, but happening. I see it when I go to the Asian bar conf. #KickingGlass
Hon. Ling-Cohan: In my first [judicial] election, people called me Chinky Chinky Chinky to my face. #KickingGlass
Clara Ohr: It’s difficult for the older generation to understand that a woman is in the room as more than a paralegal. #KickingGlass
1995: “I’d leave the practice of law for two years if I decided to have a child. Work life balance is a see-saw.” #KickingGlass
Clara Ohr: The fact that women have a uterus will probably always complicate things. #KickingGlass
Amy Wang: I am happy when law firm recruitment events do speak about work-life balance. To me, that’s progress. #KickingGlass
Grace Shim of @MinKwonCenter: I’ve been back five months after having a child. No one’s been able to give me a clear answer. #KickingGlass
Jennifer Kim: Our presence in leadership roles inspires younger women to define success in many ways, not just partnership. #KickingGlass
1995: “Partners tend to be white men, and they tend to mentor people who look like them or their sons.” #KickingGlass
Clara Ohr: We need help. We need to help each other. That’s not something that I see enough of. #KickingGlass
Saira Haider: You’ve got a seat at the table, so you’ve got to say something important that you can sit at the table again #KickingGlass
Hon. Chen: Be open to serendipity… Accept the notion that everyone makes mistakes even if they don’t admit it. #KickingGlass
Margaret Hanh-DuPont: Ultimately, in the final analysis, have you served your client well? #KickingGlass
What an incredible video presentation. Can’t wait for the panel! #KickingGlass pic.twitter.com/jAtvXsgJgJ
Sylvia Chin: I felt we needed a critical mass of female attorneys to let people know we make a difference. Cynthia Wong did not leave law!
Poojitha Rao: When I interviewed 21 or 22 years ago, I had trouble convincing employers that I had something generic to offer. #KickingGlass
Hon. Ling-Cohan: We are in a time of firsts. Despite there being so few Asian judges, we’re not considered a minority and we’re not white.
@aabany #KickingGlass video and panel discussion at White & Case. pic.twitter.com/hiW3vsuhCT
Hon. Chen: I think what holds so many Asian women back is self-doubt. It’s tough for those of us that grew up with tiger moms. #KickingGlass
Hon. Ling-Cohan: White women and Asian women walk into a room differently. Asian women like to make sure that they belong in the room.
Sapna Palla: I was a third-year associate when I had my first son. Not working was not even an option in my mind. #KickingGlass
Sapna Palla: Have a village to support you raise your child. My case was like my third child. #KickingGlass
Grace Shim, @MinKwonCenter: My husband and I came to the conclusion that you need either family or money to have a baby, and we had neither.
Hon. Chen: If a lot of people are asking to leave work at 5:30pm to see your family, it doesn’t seem so strange. #KickingGlass
Sapna Palla: If it were really equal, women wouldn’t feel scared that if they passed on an opportunity it would be held against them.
Grace Shim of @MinKwonCenter: Sometimes, as the token Asian, what you say matters; you have the opportunity to represent your interests.
Thanks to the Women’s Committee for putting together such an incredible show. Hopefully in another decade, even… http://t.co/wVfHd8Czeu
