PRESS RELEASE | NAPABA NAMES JENNY R. YANG AS ITS 2016 WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP AWARD RECIPIENT – National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
NAPABA Names Jenny R. Yang as its 2016 Women’s Leadership Award Recipient
For Immediate Release
Sept. 28, 2016
For More Information, Contact:
Brett Schuster, Communications Manager
[email protected], 202-775-9555
WASHINGTON — The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) has named Jenny R. Yang, chair of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), as the recipient of the 2016 NAPABA Women’s Leadership Award. The award recognizes the accomplishments of women lawyers and is presented to an individual who has achieved professional excellence in her field, demonstrated leadership and understanding of women’s issues, and made significant contributions to the Asian Pacific American legal community.
The award will be presented at the Women’s Leadership Network Breakfast & Plenary at the 2016 NAPABA Convention in San Diego, California, on Nov. 5, 2016.
“Ms. Yang has a long and remarkable history of service and leadership to the Asian Pacific American community, and LGBTQ and women’s’ rights,” said NAPABA President Jin Y. Hwang. “We applaud her commitment to advancing equal opportunity and fairness in the workplace, and NAPABA is proud to honor Ms. Yang as the 2016 Women’s Leadership Award recipient.”
Ms. Yang is the first Asian American to be named EEOC chair on a permanent basis in its 50-year history, and is also the first Asian American woman to serve on the Commission. The EEOC is a five-member bi-partisan commission responsible for enforcing our nation’s laws against workplace discrimination. She leads an agency with over 2,200 employees in 53 offices around the country with a budget of over $365 million.
Throughout her career in the non-profit, private, and government sectors, she has worked to protect the legal rights of Asian Pacific Americans through enforcement of our nation’s civil rights and workplace laws and through her service to the community. From 2007 until her confirmation to the EEOC in 2013, Ms. Yang served as a board member and vice chair of the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center, which is dedicated to providing linguistically and culturally appropriate legal services to Asian Pacific Americans in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region. From 1998 to 2004, she served as co-chair and board member of the National Governing Board of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, the only national multi-issue Asian Pacific American women’s organization in the country.
As chair of the EEOC, Ms. Yang is leading the agency as it charts its path forward for the next 50 years. She is also leading efforts to ensure that, as the nation’s largest employer, the federal government serves as a model employer. Moreover, she is engaged in a broad effort to build stronger workplaces by exploring the root causes of persistent forms of discrimination and identifying effective strategies to prevent and remedy discrimination.
For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, at202-775-9555 or [email protected].
AAFE Honors Jenny R. Yang, Chair of U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for 40th Anniversary Gala
Celebrating 40 years of fighting for equality, AAFE is thrilled to be honoring Jenny R. Yang as a Champion of Equality for her lifelong commitment to advancing fairness and equality in the workplace.
Our 40th anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the progress we have made as a community. In this spirit, AAFE is recognizing 40 leaders and unsung heroes who have worked tirelessly to help achieve our shared dream of equality. Join us on November 18th to toast 40 Agents of Change for their dedication, compassion, and lasting impact on our history. Stay tuned in the coming weeks as we share their stories. Learn more or RSVP for the event today!
NAPABA APPLAUDS APPOINTMENT OF JENNY R. YANG AS CHAIR OF EEOC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Septemeber 2, 2014
Contact: Tina Matsuoka
(202) 775-9555
WASHINGTON – Today, President Obama appointed Jenny R. Yang as Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Yang’s appointment will make her the first Asian Pacific American to serve as permanent Chair.
“NAPABA applauds the Administration for the appointment of Jenny Yang as Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission,” said William J. Simonitsch, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “Ms. Yang is a talented and accomplished lawyer and advocate who understands the mission of the EEOC. Her elevation to EEOC Chair is much deserved and highlights the Administration’s dedication to elevating women of color to leadership positions.”
Prior to her appointment as EEOC Chair, Yang was Vice Chair of the EEOC where she led its efforts on behalf of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. She also worked with former EEOC Chair Jacqueline Berrien to improve enforcement of equal pay laws with the White House Equal Pay Task Force. After graduation from law school, Yang clerked for the Hon. Edmund Ludwig of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and worked with the 1992-93 Presidential Transition Team. She later became a senior trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Employment Litigation Section. From the Department of Justice, Yang joined the law firm of Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC until her appointment to the EEOC.
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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American (APA) attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 40,000 attorneys and approximately 70 national, state, and local bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government. NAPABA engages in legislative and policy advocacy, promotes APA political leadership and political appointments, and builds coalitions within the legal profession and the community at large. NAPABA also serves as a resource for government agencies, members of Congress, and public service organizations about APAs in the legal profession, civil rights, and diversity in the courts.
Meet Lu Jun, Human Rights Lawyer from China
Meet Lu Jun, Human Rights Lawyer from China
The raid on the office of a group that advocates for people with hepatitis comes at a precarious time for China’s civil society groups.
Along with the New York Office United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), we are pleased to host Lu Jun, a distinguished human rights lawyer from China in a visit to the EEOC on June 12, 2014 from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm.
Mr. Lu Jun is the Chief Coordinator of Beijing Yirenping Center (“Center for Promotion of Equality and Mercy “), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting social justice and public well-being in China.
Yirenping offers education on communicable disease prevention and control, provides community outreach and assistance for patients, and works to eliminate discrimination. Mr. Lu is best known in China for his advocacy on behalf of carriers of hepatitis B virus (HBV), for which he has won recognition in China, Hong Kong, Italy, and elsewhere.
During this visit, Lu Jun will make a presentation to EEOC employee and AABANY members about his work in China.
After his presentation, lawyers knowledgeable about the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), New York State Attorney General’s Office, and the US EEOC will present on how rights of employees are (or not) enforced in the United States.
Please join us for an informal and informative conversation!
For more information click here.
AABANY Labor & Employment Committee in Formation
On Wednesday, October 9, 2013, sixteen Asian Pacific American (APA) attorneys attended AABANY’s general interest meeting for Labor and Employment Law practitioners to discuss the formation of a new committee to promote the education of work place issues affecting employees and employers in the Asian American community. The group also discussed ways to promote the professional development of APA lawyers practicing Labor and Employment Law through networking events, continuing legal education (CLE) programs and community outreach initiatives. The group will be planning a career panel for attorneys and law students interested in labor and employment law and a program to address “hot topics” in labor and employment law affecting employees and employers in the Asian American community.
Attendees at the meeting included attorneys representing employees/unions, employers/management, and federal, state and local government agencies, including the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, National Labor Relations Board, and New York State Department of Labor.
AABANY thanks Dechert LLP for hosting and providing refreshments for the meeting and Littler Mendelson for providing dinner for the attendees. If you are interested in participating in the group’s next event or would like further information about how to get involved, please contact William Ng at [email protected] or Amy Luo at [email protected].