About the Conference
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Every year, when the Penn APALSA board considers the theme for the year's conference, strains of previous themes inevitably appear-as well they should. They include identifying opportunity for the next wave of young Asian Pacific American (APA) lawyers, inspiring contributions of public service in the States and abroad, and forging invaluable relationships within the APA legal community. This year will be no different. Such foundations are critical to the success of any community. However, we wish to look at this same old hat with a new lens.
This year's theme, Focus: Rethinking the Role of the Asian-American Lawyer , recognizes the accomplishments of the APA legal community but reminds us not to be complacent. Certainly, we've come a long way. Asians, who were once nonexistent in law school 20 years ago, now abundantly populate the nation's premier law schools and firms. We've done well and we've achieved a great deal, but there is so much more. In rethinking the role of the APA lawyer, we must recognize that there's more to being a successful APA lawyer than being a young associate at a large law firm. Opportunities abound for leadership positions in private practice, government, business, and the judiciary, and as young APA lawyers, we must ensure that we don't lose sight of these possibilities.
At Penn APALSA, we believe that we've arrived at a critical juncture for APA lawyers. We've achieved the preliminary steps of success-enrolling in law school and finding jobs-but now is the point to ask, "What's next?" Hopefully, this year's conference will help answer this question. And so will next year's and the year after that. Twenty years from now, it is our hope that the conference planners of the 26th Annual Mid-Atlantic Asian Pacific American Law Student Conference will still be asking and answering that same question. The difference will be that for the participants of the 26th conference, they'll recognize that Asians, who were once nonexistent in the federal judiciary, now abundantly populate the nation's premier chambers . . .
On behalf of Penn APALSA, I thank you all for your support and wish you a meaningful and enjoyable conference experience.
Sincerely,
The Conference Committee