What are Asian-American lawyers complaining about now? By many measures, they are runaway successes. In 2016, Asian associates represented more than 11 percent of all associates in major firms, the National Association for Law Placement said, while Hispanics and blacks only made up 4.4 and 4.1 percent, respectively. Moreover, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) reports that 31 Asian Pacific Americans now occupy the general counsel seats of Fortune 1000 companies (15 of them in the Fortune 500 in 2016 versus just four in 2006). Not too shabby for a group that accounts for less than 6 percent of the American population.
But here’s the rub: Though they’ve been swelling the junior ranks of the profession for the last 20 years or so, Asian-Americans are still rarities at the top, particularly in Big Law.
