1. NAPABA Convention Washington D.C. November 3, 2017
So You Want To Be on Your Large Law Firm’s Executive Management Committee
NAPABA Convention
Washington D.C.
November 3, 2017

2. Portrait Project Findings* - 2017
Highest associate to partner ratio – 3.7 AA
2.22 African Americans or Blacks
1.92 for Hispanics or Latinos
0.86 for whites
Lowest percentage of seats on senior management committees
7.05% of all attorneys are AA
2.09% of seats on executive management comm.
2.32% of seats on partner review comm.
3.78% of seats on associate review comm.
NAPABA Subcommittee has approximately 30 members
Management committees, law firm boards, office head, practice group head, office practice group heads in AmLaw 100
*Yale Law School and NAPABA, Justice Liu et al. (2017)

3. Moderator and Panelists
Yoon-Young Lee
Management Committee, WilmerHale
Susan L. Shin
Policy Committee, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer
Gina Shishima
US Management Committee, Norton Rose Fulbright
Debra Wong Yang
Management Committee, Gibson Dunn

4. Yoon-Young Lee Associate (1988-1995) Partner (1996- present)
Hiring Committee
Summer Associate Program Working Group
Womens’ Forum
Partner (1996- present)
Management Committee
Partner Compensation Committee
Group Head: Broker-Dealer Compliance and Regulation Practice
Diversity Committee (former co-chair; current member)
Women’s Leadership Initiative
Counsel Review Committee
Business Intake Approval Committee
Former Chair of Partner Elevation Committee
Former Member of Hiring Committee and Summer Associate Program Working Group

5. Susan L. Shin
Partner ( present)
Policy Committee (elected)

6. Gina Shishima Associate (1997-2005) Partner (2006- present)
Recruiting Committee
Partner (2006- present)
US Management Committee US Group Head for IP (3 groups total – Business, Disputes, IP)
Partnership Review Committee (promotions/partner comp)
Elected Partnership Committee (Board)
US Practice Head of IP Transactions (1 of 23 practice area heads)
US Chief Diversity Officer; Global Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Diversity Committee

7. Debra Wong Yang
Judge– California Superior and Municipal Courts ( )
Supervising Judge of the Hollywood Court
U.S. Attorney for Central District ( )
Member, Attorney General’s Advisory Committee; Chair Attorney General’s Committee on Intellectual Property
Partner ( present)
Management Committee
Executive Committee
Chair of Crisis Management Practice Group (current)
Former Co-Chair of practice groups-- White Collar Defense and Investigations and Privacy, Cyber Security, and Consumer Protections

8. Many Paths/Many Titles/Many Roles
What are the different positions, titles, and roles at your firm?
Your firm’s management structure
Who has information?
Who makes decisions?
Which positions are elected?
What are the different committees?
Identify committee(s) of interest
Learn about committee(s) of interest
Identify who chairs the committee and who decides committee membership
Learn something from each role

9. Is there a path?
Substantial book of business/key clients or high profile practice
Organizational dynamics—the politics
Known by others, especially for elected positions
Becoming part of “we” and not “they”
Building a coalition
Career-changing event
Right place at the right time

10. Leadership characteristics
Barriers/overcoming stereotypes
Invisible to Visible – finding a voice
Leadership/management training
Other training/coaching
Authenticity
Participation in diversity committee?
To be or not be “That Person”

11. Learning the job Skills/Attributes Walking the walk Being a doer
The next step
A plan/scrap the plan

12. Challenges Your job as a lawyer Priorities Being positive
The stress/the hard things
What’s next