The changing face of the legal profession has been a gradual and welcome development for a country whose Asian Pacific American population has continued to expand and succeed. We have been rising through the ranks of the legal profession in increasing numbers graduating from top-tier law schools, earning partnerships at prominent law firms, serving in high-ranking state and federal government positions, and teaching from the ivory towers of academia. Even as we achieve these new heights, however, we continue to need the support and commitment of elected officials and the electorate in order to ensure diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, particularly in the judiciary.

Even though President Barack Obama has made great strides in appointing diverse individuals to the federal bench, we are behind the curve in terms of diversity and inclusion at the state and local levels. Far more lawyers and litigants will be exposed to state and local courts than federal ones, so it is critical for state and local officials to appoint, and the public to elect, qualified, diverse attorneys to the bench. The judiciary holds a special place in the hearts of the American people as an institution that safeguards our constitutional rights and adjudicates the administration of our laws in a reasonable and fair manner.

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