As one of the first Asian American families in Cherry Hill, in the 1960s, Don H. Liu often felt lonely, resentful and like an outsider.

“It forever shaped my view of the importance of diversity,” said Liu, executive vice president and chief legal and risk officer for Target Corp., and the keynote speaker of the 21st annual Diversity Committee luncheon Thursday at the New Jersey State Bar Association's Annual Meeting and Convention.

A Korean immigrant, Liu described his journey to becoming a corporate lawyer, while maintaining an interest in civil rights, diversity and inclusion.

“The bar is simply slow and not very adaptable,” Liu said. “I think it's one of the hallmarks that slows down the [diversity and inclusion] movement. A diverse bar is not only a good thing to have, but it is necessary. We all serve very diverse constituents, they need diverse lawyers who understand their constituents.”

In addition to Liu's keynote, the event featured an award presentation. Assemblywoman Annette Quijano was presented with the Mel Narol Excellence in Diversity Award. Quijano said she wants to present as many bills as possible “that makes life fair in New Jersey.”