After receiving many worthwhile nominations for the third biannual Diverse Attorneys of the Year honors, and going through a challenging review process, the Law Journal congratulates this year's winners:

  • Ailyn Abin, U.S. Attorney's Office
  • Andrés Acebo, DeCotiis FitzPatrick Cole & Giblin
  • Senwan Akhtar, Greenbaum Rowe Smith & Davis
  • Travis Francis, Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti
  • Lloyd Freeman, Archer & Greiner
  • Norberto Garcia, Blume Forte Fried Zerres & Molinari
  • Jianming Hao, Fox Rothschild
  • Erica Liu, U.S. Attorney's Office
  • Fabiana Pierre-Louis, Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads
  • Satish Poondi, Wilentz Goldman & Spitzer
  • Kenneth Sharperson, Weber Gallagher Simpson Stapleton Fires & Newby
  • Kenya Tyson, Rutgers University
  • Maria Vallejo, Chasan Lamparello Mallon & Cappuzzo
  • Simone Wilson-Brito, McCarter & English
  • Linda Wong, Wong Fleming

The Law Journal staff were challenged to select winners from among a pool of such qualified candidates, but the truly important challenges here are the ones met by our honorees. All have excelled in different—but undeniable—ways. Advancing the cause of diversity itself is not a prerequisite for being selected, though many of the honorees have done that. All share a passion for and commitment to the law, and to advancing the legal profession.

We sincerely thank all who submitted and reached out with thoughts. Our readers clearly take these honors seriously, and the things they have to say about their colleagues are heartening and show a deep collegiality among members of the bar in this state. It also shows a recognition that diversity is one of the most important issues facing institutions of all sorts—certainly law firms, legal departments and other entities where lawyers practice.

We'll share more about each individual honoree in a special magazine set to publish in the coming weeks.

For now, please join us in congratulating the winners, and continue to keep diversity in the profession at the forefront of issues discussed in conference rooms, bar groups and beyond.