Page 18 - Dallas Vol 5 No 4

ASSOCIATION PROFILE
DALLAS ASIAN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION
30 Years Strong
We sat down with Dallas Asian American Bar Association (DAABA) 2018 President Shruti Krishnan to discuss the association, the organization’s mission, as well as her goals as a leader.
AALM: Is there an in- teresting story behind the founding of your associa- tion?
Krishnan: e Dallas Asian American Bar Associ- ation (DAABA) was founded in 1988 by 15 attorneys who wanted to foster a sense of camaraderie amongst Asian and Paci c American (APA) attorneys in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and advocate for the interests of APA attor- neys. DAABA works closely with the Asian Paci c In- terest Section (APIS) of the State Bar of Texas, and is the local chapter of the National Asian Paci c American Bar Association (NAPABA). DAABA is celebrating its 30th Anniversary this year as one of the fastest-growing
sociates invited their in-house coun- sel contacts or clients to a dinner for cross-networking opportunities. An executive recruiter was present to dis- cuss opportunities for advancement for the in-house counsels in atten- dance.
We also hosted a panel titled “Strat- egies from Recruiters for Navigating the Legal Profession” comprised of three di erent recruiters: one who re- cruits for in-house legal departments, one who is responsible for lateral placement, and one who places at- torneys and paralegals in document review and substantive contract roles. is program provided key insights to our members on how to increase their marketability depending on the type of opportunity they are looking for and how to work with recruiters.
Finally, we recently piloted our of- cial Prospective Partners Program, a local spin-o a program implemented by NAPABA. e purpose of this pro- gram is to increase the number of APA partners at major law rms through introduction, mentorship, and rela- tionship building. Senior associates or of counsel from major law rms who are “on-deck” for partnership are in- troduced to a panel of senior in-house counsel and are given the opportunity to introduce themselves and their practices during a pitch session. Prior to the pitch session, the prospective partners are matched up with part- ner mentors from di erent law rms who provide feedback on their pre-
THE 2018 DAABA AWARDS NIGHT & 30TH ANNIVERSARY GALA AT THE OMNI DALLAS HOTEL. (TOP ROW): JANET LANDRY SMITH, MATT LEUNG, CHRIS KANG, HAO NI, STACEY CHO HERNANDEZ, SEAN HAMADA, CARNE- GIE NAIDU AND MIKE LEE. (FRONT ROW): CAMILLE MANGANA, TREASURER DREW SPANIOL, SECRETARY ANN CHAO SHEU, PRESIDENT SHRUTI KRISH- NAN AND PRESIDENT-ELECT JASON SHYUNG.
and most dynamic legal associations in Texas. It now boasts almost 400 members.
AALM: What is the association’s main focus this year?
Krishnan: DAABA’s focus this year has been on professional development and advancement of our members in the legal profession. We started this year with an In-House Counsel/Part- ners Dinner, where APA attorneys at rms who were partners or senior as-
ATTORNEY AT LAW MAGAZINE · DALLAS· VOL. 5 NO. 4 18