Page 11 - Phoenix Vol 11 No 3

In Pursuit of Greater Diversity
BY AMANDA CHUA
Asa long-time member and former president of the Arizona Asian Ameri- can Bar Association, my goal continues to be the promotion of ethnic and gender diversity in Arizona’s legal practice, which I believe will bene t both our legal practitioners and our
citizens.
I have practiced civil litigation across
many of Arizona’s courtrooms since 2004. I currently focus primarily on representing individuals who have been injured. For the majority of my clients, this is their rst direct ex- perience with the American jus-
tice system and being in court. My clients have come from a variety of di erent economic and ethnic backgrounds over the years. To this day, however, the demographics within Ari- zona’s justice system, whether it’s judges, attorneys, arbitrators, or mediators, do not re ect Arizo- na’s broad demographical diver- sity. is creates some distance between individual citizens and those responsible for helping them resolve legal problems.
mediator pool and elsewhere throughout the Arizona legal landscape.
Arizona’s legal community still needs to work on creating more opportunities for in- clusion and diversity in our legal practice, but the community is slowly changing for the bet- ter. I dedicate much of my free time to attend- ing and supporting Arizona Asian American
I am honored to help my cli-
ents navigate the path to justice,
but the Arizona justice system does not yet re- semble our diverse community, creating a risk of cultural bias. For example, to comply with mandatory dispute resolution rules, parties to a lawsuit o en agree to private mediation. Parties select from a limited pool of possible mediators, but the pool largely consists of Caucasian males. I have recommended addi- tional quali ed mediators who are women or of a di erent national origin or cultural back- ground, but these individuals are few and far between. As a result, it is extremely rare for parties to agree on an experienced mediator who is female or a person of color. By con- tinuing to work and contribute to this organi- zation, we can achieve greater diversity in the
RIGHTS CASES INVOLVING FAMILIES. AMANDA IS A PAST PRESIDENT OF THE ARIZONA ASIAN AMERI- CAN BAR ASSOCIATION AND FOUNDING LIAISON OF THE ARIZONA COLLABORATIVE BAR. AMANDA CO-CHAIRS THE ARIZONA WOMEN LAWYERS ASSO- CIATION LEADERSHIP APPOINTMENTS COMMITTEE AND IS A MEMBER OF THE THURGOOD MARSHALL INN OF COURT. AMANDA ENJOYS BEING A BOARD MEMBER OF THE PHOENIX CHAMBER MUSIC SO- CIETY AND PLAYING WITH THE TEMPE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA.
I am honored to help my clients navigate the path to justice, but the Arizona justice system does not yet resemble our diverse community, creating a risk of cultural bias.
profession.
We encourage all our friends
and supporters, regardless of ethnicity, to join our orga- nization and participate in our events. Attending events throughout the year shows your support and shared belief in the goal of increasing diversity in the legal profession. e more voices who join to support di- versity in our legal profession, the closer we will get to a legal community that resembles our state population, understands the unique experiences minori- ties face, and applies the law more fairly.
AMANDA S. CHUA HAS A BUSY PLAINTIFF’S CIVIL LITIGATION PRACTICE WITH THE LAW FIRM OF GILLESPIE SHIELDS. AMANDA HANDLES A WIDE ARRAY OF LE- GAL ISSUES INVOLVING BUSINESS DISPUTES, PLAINTIFF’S PERSONAL INJURY, ANIMAL LAW, AND CIVIL
Bar
Association events such as the 23rd Annual Scholarship Awards and In- stallation Banquet this March 28, 2019. is event is packed with supporters of diversity and inclusion in the legal
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