Our Interview With Christopher Lee, President Of The Missouri Asian American Bar Association

Christopher Lee is the president of Missouri Asian American Bar Association. ‍

How has the mission of the MAABA evolved to address the modern barriers students face when trying to enter the legal profession today?

MAABA has always been about creating community and providing a voice for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) attorneys. Over time, our mission has grown in scope and evolved based on the most pertinent challenges facing this community.  A lot of our newer focus has been related to providing networking opportunities and skills. This includes helping law students and newer attorneys (especially transplants to STL) find opportunities, get support, and make meaningful connections within the profession. Many of MAABA’s events are centered on networking within the AAPI legal and non-legal community as well as with our other affinity legal associations, such as: The Mound City Bar (our African American bar association), The Hispanic Bar Association, the Women’s Lawyers' Association of Greater Saint Louis, the South Asian Bar Association and the Italian American Lawyers of St. Louis.

We have focused on meeting our members where they are. We hold monthly membership meetings in more casual settings, often in someone’s home and over good food, even hosting game nights.  We have found that these smaller gatherings make discussions more organic, encourage more honest dialogue, and foster environments where mentorship and networking can develop naturally. We also organize programs that open doors for students and newer attorneys to spaces that have historically been difficult, and in many cases remain difficult, for people of color to access.

Some of our highlighted programs include: organizing a roadways to the bench program that directly connected law students and young attorneys with federal, appellate and trial level judges, and our annual unity dinner with our aforementioned affinity organizations which both congressman Wesley Bell, and former Missouri Supreme Court Judge George Draper attended. In addition, we strive to keep our CLE programming responsive to developments in the judicial and social landscape. Earlier this year, we co-hosted an all-day CLE and DEI symposium that examined issues involving race, gender, sexual orientation, and nationality, which included a discussion of landmark SCOTUS decisions, as well as the direct impact on legal immigration services.

What specific initiatives has your organization implemented to provide tangible support and resources for Asian students seeking to increase access to legal education?

In addition to the programs already mentioned, one concrete way MAABA supports students is through its Serve STL Scholarship, which provides $2,500 to a qualified 3L law student who has demonstrated a strong commitment to serving the St. Louis community. MAABA also creates meaningful opportunities for students and young lawyers to connect with practicing attorneys, including in-house counsel, law firm attorneys from firms of all sizes, government attorneys, and judges, through events, educational programs, and its broader affiliation with the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). We make it our mission to coordinate with the Asian student organizations at both Saint Louis University and Washington University every year, usually by either hosting a lunch meet and greet at the law schools or a separate weekend get together.

Reflecting on your own career path, what is the single most important piece of advice you would offer to aspiring lawyers from underrepresented backgrounds who are currently navigating the law school admissions process?

I have two pieces of advice. Especially in your early years, focus on becoming excellent at the work – this includes doing the work well and in a pleasant manner, and find an area you enjoy to avoid burnout. Your reputation, while not everything, is incredibly important. It helps open doors: people trust you, invite you into opportunities, refer work, and introduce you to others. Over time, that can help you build a strong network of attorneys and potential referral sources. Be intentional about finding mentors and a supportive community, but do not let networking or business development be the only reason you seek out those relationships. It is perfectly fine to connect with attorneys over shared interests that have nothing to do with work, whether that is a hobby, a game, or something else you genuinely enjoy. Some of my strongest relationships with attorney friends grew out of things completely unrelated to the practice of law. Similarly, when you attend networking events, treat them less like a Q&A session about how to find work or advance professionally. Instead, try to learn who people really are.

We're proud to feature insights from leaders like Christopher Lee to help inspire future lawyers on their journey to law school.