Associate Dean Sunder Keynotes South Asian Bar Association of Sacramento Anniversary Reception

Senior Associate Dean and Professor of Law Madhavi Sunder served as keynote speaker for the South Asian Bar Association (SABA) of Sacramento Anniversary Reception held at the law offices of Downey Brand in Sacramento on March 29.

Associate Dean Sunder was introduced by SABA Board Member Harveen Gill '13, who had been one of her former Property and Intellectual Property students at King Hall. Associate Dean Sunder spoke about the "Bamboo Ceiling" for Asian Americans in the fields of law, commerce, education, and politics.

Though Asian Americans have the highest education levels among all ethnic group - and high incomes - they are disproportionately underrepresented in the highest levels of power in American social life. In New York, Asian Americans have the highest number of associates at top New York law firms, for example, yet the lowest conversion rate to partner-the National Association for Law Placement finds they account for less than 2.5 percent of partners at American law firms. In fact, Asian Americans have the lowest chance of rising to management when compared with Blacks, Latinos, and women in spite of having the highest educational attainment. Dean Sunder said that much work remains to be done to defeat the stereotype of "Asians as foreigners."

Madhavi Sunder is Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of Law at King Hall whose special interests included intellectual property, law and culture studies, women's rights, and international intellectual property.