Paul Igasaki '80 to Join Equal Justice Works
The mission of Equal Justice Works is to create a just society by mobilizing the next generation of lawyers committed to equal justice. Thousands of idealistic law students pursue legal careers in order to combat injustice and solve social problems such as domestic violence, unfairly rationed health care, lack of affordable housing, employment discrimination, consumer fraud, or environmental degradation. Lawyers can make a significant difference in the lives of vulnerable people and communities that desperately need legal intervention to obtain justice. But scarce entry-level job opportunities and overwhelming student debt combine to thwart many law graduates from pursuing public interest careers.
Igasaki also served for eight years as vice chair and acting chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as an appointee of President Bill Clinton. In addition, he served as executive director of the Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco, the first civil rights legal organization for the Asian Pacific American community. He helped found the Asian American Justice Center in Washington, D.C., the Chicago Asian Pacific American Bar Association, and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.
Igasaki is a graduate of the UC Davis School of Law and Northwestern University in Illinois. Both institutions awarded him distinguished alumni awards. He has an honorary degree from the City University of New York Law School and the Outstanding Public Interest Advocate Award from the National Association of Public Interest Law. The American Bar Association gave him with the Spirit of Excellence Award for promoting diversity in the legal profession. In 2004, he received the Japanese American of the Biennium Award from the Japanese American Citizens League. He was also honored for his civil rights work by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund.