QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER VOLUME 1 ~ ISSUE 7 Japanese American Citizens League West Los Angeles Chapter Newsletter February 2009 RAISING THE BAR TO NEW HEIGHTS Holly Fujie, a woman of influence in the legal profession, embraces the challenges of being the current President of the State Bar of California. BY JOHN SAITO, JR. Growing up, Holly Fujie thought about “I feel it’s my obligation to speak up,” what she wanted to do professionally Fujie said, adding that she felt her with her life and narrowed it down to address was balanced and inclusive. doctor, professor or lawyer. “People look at you and that’s what they see. It’s part of who I am.” Whether she was smart enough to pursue any of them was never an issue. If diversity is part of her DNA, then it In fact, it was more like was school started in a hardscrabble section of sharp enough for her, because it was so Oakland, where Fujie was one of a few seamless it almost made her head spin. Japanese Americans growing up among She had skipped two grades by the time African Americans. Her parents were she was nine, graduated from high year would be the issue of diversity in the raised in the Bay Area and then sent to school at age 16 and finished college in legal profession. an interment camp in Topaz, Utah, three years. “When I was first elected to the board of during World War II. Before the war, her father, Asa, was a student at UC By then, Fujie had decided to pursue governors,” Fujie said in her inaugural address before a crowd of 1,000 in Berkeley. Due to relocation, he would law. She graduated from UC Berkeley earn his degree at Brigham Young School of Law "Boalt Hall#, and the Monterey, Calif., “a friend asked me why I wanted to serve. After a lot of thought, University and become an insurance Oakland native moved to Los Angeles agent. Her mother, Sonoko, was a to begin what has become a ground$ my final answer was, “Because when I started practice, I didn’t think it would secretary who would later start a breaking career. In 1978, she joined a thriving business as a tax accountant. firm of 70 lawyers as a litigator, became still be this way now.” a partner in two subsequent firms and is “And what I meant is that for those of us In fact, the internment was the subject now a shareholder at Buchalter Nemer, women and minorities who began of Fujie’s monthly column in December a business law firm in Los Angeles. practicing in the seventies, we truly for the California Bar Journal, in which believed $ perhaps naively $ that it would she detailed the saga of her maternal And last July, Fujie added quite a feather grandfather who was detained by FBI in her cap when she was elected just be a matter of time before the sheer numbers would cause the profession and agents on Dec. 7, 1941, for being the president of the State Bar of California. principal of a Japanese language school The state bar is an administrative arm the bench to reflect the diversity of the population. in San Francisco. Koichi Suzuki was of the California Supreme Court, and never charged with any crime, and in “Instead, 30 years later, I am still its membership of more than 217,000 the ultimate twist, he was asked to speaking on panels and serving on task includes all practicing lawyers in the teach Japanese to U.S. naval o%cers in forces on retaining and advancing women state. Boulder, Colo. He took the job. Prior to being elected president, Fujie in the profession and increasing diversity on the bench. She credited her mother for becoming a had served two years as a governor of self$made career woman who deftly Current statistics show that 83 percent of the state bar representing Los Angeles balanced work, family, and community the state bar membership is white and 68 County and one year as vice president. a&airs. That model continues to serve percent are male. Becoming only the third woman chosen Fujie well, now more than ever with her as president since the organization was In an interview in December, Fujie said duties a state bar president. established in 1927, Fujie took o%ce in that she received several hate e$mails September and made it clear that one of from constituents who read the text of her major talking points during the next her speech on the state bar’s website. CONTINUED on PAGE 2 ! PAGE 1 QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER VOLUME 1 ~ ISSUE 7 RAISING THE BAR CONTINUED FROM PAGE I On the personal side, she is married country will keep her busy each week in what could otherwise seem to him to Lee Cotugno, a Beverly Hills through the rest of her term. or her to be a hostile profession. attorney who practices employment And she was recently named chair of Work with those mentees to help law. He was her moot court advisor at Senator Dianne Feinstein’s judicial them succeed. Boalt Hall, and the couple married advisory committee to President ”Introduce them to your clients, help the day after she finished law school. Barack Obama to screen nominees them to develop business and They have a daughter, Sabrina, who is for the position of U.S. central district encourage them to take leadership a freshman at the California Institute court judge in California. positions in the bar and in your firm,” she said. of the Arts, and a son, Thomas, 12. In closing her inaugural address, Fujie made a simple, yet succinct appeal to Expect that to be a familiar refrain With their blessing and a flexible whenever Fujie goes on the speaking those who could help bring more work schedule, Fujie $ who is a circuit. member of the West L.A. JACL and diversity to the ranks. once earned a '100 scholarship from “Its about helping "women and “What can you, individually, do that minorities# to succeed, making a Bay Area JACL chapter as a high will make the profession more school senior $ will continue to delve themselves known and powerful,” she diverse? One word $ mentoring. By head$first in her obligations. said. Meetings and speaking engagements mentoring an individual woman or “I never thought an Asian American across the state and all parts of the minority attorney, you can influence could become president of the bar. that one attorney to stay and succeed It’s empowering.” 2009 All this comes at a cost and we have to find ways to generate West Los Angeles JACL O!cers and Board participation and raise funds so that these programs or other e&orts continue. JACL National Headquarters in San Francisco reports that O!cers West Los Angeles has 406 members, the largest chapter in President Jean Shigematsu the Pacific Southwest District. It is the sixth largest chapter Membership Chair Jack Fujimoto in the entire nation behind San Francisco, San Mateo, Secretary Jack Nomura Chicago, Sacramento, and Portland respectively. All of these Treasurer Ken Ota chapters have seen a slight decline in membership over the Public Relations John Saito, Jr. years. The chapter receives a small stipend from the membership dues but it is minimal. However, it does help so Newsletter Editor Sandy Toshiyuki if you can enlist others from your circle of friends or family to join, it would be beneficial. Go to www.jacl.org to Board Members download an application or contact any board member. Director Jean Ushijima Director Kiyo Teramaye On Sunday, September 27, 2009, the WLA JACL will Director James Yamamoto present the Aki Matsuri Boutiqu! "which was formerly Director Blake Van Noy sponsored by the WLA Auxiliary#. This has been one of the favorite boutiques of its kind and will be the chapter’s first In November 2008, the WLA chapter sent out ballots to fundraising event in many years. We would appreciate the membership. We hope that you took the time to vote. volunteers to help in any way and will look forward to your The o%cers and board directors will work toward the support in making this a successful event. betterment of our member’s interests. We would like to hear from you on ideas to help keep our Mainly, our chapter has annually awarded scholarships to a programs going and on other issues you feel should be graduating high school senior about to attend college and addressed. The future of our chapter depends on the people the Hattori Memorial Medical School Scholarship to a college in it. student accepted to medical school, to ease their college education costs. Also, we sponsor a young woman "Miss The WLA JACL meets on the fourth Monday of each month Western Los Angeles# to participate in the Nisei Week at 7:00 PM at the Pacific Commerce Bank located at 11300 Festival to further her knowledge of Japanese and Japanese W. Sawtelle Blvd. Your participation is welcome. American culture and communities. This year, we are For questions, call Sandy Toshiyuki at 310.399.4526; email adding an internship program "see Page 3# to work on [email protected] or Jean Shigematsu at 310.207.3688; developing our community outreach. email: [email protected] ! PAGE 2 QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER VOLUME 1 ~ ISSUE 7 CHAPTER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM " A NEW DIRECTION Through discussions at the November and December board meetings, the development of an internship program has evolved to the point that the chapter would continue its scholarship program but reduce its number to fund this intern.