The launch of the Breaking Bamboo Boxes Project attended by important members of the AAPI legal community, standing in front of the presentation screen, showing 'Bamboo Boxes PROJECT LAUNCH May 31, 2025.'

Our Community is made up of project participants, advisors, and friends across the country supporting this compilation effort. Contact us using the button below to learn about how you can join.

Contact the BBB Project

Project Advisors

Our Advisors are incredibly accomplished individuals who have guided the Breaking Bamboo Boxes Project with their experiences with proven leadership in the legal community. The Project would not be reality without them.

A smiling man in a blue plaid suit with a red bow tie, standing next to a brick wall outside.

Richard C. Hsu

Richard Hsu is a retired lawyer and Managing Director at Major, Lindsey & Africa (MLA), the world’s largest legal recruiting firm.  A former Partner and Practice Group Leader at an AmLaw 20 firm, Richard specializes in representing attorneys, individual partners, and partner groups in the lateral market while conducting targeted searches for law firm clients. As a former Managing Partner of a law firm, he has cultivated deep relationships with lawyers and clients, serving as a trusted advisor to attorneys navigating their career paths.

Famous for his ABA award-winning podcast, Hsu Untied, Richard has interviewed billionaire entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, best-selling authors, TED speakers, lawyers, professional athletes, Olympic medalists, Emmy Award winners, and other celebrities. Leveraging his Caltech engineering background, Richard created and produced the LMA award-winning blog, HsuTube, collaborating with his daughter to create videos explaining intellectual property and licensing issues in an accessible way.

Before joining MLA, Richard served as a Partner and Global Head of the Intellectual Property Practice at Shearman & Sterling, where he also co-chaired the Privacy & Data Protection Practice and co-led the Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) Industry Group. He held certifications as a CIPP/US/E, CIPM, and CIPT Certified Privacy Specialist.

Currently, Richard serves as a Board Member at the Kernochan Center for Law, Media & the Art of Columbia Law School, an Advisory Board Member of The Leakey Foundation and the Alliance for Decision Education.  A published author, he previously held the role of General Counsel at Cyrano Sciences, a venture-backed company founded by Caltech Nobel Laureate Robert Grubbs to develop an electronic nose.

 Richard earned a J.D. from Columbia Law School.

Professional headshot of a smiling woman with wavy brown hair, wearing a dark blazer and a black top, against a dark background.

Leana S. Taing

Leana is a deputy county counsel for the Los Angeles County Office of Counsel. In addition, Leana teaches Legal Writing as a Lecturer in Law for USC Gould School of Law. She earned her JD from UCLA School of Law. She specialized in Critical Race Studies and Public Interest Law & Policy Program. Leana earned her B.A. in Political Science from UC Berkeley.

Leana is an executive officer of the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles (WLALA) and the WLALA Foundation. She is a past president of the Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance (APAWLA) and continues to serve on its board of governors. Leana serves on the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Council for Diversity in the Educational Pipeline as the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) liaison. Leana is a recipient of the 2024 ABA “On the Rise” – Top 40 Young Lawyers Award, a prestigious national honor in recognition of exceptional achievement, innovation, vision, leadership and commitment to both legal and community service. She is also a fellow of the American Bar Foundation.

Leana is the first in her family to go to law school and become an attorney. Her family fled the Cambodian genocide and started anew in Stockton, California. Their experiences compelled her to become a public interest attorney and dedicate herself to public service. As a part of her legal journey, Leana assisted the Office of the Co-Prosecutor in the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) to prosecute Khmer Rouge leaders for crimes against humanity and genocide.

Stephen C. Lee

Stephen Chahn Lee is a former federal prosecutor who now is a solo practitioner focusing on health care fraud cases.  He is the president of the Asian American Bar Association of Greater Chicago and is a former federal prosecutor and a former journalist. 

Stephen became interested in Asian American legal history during law school and has written multiple articles through his Our APA Heritage project.  He also has organized and led talks about Asian American legal history for AABA Chicago, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, and other organizations.

As a federal prosecutor, Stephen won convictions in all 17 trials that he litigated, won multiple appeals, and appeared once before the United States Supreme Court.  As a defense attorney, Stephen has won acquittals for multiple clients, including overturning a conviction on appeal. 

Stephen is a graduate of Yale College and Columbia Law School and was a reporter for the Chicago Tribune before becoming a lawyer.

Friends of the Project

Logo with stylized purple circle containing white cherry blossom flowers and the word 'APAWLA' below.

The Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance (APAWLA) is a non-profit organization of lawyers, legal professionals, and advocates that promotes the inclusion, empowerment and advancement of Asian Pacific American women in the legal profession.

The BBB Project is proud to partner with APAWLA through its Civic Engagement Committee to compile and share stories from AAPI legal luminaries. Several of APAWLA’s membership will also be participating in the Project with their own submissions.

Visit APAWLA’s website at https://www.apawla.com for more information about the organization and our collaboration, coming soon.

The word 'Homi' in blue text on a white background.
Red seal with stylized characters and the text "Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles County" below.
The logo of the International Lions Foundation featuring a globe with the letters 'ILF' and surrounded by stars and the text 'International Lions Foundation Los Angeles Chapter'.

Community Gallery

Four women standing together, smiling at an event, with a presentation screen behind them displaying a PowerPoint slide titled 'Your BBB Project'.
People attending a presentation in a modern conference room, with speakers at the front, a large screen displaying a graph, and audience members sitting on chairs and sofas.
Three people smiling for a photo in a dimly lit indoor setting, possibly at a social event or restaurant. Two women and one man are visible, with the man taking a selfie.
Three people holding conference name badges at a professional event.
Two women smiling outdoors, one presenting a plate of food and beverages, in a setting with green plants and large umbrellas overhead.
Two women smiling and holding a bouquet of pink and white lilies in a brightly lit room with a pinkish wall and a banner that reads 'WILSON SONSINI'.
People sitting around a restaurant table with food and drinks, smiling for the photo, with decorative wall art in the background.
Group of ten people dressed in formal attire posing in a luxurious, brightly lit venue with chandeliers and elegant decor.
Group of five diverse people sitting at a table in a bar or lounge, smiling and raising drinks for a toast, with a gold decorative ceiling and bar area in the background.
Group of eight diverse women and one man standing together in front of a backdrop with the NAPABA logo at a conference. They are smiling and wearing conference badges.
Two people taking a selfie at a conference with a panel of five speakers seated on stage behind them.
Group of people gathered at an indoor event, some sitting on steps and others standing behind, with city skyline visible through large windows at night.
Two people sitting at a table in an office, smiling, with laptops and a can of soda.
Two women standing behind a table with yellow tote bags, they are smiling and looking at the camera. The table has candy, a remote control, a black bowl, and a metal cup. The background shows a modern office with framed artwork and glass door.
Four women standing together in an office lobby with the sign 'Wilson Sonsini' behind them, posing for a photo.
Five women standing close together outdoors, smiling for a selfie, with a brick wall and a parked car in the background.
Two women smiling for a photo outdoors in an urban area with tall buildings in the background.
Four people standing together and smiling in an office or library with wooden bookshelves and framed pictures on the wall.
Man in a checkered suit giving a presentation at an event for the International Leadership Foundation, with a California state flag in the background and a podium bearing the organization's logo.
A woman standing at a podium, smiling, during a speech at an event organized by the International Leadership Foundation, with a backdrop displaying the organization's logo and name.
Two individuals smiling and posing for a photo at a formal event, with a backdrop displaying logos, American flag, and California flag, surrounded by other attendees.
Group of nine young adults, five women and four men, dressed in formal attire, standing together in a banquet hall with tables set for a celebration or event.
Two men standing indoors, laughing, wrapping purple string lights around each other, with a white wall in the background and a folding chair to the side.