Posted March 29th, 2022 in Top Stories with Tags Firm News, Diversity
Nilan Johnson Lewis Attorneys Selected to Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD)
Nilan Johnson Lewis has named three attorneys to the 2022 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD). Shareholder Mai Lee Yang has been selected to the 2022 Fellows Program, an initiative providing professional development and leadership training to a diverse class of high-achieving mid-career attorneys. Fellows will participate in an array of experiences to build management skills, gain insight into various industries, and connect with prominent leaders in the legal field.
Associates Alia Abdi and Anu Jaswal have been selected for the 2022 Pathfinders Program, designed to foster leadership and business development skills to a talented class of attorneys. Pathfinders will gain new insight into the legal profession through exploring case studies, working in peer circles, and connecting with a robust alumni network.
LCLD is an organization of more than 400 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners – the leadership of the profession – who have pledged themselves to creating a truly more open and diverse legal profession. The LCLD Fellows and Pathfinder Programs are two significant opportunities to advance diversity and inclusion in the legal field.
About Mai Lee Yang
Mai Lee Yang is a member of both the Health Care and Corporate & Transactional Services practice areas at Nilan Johnson Lewis. She provides counsel to large national and small health care plans, advising on Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial products, compliance programs, corporate governance, regulatory audits, and managing regulatory issues. Mai Lee represents health care entities and providers regarding all aspects of their business from licensing, change of ownership, contract negotiations, external and internal investigations, and currently serves as outside counsel for administrator of the Minnesota reinsurance program. She advocates for her clients by understanding their business goals while recognizing the industry’s complex regulations. Mai Lee finds solutions to comply with regulatory rules, guiding her clients away from regulator scrutiny and solving conflicts before they arise. She also enjoys counseling nonprofit entities on governing questions and day-to-day issues.
About Alia Abdi
Alia Abdi lends her leadership and problem-solving abilities to represent our clients in and out of court. She litigates employment claims, conducts sensitive workplace investigations, and advises a variety of employers, from nationwide companies with thousands of employees to local businesses and non-profits. Alia also partners with employers to successfully implement diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Prior to joining private practice, Alia externed for the Honorable John R. Tunheim, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. She is active in our local community, currently serving as Co-Vice President of Diversity for the Minnesota Chapter of the Federal Bar Association (a role in which she’s honored to serve). Alia is also the past co-chair of the same chapter’s New Lawyers Committee, as well as a past board member for the Somali American Bar Association.
About Anu Jaswal
Anu’s practice focuses on counseling clients on I-9 / E-Verify policies and procedures, defending employers in civil immigration enforcement actions, and representing clients in employment-based immigration matters, including labor certification (PERM) applications and nonimmigrant and immigrant visa petitions.
During law school, Anu served as an Outside Articles Editor for the Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality and as a Student Director for the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic, where she represented low-income clients applying for asylum and other immigration benefits.
About Nilan Johnson Lewis
Nilan Johnson Lewis is an innovative, independent, women-owned law firm that is a first choice for organizations across the country seeking deep expertise to solve their complex business challenges and disputes. Diversity is a core, founding value of NJL, and in 2022 the firm became certified as a women-owned business by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, a significant milestone in NJL’s ongoing commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace and being a law firm that delivers exceptional results because we celebrate and advance the diversity of our members and clients. The firm has deep expertise in five areas of law: business litigation, corporate and transactional services, health care, labor and employment, and product liability/complex tort litigation. Learn more at nilanjohnson.com.
