On September 27, 2017, Associate Lisa P. Mak in our Consumer and Employee Rights Group was honored at the Equal Justice Society’s annual gala. The Equal Justice Society celebrated its 17th anniversary with an “Art + Youth” gala honoring the next generation of torchbearers in the civil rights movement.

Lisa was honored for her work as a successful civil rights litigator, her fearless advocacy on behalf of workers, her writing on social justice issues, and her commitment to diversity.

In her acceptance remarks, Lisa expressed gratitude for being able to help her clients seek justice and emphasized the important role of lawyers in the fight for civil rights.

“Since the last election, lawyers have been at the forefront of protecting our civil rights by filing litigation, pushing for legal protections, and speaking truth to power against the narrative of ‘fake news,'” Lisa said. “Not only do we need lawyers in this country to continue fighting for civil rights, but we also need more diverse lawyers. Lawyers with backgrounds and characteristics that reflect the communities that we seek to serve, that need our help the most.”

The Equal Justice Society seeks to transform the nation’s consciousness on race and social justice through law, communications, social science research, and the arts. The organization’s current advocacy efforts include racial disparities in school discipline, inequities in the criminal justice system, and race-conscious remedies such as affirmative action.

Photo: EJS Board Member Jayashri Srikantiah (left) presents the EJS award to Lisa Mak. Photo by Bob Hsiang.