President Lisa Loo, center, and the other State Bar of Arizona officers, 2016-17. L to R: President-Elect Alex Vakula, Second Vice President Steve Hirsch, President Lisa Loo, First Vice President Jeff Willis, and Secretary-Treasurer Brian Furuya.
In the September issue of Arizona Attorney Magazine, be sure to read our profile of the newest State Bar of Arizona President, Lisa Loo. Her life story began in Macau, China, and she emigrated to New York City when she was a young girl. Her story, and that of her family, is moving and provides some insight into the leadership lessons she’s learned.
Back in 2001, Arizona Attorney published another article on Lisa.
In the meantime, here is the formal announcement from the State Bar of Arizona. As the item points out, Lisa Loo is the first Asian American woman to be elected State Bar president. Just as fascinating is that the only other Asian American attorney ever to serve as Bar President was Thomas Tang, who went on to become a respected Ninth Circuit Judge—and who was the persuasive impetus behind the original formation of the Arizona Asian American Bar Association:
The State Bar of Arizona has announced the election of Lisa Loo as the 85th president of its Board of Governors. The board also announced the election of Alex B. Vakula as President-Elect, Jeffrey Willis as First Vice President, Steven A. Hirsch as Second Vice President, and Brian Y. Furuya as Secretary/Treasurer.
Lisa Loo in Arizona Attorney Magazine, October 2001 (photo by John Beckett).
Lisa Loo is Vice President for Legal Affairs and Deputy General Counsel at Arizona State University and is responsible for leadership of the lawyers in the business and transactional practice group. She joined the ASU Office of General Counsel in 1993 after eight years in private practice.
She has served the legal profession and the greater community in various volunteer leadership roles.
“The Bar is fortunate to have such an experienced and talented person serve as our board president,” said John Phelps, Executive Director and CEO of the State Bar of Arizona. “Leading up to her role as president, Lisa Loo has been an actively engaged board member. Over the past 23 years, she has contributed to some of our most influential committees, including the Committee on Minorities and Women in the Law, the Rules on Professional Conduct Committee, and the Bar Leadership Institute Selection Committee. She has also served on the State Bar’s Strategic Planning Committee and the Diversity Task Force. Her passion in championing Arizona’s legal community is unmatched, and I look forward to continuing my strong working relationship with her. She has already proven to be an excellent leader for the Bar.”
Loo is the first Asian American woman to be elected president of the State Bar. She is a founding board member of the Arizona Asian American Bar Association and served as Vice President of Victory Together, the primary group that advocated for the voter-approved MLK, Jr./Civil Rights Day in Arizona.
Loo graduated from the University Of Virginia School Of Law in 1985 and from Fordham University in 1982. She was admitted to the practice of law in Arizona in 1988 and has served on the State Bar of Arizona’s Board of Governors for seven years.
The State Bar of Arizona has honored Loo as the Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year and for Outstanding Achievement in Advancing Equal Opportunity in the Profession.
In addition to those elected, Young Lawyers Division President Alexia J. Peterson of DeConcini McDonald Yetwin & Lacy PC (Phoenix) joined the Board. The YLD president receives an automatic seat on the Board during their one-year tenure.
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