Jerrilyn Malana

As the first Asian-American woman to be elected president of the 10,500-member San Diego County Bar Association, Jerrilyn Malana is eager to pay forward the success she’s enjoyed as a labor and employment law attorney.

“I recognize the special position I’m in and the need to give back to my community,” says the native San Diegan. “I want to make a difference not just in the practice of law but in how it impacts the community.”

Diversity has always been a priority issue for Malana — she chairs diversity committees both for her firm, Littler Mendelson, and the county bar association —and she expects that to continue into her term, which begins December 2008.

“The 2000 census reported people of color are 53 percent of California’s population, yet only 17 percent of attorneys are,” says Malana, who is of Japanese and Filipino descent. “You can enhance people’s confidence in the legal system by having more diversity. It goes to the heart of access and fairness issues.”

Active in a number of legal and cultural organizations, Malana was just named to the San Diego Opera’s board. “It’s a nice respite from practicing law, and a lot of fun,” she says.