In-House Counsel, Minority Issues

What Being A Lawyer Means To Jean Lee, Newly Appointed MCCA President And CEO

Career insights and advice from Jean Lee, the new leader of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA).

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Jean Lee

Jean Lee

“School of hard knocks, I’m a grad / And that all-blue Yankee is my graduation cap.” – Jay-Z

This month, the Board of Directors of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) announced the appointment of Jean Lee as the association’s new President and Chief Executive Officer. Lee currently serves as Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at JPMorgan Chase & Co. Lee will officially take office in mid-March. She will be the first Asian American to head the MCCA.

Last week, I had the opportunity to catch up with Jean Lee and she was gracious enough to share insights from her career as well as provide advice for ATL’s law school audience. Here are some key excerpts from our conversation:

Renwei Chung (RC): What does being a lawyer mean to you?

Jean Lee (JL): Empowerment. Advocacy. A game changer. Those are the first three things that come to my mind when I think about what it means to be a lawyer. Perhaps it is my family background or my professional experiences as a Legal Aid social worker prior to becoming a lawyer. But, whether you are a lawyer for a non-profit or a large law firm or the biggest and best bank in America — I am a bit biased about JPMorgan Chase & Co. — you are empowered to advocate for your client’s interests and to solve problems.

Ultimately, your job allows you to change the game for the better by advocating for a person or some company who needs your help. And that someone, whether it is a bank or an individual, can benefit from your advocacy and efforts to protect them. That’s empowering: knowing you can make a difference.

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RC: What attracted you to the legal profession, and how did you choose Rutgers University School of Law – Newark?

JL: It was my dream to be in the legal profession since I was a child. As a first-generation Korean-American immigrant whose parents were not proficient in English, I struggled like many immigrants with English and my family faced many challenges without any support.

Back then, there were very few resources for immigrants and even fewer who were bilingual attorneys doing pro bono work. Because of those experiences, I wanted to help and to make a difference in the lives of those who did not have a voice. As for Rutgers, it was the best option for me in terms of affordability and proximity to my family.

RC: In addition to being appointed as MCCA’s new President and CEO, I noticed you clerked for The Honorable John J. Hughes, United Stated Magistrate Judge (District of New Jersey), and are currently serving as Vice President and Assistant General Counsel for JP Morgan Chase. I’d love to hear a little more about your career and learning experiences along the way.

JL: Working for Judge Hughes was one of those experiences that just had it all. I learned something every day and he was terrific in giving me opportunities as his clerk. Because of the Judge’s background as a trial lawyer, I worked on dispositive criminal matters, which no law clerk at that time did. I still remember some of those issues from 14 years ago. It was just that great. We also had so much fun because it was only the Judge, his courtroom deputy, an administrative assistant and me. I still try to visit them every year when the Judge hosts a holiday party.

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Working for Milberg was another fantastic experience. I worked on cases that changed many laws in this country and the firm supported me to lead on those important matters even as a junior/mid-level associate. The firm also gave me opportunities to refine my business development skills and supported me on various diversity initiatives.

Finally, JPMorgan Chase has been a great learning experience because I’ve had an opportunity to really learn about the business and its operations that I supported. I thoroughly enjoyed working with clients who are smart, engaged, and always thinking about how we can be the best without compromising their integrity.

RC: What advice do you have for those candidates who are about to embark on the law school journey and/or for those students who are about to graduate law school?

JL: For those students who are about to start law school, make sure you study but try to take a step back to enjoy all that school has to offer, including your classmates. For those of you who are about to graduate, it is an exciting time and I hope you will take calculated risks. Don’t be afraid to fail. This is the time to push boundaries and achieve your dreams. Love what you do — including when you fail, because learning how to pick yourself up again will be invaluable as you move forward.

RC: How can young lawyers and millennials help shape our profession and society in general?

JL: Young lawyers and millennials are already shaping our profession and society in ways that I don’t think many of us imagined. They are creative and open-minded. They think of diversity and inclusion very differently. I recall seeing an article last year about how millennials think about diversity and it was eye-opening. When they think of diversity in the work place, they talk about diversity of thoughts, whereas I think some older generations think of it as a civil right or a moral issue.

RC: What does diversity mean to you?

JL: Diversity means embracing different thoughts and people who are not cut from the same mold. I think embracing diversity with the broadest stroke helps us to make better decisions in life and business, and increases morale and productivity.

RC: It was great chatting with you — is there anything else you would like to share with our audience?

JL: I am looking forward to this next challenge as MCCA’s President & CEO. I have very big shoes to fill coming after Joe West, who has done a fantastic job of leading MCCA.

RC: On behalf of everyone here at Above the Law, I would like to thank Jean Lee for sharing her experience and wisdom with our audience and wish her continued success in her career.

Renwei Chung attends SMU Dedman School of Law. He has an undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and a MBA from the University of Chicago. He is passionate about writing, technology, psychology, and economics. You can contact Renwei by email at projectrenwei@gmail.com, follow him on Twitter (@renweichung), or connect with him on LinkedIn.

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