In recognition of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, TCDIP is spotlighting leaders in our community whose work and experiences strengthen the legal profession. This month’s blog features Richard Ramones (CHS Inc.), Nicole Jison (Lifetime), Elvis Kim (Carlson Caspers), and Michael Kinane (Lockridge Grindal Nauen PLLP). Through their reflections, we celebrate leadership, visibility, and the many ways AANHPI attorneys contribute to a more inclusive legal community
Elvis Kim
Associate Attorney
Carlson Caspers
Can you share a brief overview of your career journey and what led you to your current role?
Like many others, I did not grow up around lawyers, and most of my early exposure to the profession came from shows like Suits. After earning my undergraduate degree in neuroscience, I worked as a paralegal at the New York County District Attorney’s Office, where I saw firsthand how impactful legal work can be and decided to pursue law school. Given my STEM background, I was encouraged to explore patent law, and through TCDIP’s 1L Clerkship Program, I joined Carlson Caspers as a summer clerk. That experience ultimately led me to my current role, where I continue to practice today.
What communities, mentors, or networks have been most meaningful in supporting you throughout your legal career?
Two communities that have been especially meaningful to me are Twin Cities Diversity in Practice (TCDIP) and Minnesota Asian Pacific American Bar Association (MNAPABA). Through TCDIP, where I serve as Assistant Secretary and an Emerging Leaders Group member, I participated in the 1L Clerkship Program, which directly shaped my career path and introduced me to an incredible network of mentors, colleagues, and friends. MNAPABA, where I serve as Co-Vice President of Programming, has also provided invaluable mentorship, leadership opportunities, and a strong sense of community. Both organizations have been instrumental in supporting my growth and helping me stay connected to the broader Twin Cities legal community.
What is a challenge you have faced navigating the legal profession, and what did you learn from that experience?
One challenge I have faced is navigating a profession where there are relatively few people who share my background or lived experiences. Early on, it could feel isolating, but it pushed me to seek out community and build relationships intentionally. Through that process, I learned the importance of mentorship, advocacy, and creating spaces where others feel included. It also reinforced the value of showing up authentically, even in environments where you may feel different.
In what ways has your cultural identity shaped your perspective, values, or approach within the legal profession?
My cultural identity has significantly shaped how I view resilience, community, and advocacy. Particularly after moving to Minnesota, I have experienced moments of feeling like an outsider, including being asked “What are you?” or encountering racial slurs or being taunted with slant-eye gestures. Those experiences have strengthened my commitment to fostering inclusive environments and advocating for greater representation within the legal profession. I take pride in my identity and view it as a source of perseverance and perspective that informs both my work and my community involvement.
What does AANHPI Heritage Month mean to you, particularly within the context of the legal community?
AANHPI Heritage Month is both a celebration and a moment of reflection. It highlights the contributions of AANHPI professionals while also creating space to elevate voices and experiences that may otherwise be underrepresented. It is also an opportunity to build connections, recognize progress, and continue advancing diversity and inclusion in the profession.
What advice or guidance would you offer to students or early‑career AANHPI attorneys entering the legal profession?
Be authentic and embrace what makes you different. Your background, perspective, and voice are not only valid, but they are essential to a profession that benefits from diverse ideas and experiences.
Nicole Jison
Assistant General Counsel
Life Time Corporate
Before I even considered law school, my first professional aspiration was to be an investigative journalist. Fittingly, after deciding to pursue a legal career, I initially worked in public service, first in eviction defense at a legal aid organization and later as a law clerk to a federal bankruptcy judge. After my clerkship ended, I wanted to work in a practice area that was still centered on people, which ultimately led me to employment law. As an associate at Nilan Johnson Lewis (NJL), I learned the nuts and bolts of employment litigation, counseling business clients, and effective risk management. Ultimately, the opportunity arose to work in-house at Life Time, a client of NJL, and I loved the prospect of continuing to practice employment law while having the chance to shape a dynamic company’s workplace culture. I’ve been at Life Time for five years now and am currently Assistant General Counsel.
What communities, mentors, or networks have been most meaningful in supporting you throughout your legal career?
The Minnesota Asian Pacific American Bar Association (MNAPABA) has been instrumental in shaping my legal career into what it is today. Many of my closest friends and most trusted mentors are attorneys I met through MNAPABA, and having a community that truly understands both the joys and struggles of building a career as an AANPHI attorney is invaluable. Serving on MNAPABA’s executive board for six years, including one year as president, also taught me how to lead during times of immense change and unprecedented challenges, and I have used those lessons to help me succeed in my career as well.
In what ways has your cultural identity shaped your perspective, values, or approach within the legal profession?
The Filipino community, like many AANHPI cultures, emphasizes the importance of doing what’s best for the family—in other words, prioritizing group needs over individual needs. There is also a significant focus on education as the great equalizer and the most powerful advancement tool. These ideas have caused me to approach my career as a means of continually educating others and myself to create communities, at work and elsewhere, that support and benefit everyone.
What advice or guidance would you offer to students or early‑career AANHPI attorneys entering the legal profession?
Be bold and tout your strengths. So many AANHPI cultures emphasize humility and a steady, quiet work ethic, which are wonderful qualities, but these traits can hinder your ability to advance professionally in a culture, like that of the U.S., that values assertiveness and individual accomplishment. So, don’t be afraid to speak first in a meeting, share news of your successes with a wide audience, or explain to your boss why you deserve a promotion or leadership role. Your other colleagues are likely doing this already, so don’t hesitate to do the same and advocate for yourself.
Michael Kinane
Associate Attorney
Lockridge Grindal Nauen
Can you share a brief overview of your career journey and what led you to your current role?
My practice is primarily antitrust law. I was a digital marketer before coming to the law and my work in that space intrigued me about the anticompetitive implications of data gathering. I even wrote my law review note on the topic. After I finished clerking at the Utah Supreme Court, I knew I wanted to return to Minnesota and it lucked out that I was able to secure a job in antitrust!
What inspired you to pursue a career in law?
My dad is a plaintiffs’ attorney, so I think I always had it in the back of my mind that I would go into the law. I also considered going into public policy after college—I was a dual degree MPP/JD student at UMN, so I might one day. But I ultimately decided to pursue a career in law because I concluded I’d be more fulfilled waking up in the middle of the night thinking about how to improve our society through legal practice instead of how to get my digital marketing clients more active users.
What is a professional milestone or accomplishment you are especially proud of?
In the first few months of my tenure at LGN, I was given the opportunity to write an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of one of our clients. The partner on the case, David Zoll, and I were both presented an award by our client for our work. The ability to have these more generalist opportunities, while still specializing in antitrust, is one of the reasons I enjoy working at LGN.
What does AANHPI Heritage Month mean to you, particularly within the context of the legal community?
I’m originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, so I had some difficulties finding community when I first moved to Minnesota, in particular within the legal community. But much of those difficulties disappeared after I attended my first MNAPABA Gala. The AANHPI legal community in Minnesota was incredibly welcoming and committed to paying if forward for young lawyers in the community—it’s one of the reasons I chose to build my career in Minnesota. To me, that’s what AANHPI Heritage Month is all about: honoring our predecessors who broke through barriers by helping the next generation.
What advice or guidance would you offer to students or early‑career AANHPI attorneys entering the legal profession?
Get involved in MNAPABA! It’s one of the most committed and welcoming bar associations in Minnesota.
Rich Ramones
Corporate Compliance and Senior Legal Counsel
CHS Inc.
Can you share a brief overview of your career journey and what led you to your current role?
I began my legal career as a litigator, which provided me with a strong foundation in advocacy, analytical rigor, and the ability to quickly learn and navigate complex disputes. Over time, I expanded my practice to include labor and employment, M&A, real estate, commercial contracts and other areas of corporate law as I transitioned to in-house roles at highly regulated, global companies, where I gained broad exposure to the intersection of business operations and legal strategy across multiple jurisdictions and complex business units.
In my current role, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as a member of the compliance and integrity leadership team with responsibilities for the CHS global trade compliance and investigations programs as both a compliance professional and practicing lawyer.
What is a challenge you have faced navigating the legal profession, and what did you learn from that experience?
One challenge I have navigated throughout my career is confronting negative stereotypes that AANHPI professionals often face in the legal profession. Whether as a litigator in the courtroom or as a senior attorney advising business leaders at large, global companies, there can be a perception rooted in the “model minority” myth that we may be technically capable but lack the assertiveness or executive presence to lead.
While these dynamics are an unfortunate reality, the experience has taught me the importance of being aware of these stereotypes and intentional about addressing them, as appropriate, to ensure they do not become unnecessary obstacles to professional growth. I strongly believe this approach has made me a more effective advocate, both for my clients and for the colleagues and communities I support.
What advice or guidance would you offer to students or early-career AANHPI attorneys entering the legal profession?
Strong legal work is the baseline expectation. Excellent work product, alone, will not differentiate you from your peers or elevate your career.
The real differentiator is elevating your skills and effectiveness as both a legal and business advisor and, equally important, building meaningful relationships in the workplace and in the broader local and professional community. Whenever practicable, invest in personal relationships through in-person connections because that human touch is what deepens trust, opens doors, and ultimately defines the arc of a fulfilling legal career.