Hellen Hong, Councilmember

Hellen Hong is the CEO of CalBar Affinity, Inc where she supports California attorneys run thriving practices while building a better justice system. Prior to her current role, she served as the first Director of the Office of Access & Inclusion at the State Bar of California where she led and implemented the State Bar’s initiatives on access to justice, diversity and inclusion, and support for legal services programs for Californians. She led the first California Justice Gap Study to better understand the civil legal needs of Californians.

Ms. Hong served in multiple leadership roles, including Interim Executive Director, at First Place for Youth. This national nonprofit with a $30M annual budget is committed to supporting young people transitioning out of foster care and into adulthood by providing education, employment, and housing resources. She previously served as the Executive Director at the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice for seven years. Through her strategic vision and leadership, the organization engaged in advocacy, doubled its budget to grow its impact, substantially increasing access to legal services for immigrants, domestic violence survivors, and teens parents.

Earlier in her career, Hellen worked as an attorney at Neighborhood Legal Services and as the Assistant Director of State Government Relations for UCLA. She also was a community-based coordinator for the State Business Transportation and Housing Agency where she implemented outreach and communication strategies to increase participation in the 2000 census, particularly for communities of color. She is a graduate of Loyola Law School and the University of California, San Diego.