As the AADC celebrates 100 years and forges our bright future, our Legacy of Leaders series highlights just some of our many dedicated volunteers. They have established an enormous legacy of leadership that will ensure our success. Let’s celebrate them!

Lora L. Fong ‘79 earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a certificate in Women’s Studies from Douglass College in 1979. She earned her Juris Doctor from Rutgers University School of Law in Newark in 1991. She is admitted to the bar in New Jersey and New York and in various federal courts.

Throughout her career, Lora has pursued a strong personal and professional commitment to diversity and inclusion. Currently, as an Assistant Attorney General and a member of the Executive Leadership Team in the Office of the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey, she serves as the Chief Diversity Officer for the Department of Law and Public Safety. Since 2016, when the position was first created, she has been responsible for strategic diversity and inclusion initiatives across a department of more than 8,000 employees within 17 divisions. Lora advises and collaborates with senior leaders to adapt best practices across a broad spectrum of organizational subcultures. She deftly leads training sessions and coaches training staff. Some of her achievements include developing and implementing training programs, such as unconscious bias training for hundreds of State and county prosecutors and civil attorneys, as well as for 3,000 members of the New Jersey State Police. Under her leadership, Lora has established supportive and inclusive resources and improved access to opportunities.

Previously, Lora practiced law in the private sector. As Senior Vice President at Diversity Inc, she advised and counselled client organizations – including Fortune 500 companies – on advancing their diversity and inclusion goals. As a civil litigator in private practice, she regularly appeared in federal and state courts in a broad range of commercial matters. She has practiced extensively as in-house corporate counsel in the technology sector, as Managing Counsel at Salesforce.com, and as Associate General Counsel at Fujitsu Consulting.

Beyond her professional commitments, Lora has volunteered her time and energy to professional and community organizations. She has served on the Board of Trustees of the New Jersey State Bar Association and led its Diversity Committee. She is a past President of the Asian Pacific Lawyers Association of New Jersey and served on its Advisory Board.

Lora also previously served as a member of the New Jersey Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, held elective office as a member of the board of Education or the Edison, NJ, school district, and volunteered as board counsel to the Organization of Chinese Americans-NJ and the Women’s Political Caucus of New Jersey.

In recognition of her accomplishments and service, Lora received the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Excellence in Diversity Award in 2020 and the Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey’s Professionalism Award in 2017. Also in 2017, Lora was named a Distinguished Leader of the Bar by the New Jersey Law Journal and was honored by the Organization of Chinese Americans New Jersey Chapter.

Lora has remained loyal to her Rutgers and AADC roots over the years and her dedication and service as an alumna has been repeatedly recognized. She has served on the Rutgers Board of Trustees and Board of Governors. In 2007, Lora received the inaugural Distinguished Alumni Award from the Rutgers University School of Law-Newark Minority Student Program (MSP). Last year, Lora was honored by the MSP as a recipient of the Hall of People’s Electric Alumnus Award for her exemplary commitment, dedication and leadership as an alum of the program.

In 2018, she was named a Loyal Daughter of Rutgers by the Rutgers Alumni Association and also was inducted into the AADC Society of Excellence in recognition of her service and distinguished career. This year, she was a speaker at the AADC’s inaugural Women’s Conference on March 18, presenting at a session entitled: “Beyond the Buzzwords – Demystifying Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.” The session was aimed at fostering a deeper understanding of how we can all benefit from DEI initiatives, and how to incorporate those lessons into our personal experiences.

For her outstanding achievements as an attorney and diversity and inclusion leader, the Associate Alumnae of Douglass College commends Lora Fong for her legacy of leadership.

Published on April 26, 2023