NEWS
Yemaya Hanna Receives 2024 Hennepin County Bar Association Excellence Award
September 27, 2024
Maslon is pleased to announce that Estate Planning attorney Yemaya Hanna will be honored with the 2024 Hennepin County Bar Association (HCBA) Excellence Award for Advancing Diversity and Inclusion.
HCBA is recognizing seven attorney members with 2024 Excellence Awards, given annually to honor service to the local legal community, legal profession, and association. The awards will be presented on Wednesday, Oct. 9.
As the sole associate member of the firm's DEI committee, Yemaya has worked tirelessly to help recruit and retain diverse talent and to make diverse team members feel welcome and seen. She regularly interviews and advocates for applicants, committing significant free time to connecting with local diverse law students about the job application process, collaborating with the legal talent team, and serving as a formal mentor to summer associates. Her work with law students extends beyond potential Maslon hires, as Yemaya believes in sharing her knowledge with diverse students so they can succeed in the legal profession and community generally.
Yemaya has also participated in educational programs and thought leadership on DEI, and she currently serves as the Emerging Leaders Group representative with Twin Cities Diversity in Practice (TCDIP) and actively contributes to TCDIP activities and programming.
During her time at the University of Minnesota Law School, Yemaya served as student director of the U of M Law School Immigration and Human Rights Clinic, as co-president of the Black Law Students Association, as vice president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association Student Affiliate; and as Diversity Committee admissions ambassador.
To learn more about the awards, see Hennepin County Bar Association: Excellence Awards.