My recent trip to DC was extraordinary - from enjoying Michelin starred restaurants to receiving an award from the Hugh M. Hefner Foundation for my battle to advance civil liberties, then meeting incredible journalists like Wolf Blitzer - but I don't think I ever felt more out of place. Each of the folks standing with … Continue reading On the Hugh M Hefner First Amendment Awards
I'm pleased to announce that my newest TEDx talk on love and education is finally out! Please watch Once Upon an App: An Online Dating Fairy Tale filmed at TEDxDupontCircleEd below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY2QH_azjU4 And speaking of fate and coincidences, this talk was released on the one year anniversary to my wife.
This week, I had the incredible honor of speaking on a panel with Stephen Baird, the original attorney who fought with Suzan Harjo to cancel the trademark registrations of the Washington football team, and Amanda Blackhorse, who bravely continued that effort. There's no question that their efforts helped to highlight the indignity that Native Americans … Continue reading Paper Justice
I was born “Simon Hsiao Tam” on March 31, 1981…at least according to my parents. Growing up, I had a couple of different middle names. My paper trail through the public school system will sometimes list it as “Hong,” like my father’s, and sometimes “Hsiao,” from my mother’s side of the family. I didn’t really … Continue reading What’s in a Name?
Controversy and news erupted this week over a tweet sent by Whole Foods promoting their new partnership with a new, independent restaurant chain called "Yellow Fever." It's an Asian themed restaurant that operates with the tagline "Asian bowls for your soul" and run by a Korean American restauranteur. Understandably, the name gave many people pause … Continue reading On That Whole Yellow Fever Thing…
Finally back in Nashville after a whirlwind trip to NYC and DC. It concluded with an awards show from the American Bar Association in our country's capitol...just miles away from the Supreme Court where we were victorious. I was deeply humbled to receive the Mark T. Banner award though all recognition should have just went … Continue reading On Trophies and Recognition
"If you'd like to find a job where you have no boss, you will probably end up having a lousy boss - you - to do the work. We have to be really careful when we're deciding to act like the boss...then we need to do it as a professional. The fact that we have … Continue reading Passion isn’t enough
This weekend, I'll be sharing my newest TEDx talk titled Once Upon an App: An Online Dating Fairy Tale. TEDx Education events traditionally explore thinking around teachers, parents, and kids on how to build a better school. While many of the talks can take a broader view of what constitutes as learning and education, it's … Continue reading New TEDx Talk Coming: Once Upon an App
I recently sat down with Ken White of the Make No Law podcast to provide an inside look at my journey to the Supreme Court. While this is geared towards First Amendment geeks, this is probably one of the better features on the story and is one of the few that actually explores what the … Continue reading Disparagement, Contempt, and Disrepute
A few days ago, I was speaking at UC Davis School of Law for an event that highlighted some moments from my journey to the Supreme Court. After the presentation, I spent some time with student leaders of APALSA, the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association, where we casually spoke about music, Joss Whedon's Firefly, … Continue reading You Are Enough to Make a Difference
