Michael Yaki

Michael Yaki (born 1961) is a San Francisco attorney currently serving as a commissioner on the United States Commission on Civil Rights,^[1] succeeding Christopher Edley, Jr. in February 2005. Yaki graduated from UC Berkeley^[1] in 1983, and then from Yale Law School^[1] in 1986. He clerked for Judge Harry Low, the first Chinese-American appointed to the California Court of Appeal, from 1986 to 1987. After a brief stint with the law firm of Morrison & Foerster, Yaki was appointed in 1989 by Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) to be her District Director and as a senior advisor. Yaki was also a former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, serving from his appointment by then-mayor Willie Brown in February 1996. He ran for election and won in November 1996, and served until his election defeat in 2000.

As a member of the Commission, Yaki is the frequent voice of dissent on the Commission,^[1] which has four members appointed by then-President George W. Bush, and four members appointed by Congress split equally between Democrats and Republicans.

References