You’ve probably been hearing about the big drop in the number of Asian Americans going into law. Since the Great Recession, they’ve had the single biggest enrollment decline among any racial or ethnic group, sparking worries that Asians will lose voice and clout in the American legal system.

Like me, you probably assumed Asian Americans are giving up on law because of the dearth of role models or opportunities in the profession. Maybe they’re discouraged by the low conversion rate of Asian Americans into partners. Maybe they still feel an undercurrent of bias at play.