Liani was born in Seoul, South Korea, and adopted from an orphanage when she was just a few months old into a white American family. She spent her early childhood in upstate New York, and moved to a rural coastal town in southern Oregon at the age of 12. She graduated from Willamette University and Willamette University College of Law and is currently the President of Bullard Law, a boutique management-side labor and employment law firm in Portland. She previously served as General Counsel for the Office of the Oregon Governor, and spent nearly a decade at the Oregon Department of Justice.
Liani is an advocate for adoptee rights and co-founded the Asian American Adoptee Network (AAAN). She is also the former president of the Oregon Asian Pacific American Bar Association, former Co-Chair of the Oregon Minority Lawyers Association, and served as the 2020 President of the Oregon State Bar, becoming the first Asian American and first woman of color to hold that position.
She joined the board two years ago and helps develop the board, establish processes, and ensure compliance.