ABAW Student Scholarship Foundation Scholarship  

Application Information for Fall 2025

_______________ 

The Asian Bar Association of Washington Student Scholarship Foundation (“ABAWSSF”) provides financial assistance in the form of scholarships to students of Asian heritage or students who demonstrate a commitment to improving the Asian-American community and are currently pursuing a J.D. degree at law schools in the State of Washington.  For 2025, ABAWSSF will award six scholarships in the following amounts:

• Yamashita Scholarship - $7,500 
• Sharon A. Sakamoto President’s Scholarship - $5,000
• Kim Tran Scholarship - $5,000
• ABAWSSF General Scholarship - $2,500
• ABAWSSF General Scholarship - $2,500
• ABAWSSF General Scholarship - $2,500

The Yamashita Scholarship is named after Takuji Yamashita (1874–1959).  Mr. Yamashita was born in Japan and emigrated to the United States in the 1890s.  He graduated from Tacoma High School in two years, graduated with a law degree from the University of Washington as a part of its second-ever graduating class, and passed the state bar exam. However, in processing his bar application, the Washington State Supreme Court issued a decision that Mr. Yamashita was not eligible to be an American citizen and, therefore, could not practice law.  This decision was overturned, posthumously, nearly 100 years later on March 1, 2001. 

The Sharon A. Sakamoto President's Scholarship is named after Sharon Sakamoto, ABAW’s first President (and one if its founders) in 1988.  In law school, Ms. Sakamoto was a part of the legal team for Gordon Hirabayashi, a Japanese American convicted of civil disobedience during World War II. Ms. Sakamoto is now retired, but her prior law practice at Aoki Sakamoto Grant emphasized justice and equality and meeting the needs of clients in the areas of business, estate planning, immigration, and criminal defense. In addition to being active in local and minority bar associations, she has served on the board of Kawabe Memorial House and many other organizations.

The Kim Tran Scholarship is named after Kim Tran, ABAW’s 2006 President.  This Scholarship honors the remarkable legacy of Kim Tran. Born in Vietnam and arriving in the United States as a refugee from Saigon, Ms. Tran’s journey is a testament to resilience and purpose. She overcame formidable challenges to earn her law degree, become a shareholder at the firm formerly known as Stafford Frey Cooper, lead workplace investigations at Microsoft, and ultimately serve as Head of HR Legal at GitHub.  Beyond her professional accomplishments, Ms. Tran was a trailblazer in service and advocacy—breaking barriers as the first Asian president of the King County Bar Association and serving with distinction as president of the Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) and Board Chair of Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC). This scholarship celebrates not only her extraordinary achievements, but also the tenacity, vision, and heart she brought to every role—as a leader, mentor, and unwavering advocate for others.

Application Process and Requirements 

To be eligible for a scholarship, you must be (i) a law student of Asian heritage and/or a law student who possesses a demonstrated commitment to improving the Asian-American community, (ii) currently enrolled in a law school in the State of Washington, and (iii) pursuing a J.D. degree.  The following materials are required to apply for the scholarships: 

• A copy of your résumé; 
• Evidence of your current enrollment at an American Bar Association accredited law school in the State of Washington (acceptable evidence includes an unofficial law school transcript or, for first year law students, a class schedule provided by the law school); 
• Two (2) references (their name, relationship to you, email, and phone number); and 
• Written responses to the following questions: 
  1. A pillar of the ABAW is about giving back to our community and developing stronger relationships within the community. As such ABAW has the following committees that focus on giving back in different ways: Mentorship, Gala, Scholarship, and Pro Bono. In no more than 200 words, please pick a committee you would be interested in joining and explain (i) why you have picked that committee and (ii) what that committee means to you as a law student.
  2. In 700 words or less, imagine you are post-graduation and a practicing attorney, if you were a director of ABAW, what initiative would you want to implement in the ABAW and why?
  3. For The Kim Tran Scholarship: In no more than 500 words, please tell us about a time when (i) you’ve had to overcome a significant obstacle or barrier and how has that experience impacted where you are today, (ii) you’ve faced an ethical dilemma or had to stand up for a difficult position and how did you handle that situation, or (iii) a significant leadership role and how has that experience impacted you today. Please just choose one prompt in this question 3.

All application materials must be e-mailed to scholarship@abaw.org no later than 5 p.m. Pacific on October 15, 2025. Applications must be in  .PDF format.  

Candidates in consideration for the next phase of the scholarship process will be contacted on or around October 19, 2025, to schedule an interview.  Interviews are currently scheduled to be held in the afternoon on October 20, 2025,by video conference and will last no more than 20 minutes each.

The recipients of the 2025 ABAWSSF Scholarships will be notified on October 21, 2025.  A formal announcement of the selected recipients will be made on October 24, 2025 at the Asian Bar Association of Washington (“ABAW”) and ABAWSSF Annual Gala and through the ABAW newsletter and website.  In preparation for the announcement, scholarship recipients will be required to submit a short one paragraph bio and may be required to work with ABAWSSF to record a short video introducing themselves and briefly describing what the scholarship means to them, along with their plans to contribute to the API community in the future. By applying for a scholarship, an applicant agrees to provide such bio and video and to permit the ABAWSSF and/or ABAW to publish any and all information contained in the applicant’s application materials. 

Please direct any questions to Monica Keo-Newton, ABAW Scholarship Chair, at Monica.Keo-Newton@stoel.com. 

*ABAWSSF reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to change the number of scholarships awarded, the dollar amount of each scholarship, and/or to not award any scholarships. 

** Please note that past scholarship recipients and immediate family members of current ABAWSSF and ABAW voting board members are ineligible for this year’s ABAWSSF Scholarships. 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2025 SPRING BLOSSOM FELLOWSHIP

The Asian Bar Association of Washington is excited to announce our TWO Spring Blossom Fellows for 2025! Congratulations Jason Lu and Patrick Halm!

Funding for the fellowship is made possible by a donation from Hon. Lorraine Lee (ret.) and John Felleisen, in partnership with the Asian Bar Association of Washington Student Scholarship Foundation.  The fellowship is awarded in the name of, and in honor and memory of, Chun Lan “Spring Blossom” Ng Woo, 1918-2008, an immigrant woman from China who lived her life with integrity, courage, and resilience.   

While the fellowship was inspired by the pressing needs of immigrant women, the criteria for award of the fellowship is broader.  The fellowship is available to students working with a public interest or service organization whose work advances the rights of women and/or immigrants; the sponsoring organization does not need to “specialize” in or solely address issues related to the rights of women and/or immigrants.  Further, an applicant need not work only on issues related to the rights of women and/or immigrants during the term of the fellowship, as long as some of the applicant’s work will help advance such rights.  The extent to which the work advances the rights of women and/or immigrants will be just one factor in awarding the fellowship.    

For more information, please contact: Monica Keo-Newton, ABAW Scholarship Chair, at Monica.Keo-Newton@stoel.com.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Asian Bar Association of Washington would like to congratulate all of our scholarship and fellowship recipients for 2024.  Please join us in congratulating:

Yamashita Scholarship: Theana Lynn Aromin

Theana Lynn Aromin (she/her) is a second-year law student at Seattle University School of Law. She was born and raised in Guam and moved to Washington to attend the University of Washington, Seattle for her undergraduate degree. Initially intending to study engineering, Theana shifted her focus to American Ethnic Studies and Law, Societies, and Justice after becoming involved in the various AANHPI collegiate organizations. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, she moved back to Guam and taught at her former high school. For over three school years, she taught in almost every department—science, social studies, math, electives, and English language arts. Now, Theana works as an Admissions Fellow while attending school. This year, Theana serves as the Co-President of the Pacific Islander Law Student Association, Vice President of the Asian Law Student Association, and Secretary of the National Filipino American Law Student Association. She is also the VP of In-House Competitions for the Dispute Resolution Board and a new member of the Seattle University Law Review. 

Sharon A. Sakamoto President’s Scholarship: Carol Xie

Carol Xie is a second-year law student at Seattle University School of Law. She is a first-generation high school, college, and soon-to-be law school graduate. Coupled with her upbringing and her love for the Seattle Chinatown-International District neighborhood, Carol enrolled in law school to pursue a career in criminal prosecution in order to further advocate for non-English speaking communities and to provide representation in the legal profession. At Seattle U, Carol currently serves as President of the Asian Law Students Association; Secretary and Social Media Manager of the Future Prosecutors for Social Justice; and Diversity Representative of the Student Bar Association. She is also the Seattle U Student Liaison for the Asian Bar Association of Washington.

ABAWSSF General Scholarship: Jerrald Callanta

Jerrald Callanta is a third-year law student at Seattle University School of Law.  Born and raised in Daly City, California, Jerrald completed his undergraduate degree in philosophy at San Francisco State University. In law school, Jerrald was eager to become involved in his community, which pushed him to join multiple cultural affinity organizations. In his 2L year, he served as Vice President for the Asian Law Students Association and Filipino American Law Students Association (FALSA). Apart from being involved in the Asian community, he has also worked with domestic violence survivors with their appeals with the Family Violence Appellate Project. Currently, Jerrald is the President of FALSA and inaugural Vice President of the National Filipino American Law Students Association. After law school, Jerrald plans on pursuing a career in privacy law, and hopes to continue giving back to the Filipino community in Seattle and Daly City through pro bono family law work.

ABAWSSF General Scholarship: Kabitanjali Amatya

Kabitanjali Amatya is a third-year law student at the University of Washington School of Law. Originally from Nepal, Kabitanjali’s passion for advocating for immigrant and marginalized communities stems from her personal experiences as a first-generation immigrant. Before law school, she worked as a Nepali language interpreter, helping refugees and immigrants overcome language barriers to access essential services.

During law school, she served as Vice President of Mentorship for the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, where she worked to create a supportive network for AANHPI law students. Kabitanjali has also volunteered with the SAI Justice Asylum Clinic, assisting asylum seekers in navigating the legal system. Her internships at Northwest Health Law Advocates and the Federal Trade Commission have allowed her to contribute to legislative advocacy and consumer protection work. Entering the legal field as an immigrant, Kabitanjali is committed to giving back to the community that has supported her throughout her journey. She looks forward to mentoring future law students and immigrants aspiring to enter the legal profession, ensuring they have the guidance and resources they need to succeed. After law school, she plans to continue serving immigrant communities through legal advocacy, focusing on issues such as language access, healthcare rights, and immigration law.

ABAWSSF General Scholarship: Betty Yu

Betty is a second-year law student at the University of Washington School of Law. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Betty discovered her love for volunteering in high school when she worked with a refugee center and Asian Americans Advancing Justice. Betty holds positions on several community boards in Seattle and has found great passion in volunteering at the Chinese Information and Service Center (CISC) legal clinic. After graduating, Betty plans to continue her involvement at CISC as a volunteer attorney and deepen her engagement with the Asian Bar Association of Washington. She is dedicated to mentoring future law students and supporting the AANHPI community with resources she wished she had as a first-generation law student.

Spring Blossom Fellowship: Lexi Yokote

Lexi is a second-year law student at Gonzaga University School of Law. This past summer as the Spring Blossom Fellow, Lexi interned with Manzanita Immigrant Legal Aid (MILA), the legal department of a local non-profit organization, Manzanita House, focused on working for and with the immigrant community. Her work included drafting motions to dismiss and continue removal proceedings for the immigration court, communicating and meeting with clients to complete applications, conducting country conditions research regarding Mexico, Venezuela, and Russia, and more.

While at MILA, Lexi worked on a project that entailed contacting clients and filing Temporary Protected Status (TPS) applications for qualifying Haitian nationals. On July 1, 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced the extension and redesignation of Haiti for TPS for another 18 months. Qualifying Haitian nationals could apply to obtain or extend their temporary legal status. MILA provided services free of cost to the clients to help them file their applications. She conducted research regarding the eligibility for Haitian nationals to apply for TPS with this redesignation and extension, contacted clients to gauge interest in the program, collected relevant information and supporting documents, helped draft the clients’ TPS applications, met with clients to review, and ultimately filed the applications to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.