For over 30 years, the AABA Law Foundation has provided scholarships and grants to law students committed to the Asian Pacific American community. In 2019, the Foundation awarded over $70,000 in scholarships (including a $10,000 scholarship  funded by the Minami, Tamaki, Yamauchi, Lee and Kwok Foundation). Our award recipients will utilize their scholarships for school, to provide direct legal support to APA and underserved communities, and pursue opportunities to build successful careers in law.

The Foundation awarded three $10,000 public interest grants to community organizations. The Nassiri & Jung Foundation gave $10,000 each to Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus and Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles to support the work they do to advocate for the Asian American Community. The Raymond L. Ocampo Jr. Foundation’s $10,000 grant went to Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus to support their work with low-income APA communities.

In addition, the Foundation will be awarding summer grants for law students to work with a public interest agency. In 2019, Tto grants were made possible by the generosity of  The Salle Yoo and Jeff Gray Charitable Fund, who funded $10,000 for summer grants - one $5,000 grant for a law student to work at a public interest law firm, and one $5,000 grant for a law student completing a judicial externship.

2019 Scholarship and Grant Awardees

Jasjit Mundh | UC Berkeley (Salle Yoo and Jeff Gray Foundation  - Summer Public Interest Scholarship - $5,000). Jasjit used the summer grant to work for the California Department of Justice this past summer.

Norjmoo Battulga | Golden Gate University Law School (Salle Yoo and Jeff Gray Foundation  - Summer Judicial Externship Scholarship - $5,000). Norjmoo spent this past summer externing at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Chloe Marie Ramos Czabaranek | Santa Clara University (Raymond L. Ocampo Jr. Family Scholarship - $5,000). Chloe externed this past spring with Pangea Legal Services in San Jose.

So Young Lee | UC Berkeley (Joe Morozumi Scholarship- $5,000). So Young has worked on asylum and deportation defense matters.

Jessica Yu | UC Hastings (Asian Pacific American Judges Scholarship - $5,000). Jessica has interned at the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office.

Moshin Mirza | UC Berkeley (AABA Scholarship - $5,000). Moshin has worked for the AAAJ-ALC as a Voters’ Rights Program Coordinator and as an Immigration Clinic volunteer, and spent the summer of 2019 at the California Department of Justice Consumer Protection Unit.    

Belle Yan | UC Hastings (Garrick S. Lew Fellowship - $10,000).  Belle served as a Post-Bar Clerk at the Santa Clara County Alternate Defender’s Office.

Kristine Avena | UC Hastings (2019 California ChangeLawyers Scholarship Recipient - $5,000). Kristine worked in the Department of Justice Criminal Division (San Jose).

Thank you once again to all our donors! Your support will provide crucial opportunities to the next generation of diverse APA lawyers dedicated to serving their communities.