APALSA's Annual Origins Banquet is a celebration of Asian Pacific American diversity and culture. In addition to a keynote by a prominent APA speaker, dinner and dancing, Origins features the announcement of the recipients of the APALSA Public Interest Fellowship.

The 2011 Origins Banquet will be held at 7pm on Friday, March 25 at Palmer Commons on the University of Michigan campus. Tickets are $20 and include cocktails and dinner. To purchase tickets, please contact Kristina Liu (kristliu@umich.edu) or Cara Wall (cbibiana@umich.edu)

APALSA would like to thank the following firms and individuals for their generosity in sponsoring and supporting the 2011 Origins Banquet and 2011 APALSA Public Interest Fellowship Gold Sponsors Silver Sponsors Bronze Sponsors Miller Canfield Alumni Sponsors Marianne Chow Marita Etcubanez If you would like to be a sponsor, please contact Cara Wall (cbibiana@umich.edu). The firm sponsorship packet can be found here. The alumni sponsorship packet can be found here.

APALSA 1L Public Interest Fellowship

The APALSA Public Interest Fellowship was created in 2005, and is dedicated to providing funding to highly qualified first-year student members who work for public interest organizations or in unpaid clerkship or government positions during their first-year summers. The goal is to encourage Asian American law students to go into the public or nonprofit sector where they can contribute to the Asian American community either directly (i.e. serving low-income Asian American individuals) or indirectly (i.e. increasing Asian American diversity by entering into a legal field where Asian Americans have traditionally been underrepresented).

All 1L paid members are encouraged to apply. For detailed instructions, eligibility requirements and the 2011 APALSA Public Interest Fellowship application, please click here. 2011 applications are due at on Sunday, March 6 at 11:59 p.m.

Faizah Malik 2009 Fellowship Winner	I spent the summer at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) in New York City. AALDEF protects and promotes the civil rights of Asian Americans through impact litigation, advocacy, and community education. AALDEF litigates cases that have a national impact, but also works closely with communities at the grassroots level by educating Asian Americans about their legal rights and providing free legal advice to low-income individuals. AALDEF’s current projects include: workers rights, post-9/11 immigrant access to justice, voting rights, educational equity and affirmative action, and human trafficking. I worked on immigrant workers rights and housing justice cases. Not only did I conduct substantive legal and policy research, write legal memoranda, and draft portions of briefs, but I also worked extensively with clients. In particular, I participated in housing and workers rights clinics, conducted client intakes, translated for Hindi/Urdu clients, prepared a client for direct and cross-examination in housing court, attended public hearings and meetings with local politicians for a zoning case, and worked with community organizers at Chinese Staff and Workers Association (CSWA) and Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM). I found that I also learned important lessons just by observing the staff attorneys interact with clients, judges, co-counsel, policymakers, and community members. I was also involved in strategy meetings about AALDEF’s role in building coalitions on immigration reform. Finally, I attended a weekly civil rights brownbag series with interns from the other LDFs in the building (LatinoJustice PRLDEF and LDF). After this summer, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in the public interest serving the needs of low-income Asian American communities. I am very grateful to APALSA and its supporters for enabling me to take this important first step in my public interest career.
Maggie Cheng 2009 Fellowship Winner	Last summer, I had the honor of working as a judicial intern for the Department of Justice's Executive Office of Immigration Review, at the Chicago Immigration Court. Since judicial internship programs are not eligible for Student Funded Fellowships, the APALSA fellowship was my only source of funding. I would like to see more resources made available to those pursuing judicial internships, because I believe that students who spend time as neutral adjudicators will go on to become better advocates in the future. I know that my experience with the Immigration Court will help me go on to become a better advocate because I was introduced to a new area of legal practice and to the decision-making process as well, all of which was made possible by the generous support of the APALSA fellowship. As a judicial intern, I drafted legal opinions, conducted legal research, and wrote bench memoranda. Most of the cases that I was assigned to were asylum cases. My prior experience mainly dealt with domestic immigration law, so in order to be an effective intern, I needed to gain experience with a completely new set of laws. Thankfully, the supervising legal clerk and the judges were wonderful mentors, providing me with intense training in immigration and asylum laws and offering guidance along the way. Pretty soon, I was responsible for reviewing every detail of my own cases and eventually drafting the final decisions. Working for the immigration court gave me considerable insight into the immigration and asylum process. The Executive Office of Immigration Review is the neutral adjudicator of immigration and asylum cases. The opposing counsels represent the immigrant and the Department of Homeland Security, while the Department of Justice stands between the government's policy interests and its domestic and international obligations. This unique position gave me an interesting perspective into both worlds. For example, in one of the asylum cases that I was assigned to, I had to weigh the evidence of the claimant's prior involvement with a terrorist organization against his claim for protection under the Convention Against Torture—a conflict between national security interests and international human rights obligations. Considering the fact that the Immigration Court deals only with cases from immigrants who have been denied legal status by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, I did not draft any grants of asylum over the course of the summer. As an advocate for immigrants, I was personally disappointed, but I also learned through the process of drafting legal opinions and through talks with the immigration judges what those cases were lacking. I found that it was detrimental to rely on only the heartbreaking factors of asylum cases, because stories alone are insufficient to gain legal protection from the state. But even in drafting denials, I learned what it takes to win a case. While the counsels who receive the final judgment would only read about the formal reasons and precedents supporting the denial, I learned what a counsel for the respondent could have done differently. I am certain that this insight into the real legal process will prove very useful in my future practice. Thank you, APALSA, for making this all possible!
Atasi Satpathy 2009 Fellowship Winner	With the help of the APALSA 1L Fellowship, I had the opportunity to work at The Children's Law Center (CLC) in D.C. During my time at CLC, I learned how tumultuous it can be to represent children and their parents when the whole world seems to be fighting against their success. The population I worked with primarily consisted of underprivileged African American children, ranging from infancy to age 18, who were in the neglect system and needed special education services. My attorneys were fierce advocates for their clients, who were technically the children’s parents or guardians (as the educational decision-makers) but often ended up being the children themselves if their parents or guardians were unable or uninterested. I learned from the attorneys that I needed to exercise due diligence and be creative in order to find any possible angle in a case that might help my client. I also learned that, while one can be a fierce and determined advocate, it is necessary to work well with everyone in the case, including the “opponent.” In cases like our children’s, the same people could be involved in a case for years, and therefore it was pivotal to maintain civil relationships with everyone in order to make sure the child’s best interests were always addressed. I had the opportunity to work directly with many of the children whose cases I assisted with, and that direct client service was the most eye-opening and inspiring experience of all. One teenager in particular motivated me to keep serving this population because of her great success. The teenager was 18 years old and had a 4-year-old son to whom she was an excellent mother. She was living independently, working while her son was in school, and had just begun attending evening college courses in January. Though hard-working and independent, she was unable to save enough money for a laptop, which she needed because of her role as a single mother and college student. Although she was eligible to receive funds for educational services from the D.C. Child and Family Services Agency, the agency argued that a laptop was not an educational service, and thus, they refused to fund that necessity. With the help of one of my supervising attorneys, I was able to file a motion for the necessary funding, which my supervising attorney tirelessly argued in court. We were able to secure the funding for the teenager after one of the longest hearings I attended all summer. The additional funding for a laptop a laptop would ensure the teenager’s continuing success, and perhaps even improvement, in college so she could make a better life for herself and her young son. That is just one example of the important victories we attained at CLC this summer. I am grateful to APALSA for providing me with the financial means to work with zealous, inspiring attorneys for children. However, the most rewarding outcome of this summer is that I met young people who were often more driven and worthy than anyone else I know.
Rebecca Oyama 2008 Fellowship Winner	I spent last summer in Washington, D.C., at the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law--a non-profit organization dedicated to civil rights litigation and advocacy, with a focus on racial discrimination. I spent the majority of my time in the Employment Discrimination Project and Voting Rights Project, where I had an incredible experience of working under accomplished civil right attorneys. I wrote various memos on research questions pertaining to current or future litigation and amicus briefs. For example, I helped to write part of an 8th Circuit appellate brief concerning discriminatory hiring practices and assisted in trial preparation for a steelworker class-action suit. I sat in on key strategic meetings among civil right organizations that sought to correct the pay disparity standard that failed Lily Ledbetter in her famous Supreme Court case. I also received intake calls from prospective clients, researched their possible claims, and assisted in determining their suitability for litigation. If it weren't for the support of APALSA and public interest funding, I would not have had this wonderful educational opportunity that greatly enhanced my understanding of impact litigation and nonprofit work.
Ivy Cheng 2008 Fellowship Winner	This past summer, I had the opportunity to work at the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) in Washington, DC. AAJC is a non-profit, non-partisan civil rights organization dedicated to the advancement of the legal and civil rights of Asian Americans. Its programs span issues relating to hate crimes and anti-Asian violence, affirmative action, immigration and immigrants? rights, voting rights, and language access, among others. My work this summer centered around the Asian American Contractor Empowerment Project of the Affirmative Action program. Toward this end, I analyzed the potential implications of various pending federal legislation for Asian American workers and business owners, and wrote memoranda proposing recommendations for the modification of those bills that would be used later in lobbying and advocacy to members of Congress. I also had the very rewarding experience of leading the drafting of AAJC's legal comment to the Department of Defense regarding an Executive Order issued by former President Bush, in which I analyzed the Title VII and Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection implications of the Order for workers of immigrant or racial minority background. My experiences with AAJC provided me with valuable insight into the federal level policy advocacy process and into the work of those national Asian American advocacy organizations that pursue it. Many thanks to the generosity of the APALSA fellowship for helping to make my summer possible.
Frances Kim 2008 Fellowship Winner	I worked for the Legal Services for Children, Inc. in San Francisco. Prior to coming to law school, I read about Legal Services for Children (LSC) in an alumni magazine and knew right away that I wanted to work there. LSC provides free direct client services to minors, specifically in the areas of guardianship, emancipation, dependency, immigration, and education. Having been a teacher before law school, I was excited to help improve the legal situation for youth, especially at LSC, which provides a unique atmosphere where lawyers and social workers work together, in one office, to represent clients. Lauren, my supervisor, was the office education expert. My responsibilities included becoming many clients’ first contact with LSC through the “warm” line, where I answered calls from potential clients, discussing their legal issues with a staff attorney, and providing references or legal advice. I also updated and created resource manuals in education matters to be used by pro bono attorneys or potential clients; researched various topics in education, especially areas where the California Education Code seemed to need improvement; and worked with clients to find low-income housing, a job, or a potential mentor. I was further able to attend immigration court to see our staff attorneys argue on behalf of youth mainly from Central America and China. My favorite experiences was representing a 17-year old Somoan high school student, growing up in one of the worst neighborhoods in the country, in his expulsion hearing. I was able to question witnesses and to give a closing statement, leading to the reinstatement of my client into public school. That was a unique and valuable experience that I will not forget. The APALSA fellowship played a large part in my ability to move for a summer to San Francisco, one of the most expensive cities in the US, to work for LSC. I am very grateful to the APALSA community and its supporters for allowing me to pursue a dream.
Ashwini Habbu 2007 Fellowship Winner	During the summer following my first year of law school, I served as a legal intern for the Immigrant Women Program of Legal Momentum. Initially, I was drawn to the organization’s work on behalf of immigrant victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Yet the internship was particularly attractive to me because of its legislative focus. Over the course of the summer, I helped craft and execute IWP’s legislative agenda. The now defunct immigration bill hit the Senate floor just two days into my internship. As an intern, my primary task was to research legislative histories, immigration-related scholarship, and Congressional voting trends to develop specific amendment language, as well as a legislative strategy, that would protect our core constituency: immigrant victims of violence. In addition to the immigration bill, I also was also a member on the team to reauthorize the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. Without the APALSA Public Interest Fellowship, I would not have been able to accept this internship. Organizations with a national legislative focus like the Immigrant Women Program are almost exclusively in Washington D.C., and this fellowship gave me the step up that I needed to get there. I sincerely thank the members and officers of APALSA, and certainly its sponsors, for making this opportunity possible.
Sameera Haque 2007 Fellowship Winner	Last summer, I had an unforgettable experience interning for Justice Barbara J. Pariente of the Florida Supreme Court. Working for Justice Pariente allowed me to step into a new role, distinct from the role that my first-year courses such as Legal Practice had taught me to play. I was no longer an advocate who was expected to advance every argument that might serve my hypothetical client's interests, but rather I was a neutral party with the exciting job of analyzing opposing legal arguments in real cases, affecting real people. Being behind the scenes at the Court not only allowed me to develop a unique understanding of what makes for "effective lawyering." It also revealed to me the integral role that diversity plays in a well-functioning judiciary. Motivated by that important realization, I returned to law school with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and direction. Unquestionably, I owe all that I gained last summer to APALSA and the unique freedom that the organization offers recipients of its 1L Public Interest Fellowship to pursue whatever low-paying or unpaid, public interest job they might be interested in, including judicial internships. Recipients of other, similar fellowships, such as SFF, are prohibited from working for judges—a rule that, in my opinion, forecloses one of the most valuable learning opportunities available to law students in their first summer. Because of this, the APALSA 1L Public Interest Fellowship stands as a great example of the unparalleled support that APALSA offers to members of the U-M Law School community—support that many, including myself, will forever be grateful for.
Sumeera Younis 2007 Fellowship Winner	The APALSA Public Interest Fellowship allowed me to work for an organization that is taking significant strides to improve the lives of women in America and across the world. This past summer, thanks to the funding I received from APASLA, I was able to accept a summer internship working as a Family Law Intern for Karamah in Washington DC. At my internship, I researched and compiled a manual to be used by domestic violence agencies across the country. The manual addressed unique issues that immigrant women face when attempting to leave an abuser. The average woman who suffers from domestic violence face a mountain of obstacles and legal hurdles that prohibits her from safely leaving an abuser. Immigrant women are particularly vulnerable in the system because they face challenges which most service providers are not currently addressing. Immigrant women often fear deportation if they report abuse, or may not have the language skills to seek help. Further there are also cultural and religious barriers that may prevent immigrant women from leaving abusers. The current system lacks many of the resources to adapt changes that would make it easier for immigrant women to leave abusive partners. Thanks to the APALSA fellowship I was able to engage in work that took steps towards remedying this problem.
Andrew Woo 2006 Fellowship Winner	My name is Andrew Woo and I am a law student at the University of Michigan Law School. I received the APALSA 1L public interest fellowship last year and worked at the Michigan Poverty Law Program over the summer. I am grateful for the opportunity that the fellowship has provided both because it allowed me to work in the field of law that I believe in, and also, because it encourages law students to provide a service to the benefit of the community. Without a source of funds from sources like the APALSA 1L public interest fellowship, it would be near impossible for many students to experience work in the public sector.
Yun Yun Huang 2006 Fellowship Winner	While I was an undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia, I became passionate about various human rights issues, and was actively involved in raising awareness of human rights violations by volunteering for Amnesty International. I wanted to combine my interest in human rights with law, so I jumped at the opportunity to be a legal intern for the Advice on Individual Rights in Europe (AIRE) Centre and learned a great deal about the substantive human rights law in Europe. I am grateful to APALSA and the generous donors for the Fellowship I received. Without the Fellowship to defray the costs of living in London, it would have been difficult for me to pursue my interest in human rights.
Mitoshi Fujio-White 2005 Fellowship Winner	I am a multiethnic female who grew up in Hawaii. I spent my 1L summer interning at Northwest Justice Project, which provides free civil legal services to low-income people throughout the state of Washington. I also interned at the Government Accountability Project, which promotes government and corporate accountability by advancing occupational free speech, defending whistleblowers, and empowering citizen activists. The Fellowship helped subsidize my expenses during the summer because neither internship provided compensation, nor was I lucky enough to be an SFF recipient. Given the large population of Asian immigrants in the Pacific Northwest, I believe my work positively impacted the Asian community in Washington.
Grace Lee 2005 Fellowship Winner	I am a joint JD/MBA pursuing a career in non-profit management/public interest law. The APALSA 1L Fellowship gave me the financial flexibility to take a summer internship in the Civil Rights division of the US Department of Justice. There, I researched and wrote memoranda on issues including post-Booker sentencing guidelines and credit for federal convictions following international convictions; petit policy; and constitutionality and evidentiary questions pertaining to continuous offenses and conspiracies related to the ex post facto clause. I was also given the opportunity to participate in training workshops regarding trial and grand jury preparation, and statutes related to hate crimes, color of law violations, forced labor, and human trafficking. It was an incredible experience that really enhanced my education and professional development.

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Origins 2009

Origins 2008

Origins 2007

Origins 2006