The Asian Bar Association of Washington Student Scholarship Foundation (“ABAWSSF”) provides financial assistance in the form of scholarships to students of Asian heritage currently attending law schools in the state of Washington. Applicants are required to describe their contributions to the Asian Pacific American (“APA”) community and their plans to contribute to the APA community following graduation from law school. Applicants are also required to submit two letters of recommendation.



 

The Takuji 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 in 1902, and passed the state bar exam. The Washington State Supreme Court issued a decision that Mr. Yamashita was not eligible to be an American, 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, who served as ABAW’s first President (and one of its founders) in 1988. Ms. Sakamoto’s law practice at Aoki & Sakamoto emphasized meeting clients’ general business and estate planning needs. In addition to being active in the local and minority bar associations, she has also served on the boards of the Public Defender and Kawabe Memorial House.



The Northwest Minority Job Fair is sponsored and funded by a consortium of private and public sector employers. The Job Fair was created in 1987, and its mission is to foster access to employment opportunities for historically underrepresented persons in the practice of law and to provide a networking forum for legal employers and minority law students.



Please visit the ABAW's website if you want additional information about the ABAWSSF Scholarship.  



Past scholarship recipients:

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1994
Kathy Kim
Riza De Jesus

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1995
Jennifer Fryhling
Ursuala Barboza

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1996
Aileen Huang
Chang Kim

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1997
Michelle Chang
Quoc Trang
Roxanna Chun

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1998
Angelie Chong Kim
Chanh Trang
Elaine Gin

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1999
Alice Troung
Yen Lam

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2000
Anh Nguyen
Catherine Cabalo
Jana Seng

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2001
Andrew Chan
Claire Hur
Marlyn Prasha

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2002
Hong Tran
Katrina Zafiro
Nami Kim
Steven Peralta

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2003
David Phelan
Regina Paulouse
Renee Bernier
Serin Ngai
Ty Ho
Yen Banh

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2004
Catherine Le Vuong
Dinah Choi
Maili Barber
Stella Cheung

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2005
Don Tulanon
Kevin Tu
Liezl Casanova
Twyla Carter

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2006
Jeffrey Liang
Maureen Kyin
Meredith Higashi
Nguyen Do
Salimah Karmall

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2007
Alvin Luo
Chris Wong
Jenna Lee
Keith Seo
Ryan Ko

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2008
Hai-Ching Yang
Linglin Jacquie Shi
Persis Yu
Riddhi Mukhopadhyay

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2009
Ada Wong
Helen Ling
Maki Imakura
Priya Aggarwal
Raymond Delos Reyes

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2010
Amy Nguyen
Andrew Lee
Kay D’Souza
Laura Thom
Priyanka Prakash

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2011
Anthony Thach
Michelle So
Reyna Rolloazo
Cynthia Delostinos

Andrea Louie



2012

Yamashita Scholarship: Micah Bateman-Iino

Sharon A. Sakamoto President’s Scholarship: Feiya Suo

ABAW Student Scholarship Foundation General Scholarship: Lt. Stephen Bor

ABAW Student Scholarship Foundation General Scholarship: Anna-Rita Wong

Northwest Minority Job Fair Scholarship: Tebany Yune

 

2013

Yamashita Scholarship:  Reshvin Sidhu

Sharon A. Sakamoto President's Scholarship: Sungyong "Cheryl" Lee

Asian Student Scholarship Foundation General Scholarship:  Maily H. Hoang

ABAW Student Scholarship Foundation General Scholarship: Leandra W. Ebreo

Northwest Minority Job Fair Scholarship: Jasmine Hui

 

2014

Yamashita Scholarship:  David Tran

Sharon A. Sakamoto President's Scholarship: Veasna Hoy

ABAW Student Scholarship Foundation General Scholarship: Phoebe Huang

ABAW Student Scholarship Foundation General Scholarship: Yi-Tung (Emily) Hsu

Northwest Minority Job Fair Scholarship: Katherine Chung

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2015

Yamashita Scholarship:  Angela Jones

Sharon A. Sakamoto President's Scholarship: Prinka Bedi

ABAW Student Scholarship Foundation General Scholarship: Yayi Ding

ABAW Student Scholarship Foundation General Scholarship: Diana Chen

Northwest Minority Job Fair Scholarship: Erika Bleyi

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2016

Yamashita Scholarship:  Troy Osaki

Sharon A. Sakamoto President's Scholarship: Minjung Hur

ABAW Student Scholarship Foundation General Scholarship: Jessica So

ABAW Student Scholarship Foundation General Scholarship: Jordan Wada

Northwest Minority Job Fair Scholarship: Jodilyn Gilleland

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