Heshan Cui 

Heshan Cui is a J.D. candidate at Santa Clara University School of Law (Class of 2027). She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Laws in Social Work from Beijing Institute of Technology. Prior to law school, she served for several years as a Legal Advocate at AACI Asian Women’s Home, where she supported survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, particularly Asian immigrant women, by providing legal assistance, community education, and policy advocacy. She also represented her organization in legislative meetings with California State Senators and Assembly Members to advocate for stronger protections for vulnerable workers and survivors. In addition to her advocacy work, she has conducted research on the gendered division of labor, the legal system’s response to intimate partner violence and substance abuse, and broader social welfare policies at the University of Michigan and Beijing Institute of Technology, resulting in several articles published in peer-reviewed Chinese journals.

This past summer, she interned with the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office in the Labor and Employment Team, and she currently serves with the Workers’ Rights Clinic at the Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center. At Santa Clara Law, she is an Associate on the Santa Clara Law Review and a Board Member of the Galloway Moot Court. She aspires to a career in civil litigation, focusing on civil rights and employment law.

Ina Na

Ina is a 2L at University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. Born in Seoul and raised in Koreatown, Los Angeles, she is committed to immigrant advocacy and community engagement. After graduating from UCLA with a major in History and minors in Education and Asian Studies, Ina taught middle school history in Brooklyn, where she gained a deeper understanding of the value of diversity and community-building. At UC Law SF, Ina is active in several student organizations, including the Korean American Law Student Association and the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association. She also founded the UC Law SF Run Club, creating a space for students to connect while promoting both physical and mental well-being. Outside of school, Ina volunteers with Asians Are Strong, where she advocates for and supports Asian seniors.

Kanami Malie Okabe

Kanami Malie Okabe is a 2L at Berkeley Law. Raised in California, she is passionate about indigent defense and its importance in protecting the rights of criminal defendants, particularly those from marginalized communities who are disproportionately targeted by the carceral system. During law school, she has worked with the Solano County Public Defender's Office, the San Francisco Public Defender's Office, and the East Bay Community Law Center's Housing Clinic, which focuses on eviction defense. At Berkeley, she also leads the Women+ of Color Collective, Defenders at Berkeley, and the Berkeley Law Alternative Service Trip (BLAST) to Hawai'i, during which law students travel to Honolulu to do pro bono work with non-profits focusing on the wellbeing of Native Hawaiians. In the future, she hopes to become a public defender here in the Bay.

Kiana Lei Yap

Kiana Lei Yap is a 3L at Santa Clara University School of Law. At SCU, Kiana Lei is involved in the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA), Criminal Law Society, and Social Justice Coalition, and has competed in moot court and served as an associate with the Journal of International Law. 

She is passionate about a career in public service and is strongly committed to serving her community. Her volunteer work has included Asian Law Alliance's Citizenship Day, serving as a high school mock trial adjudicator with the Teach Democracy organization, and Sacred Heart Community Service. During law school, she has completed internships with the FBI, United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California, and the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office. After law school, she is looking forward to a career in criminal prosecution. 

Kiana Lei takes pride in her background as a second-generation immigrant and first-generation law student and looks forward to supporting aspiring law students in the AAPI community. She is San Jose native, who graduated from Valley Christian High School and received her BA and MS from Saint Mary's College of California. 

Michelle Wang

Michelle Wang, JD, is a recent graduate of UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings). Before law school, Michelle earned a Master’s Degree from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, where she focused on diversity and inclusion in higher education. During law school, Michelle externed for the Honorable Michael J. Strickroth at the Orange County Superior Court and interned with the Federal Trade Commission, Kemper Insurance, and the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office. Michelle has volunteered with nonprofit organizations and bar associations in San Francisco, providing client intake services and Mandarin interpretation. She served as Submissions Editor for the UC Law SF Science & Tech Law Journal, and mentored first-generation law students. Michelle is currently a law clerk at Laughlin, Falbo, Levy & Moresi LLP.

Roman Ike Kaludi

Roman Kaludi is a J.D. candidate at UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings), Class of 2026, and a Lawyers for America Fellow with the Solano County Public Defender’s Office, where he works full-time and will continue the year following graduation. He has interned with the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, externed for the California Court of Appeal under Presiding Justice Alison Tucher, and served as President of the Trial Lawyers Association at UC Law San Francisco. As an Indian and Hispanic American raised in the East Bay, Roman is passionate about supporting LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities through both advocacy and representation. He channels this passion into public defense and fighting incarceration. He has also volunteered with UnCommon Law, drafting consultation letters for transgender and gender non-conforming clients preparing for parole hearings. Understanding the overwhelming and isolating nature of the legal system, Roman is deeply committed to ensuring that everyone’s rights are understood, protected, and enforced.

Rashmi Sunder

Rashmi Sunder is a 2L at the University of Maryland, Francis Carey King School of Law. Originally from the East Bay, Rashmi returned to California to complete a summer clerkship at Asian Law Alliance during her 1L summer. At ALA, she worked with the immigration team to provide legal services for members of the Asian-Pacific Islander and Hispanic communities. Prior to law school, Rashmi received her B.A. in Political Science from American University in Washington D.C. At Maryland Law, Rashmi is a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution team as well as a Staff Editor for the Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion, Gender, and Class. She hopes to use her legal knowledge and her experiences as a first-generation immigrant to support the AAPI community throughout her legal career.