VABAW invites attorneys and students interested in the legal field to join us for our annual Mentorship Mixer, hosted by Stritmatter Law. Please RSVP on Eventbrite and fill out the questionnaire by October 2, 2026, in order to participate in mentorship matching: VABAW Mentorship Mixer Tickets, Thursday, October 8  •  5:30 PM - 7:30 PM | Eventbrite

College pre-law students, law students, and attorneys of all experience levels are welcome!

Students and attorneys will be matched into small groups based on their area of interest. VABAW's goal is to help create connections that guide students with their personal goals, explore fields of interests, and gain a better understanding of what legal practice is like.

Refreshments will be provided! For additional questions, please contact the VABAW Mentorship Committee Chair, Ronnie Nguyen, at veronika@ksplaw.com.

VABAW’s Board of Directors meets monthly on the second Tuesday of each month. VABAW members are welcome to attend. Attendance is hybrid. To attend, contact VABAW Board Secretary Stephanie Ngo at stephaniengo042@gmail.com.

ALTERNATING IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE EXPECTATION IS FOR BOARD MEMBERS ONLY​​​

Schedule is subject to change​​. The current schedule is as follows: 

May 12 - VIRTUAL

June 9 - IN PERSON

July 14 - VIRTUAL

August 11- IN PERSON

September 8 - VIRTUAL

October 13 - IN PERSON

November 10 - VIRTUAL

December 8 - IN PERSON

*In-person meetings will be located at Stritmatter Law. (Thank you, Furhad!)

Address: 3600 15th Ave W #300, Seattle, WA 98119

**Virtual meetings will occur on Microsoft Teams.

Please register now for the Affinity Bar Summer Picnic on August 29 at Jefferson Park!  It's always a great time!!!

Get there early for street parking! We charge a minimal fee as we provide amenities, permit and a main dish for the event. Please bring a main or side dish or something else to share, but be sure to register so we have enough food/space (we buy chicken,  utensils, soft drinks).  There is also a shelter permit capacity, so first come first served! Jefferson Park, Saturday, August 29 from 11AM-1:00 PM. Great fun and networking!

Currently Sponsored by VABAW, ABAW, WSBA, LBAW, KABA, SABAW and PCMBA!

Register here: https://bit.ly/PICNIC26

VABAW’s Board of Directors meets monthly on the second Tuesday of each month. VABAW members are welcome to attend. Attendance is hybrid. To attend, contact VABAW Board Secretary Stephanie Ngo at stephaniengo042@gmail.com.

ALTERNATING IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE EXPECTATION IS FOR BOARD MEMBERS ONLY​​​

Schedule is subject to change​​. The current schedule is as follows: 

May 12 - VIRTUAL

June 9 - IN PERSON

July 14 - VIRTUAL

August 11- IN PERSON

September 8 - VIRTUAL

October 13 - IN PERSON

November 10 - VIRTUAL

December 8 - IN PERSON

*In-person meetings will be located at Stritmatter Law. (Thank you, Furhad!)

Address: 3600 15th Ave W #300, Seattle, WA 98119

**Virtual meetings will occur on Microsoft Teams.

VABAW's 2026 Summer Social

VABAW is hosting a summer social in Little Saigon for VABAW members and their +1 guest on July 30! Come join VABAW for some fun summer networking! Come meet other VABAW members and learn about VABAW's upcoming events and programs, meet our board, and learn about Friends of Little Saigon's Landmark Project. There will be networking activities, heavy appetizers and drink, and raffle prizes.

Registration: Free and open to all VABAW members + 1 guest. RSVP is required by Thursday, July 23, 2026, and you must be a VABAW member to register for you and your guest (although your guest need not be a VABAW member).

RSVP here: VABAW's 2026 Summer Social Tickets, Thursday, July 30  •  5:30 PM - 7:30 PM | Eventbrite

Join VABAW here: https://www.vabaw.com/vabawmember

Thank you to our sponsors:

Law Office of Linda Tran

Latitude Legal

Home Link Realtor

Kirkpatrick Symanski Parker

VABAW’s Board of Directors meets monthly on the second Tuesday of each month. VABAW members are welcome to attend. Attendance is hybrid. To attend, contact VABAW Board Secretary Stephanie Ngo at stephaniengo042@gmail.com.

ALTERNATING IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE EXPECTATION IS FOR BOARD MEMBERS ONLY​​​

Schedule is subject to change​​. The current schedule is as follows: 

May 12 - VIRTUAL

June 9 - IN PERSON

July 14 - VIRTUAL

August 11- IN PERSON

September 8 - VIRTUAL

October 13 - IN PERSON

November 10 - VIRTUAL

December 8 - IN PERSON

*In-person meetings will be located at Stritmatter Law. (Thank you, Furhad!)

Address: 3600 15th Ave W #300, Seattle, WA 98119

**Virtual meetings will occur on Microsoft Teams.

VABAW’s Board of Directors meets monthly on the second Tuesday of each month. VABAW members are welcome to attend. Attendance is hybrid. To attend, contact VABAW Board Secretary Stephanie Ngo at stephaniengo042@gmail.com.

ALTERNATING IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE EXPECTATION IS FOR BOARD MEMBERS ONLY​​​

Schedule is subject to change​​. The current schedule is as follows: 

May 12 - VIRTUAL

June 9 - IN PERSON

July 14 - VIRTUAL

August 11- IN PERSON

September 8 - VIRTUAL

October 13 - IN PERSON

November 10 - VIRTUAL

December 8 - IN PERSON

*In-person meetings will be located at Stritmatter Law. (Thank you, Furhad!)

Address: 3600 15th Ave W #300, Seattle, WA 98119

**Virtual meetings will occur on Microsoft Teams.

Come celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with us with an excellent panel, heavy appetizers, and bubble tea!

Join VABAW, ABAW, FLOW, KABA, SCBA, and SABAW as we celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with a special panel of trailblazing judges! Following the panel, there will be a reception!

Date: Friday, May 29, 2026, 2pm - 5pm (panel begins at 2pm, please be seated by 1:55pm)

Venue: WSBA Conference Center, 1325 Fourth Avenue, Suite 600, Seattle, WA 98101

Networking Reception: Following the panel, heavy appetizers and bubble tea beginning at 3:30pm. Vegetarian options available.

Panelists:
Justice Theodore Angelis - Washington Supreme Court
Judge Monica Cary - King County Superior Court
Judge Maureen McKee - King County Superior Court
Judge Benjamin Santos - King County Superior Court

Moderators:
Theana Aromin, Seattle University School of Law
Jovina Chi, University of Washington School of Law

THANK YOU to our event sponsors: Davis Wright Tremaine | Seyfarth Shaw | Lani Cao Law Office | Jun He Law Offices

Special thank you to the Washington State Bar Association for hosting!

Registration: Free and registration required. This event is open to members of the hosting Asian bar associations. Registration link here.

Questions: Contact VABAW board member Emily Vo, evo@seyfarth.com.

VABAW, ABAW, and FLOW are coming together on Saturday, May 16 to walk and raise money for the Asian Counseling and Referral Service’s food bank! Join our Walk for Rice team and help our legal communities meet our fundraising goal of $3500. We will share a meal together afterwards 🍲 Sign up below!

Donate and/or join the team: Check out Joint Asian Bar Associations' team fundraising page for Asian Counseling and Referral Service

RSVP to the potluck: Filipino Lawyers of Washington: 2026 Walk For Rice - FLOW Potluck

VABAW is celebrating Judge Tam Bui as the first Vietnamese American on the Washington State Court of Appeals.

Join the Vietnamese American Bar Association of Washington (VABAW) on Saturday, March 28, from 12:00–2:00 PM at Anchovies & Salt in Renton, Washington, as we celebrate a historic milestone: Judge Tam Bui’s election as the first Vietnamese American to serve on the Washington State Court of Appeals.

This exclusive VABAW member event will feature a fireside chat with Judge Bui, moderated by Ty Ho, attorney and past VABAW President. Together, they will reflect on Judge Bui’s journey, the significance of this moment for the Vietnamese American community, and the broader impact of representation in the judiciary.

Appetizers will be catered by Anchovies & Salt, offering attendees the opportunity to connect with fellow VABAW members while honoring this landmark achievement.

Attendance is limited to VABAW members only.
RSVP is required by March 20.

Not yet a member? Join VABAW today to attend.
Please RSVP through Eventbrite to secure your spot.

Overview

Celebrate the Lunar New Year with VABAW! Enjoy great food, a new headshot, meet attorneys and law students, and learn how to get involved.

VABAW is hosting this FREE event for our members. RSVP by Feb. 4.

Come learn about VABAW’s year ahead and enjoy a chance to connect with our legal community. We’ll also vote on our 2026 Board of Directors.

Each guest will enjoy a delicious Vietnamese lunch and new professional headshots for the new year!

This is a members-only event, so be sure to join VABAW and RSVP today.

Click to Become a VABAW Member for 2026 (required)

RSVP on Eventbrite (required)

We can’t wait to see you there!

🎉 The Vietnamese American Bar Association of Washington (VABAW) is excited to announce that the 20th Annual Banquet will be on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at The Triple Door in Seattle, WA, and catered by Wild Ginger.

🌊 Please join us as we celebrate the resilience of the Vietnamese diaspora, marking 50 years since the Fall of Saigon in 1975.

🎤 We are honored to have immigration judge Christopher Phan as our keynote speaker this year — an inspiring figure in the Vietnamese community who exemplifies this year's theme: "From Exodus to Emergence."

🎶 In addition, Seattle-based storyteller and filmmaker DJ Âm Thanh will be spinning records from her pre-1975 Vietnamese music collection, carrying the soul and spirit of a homeland once lost but never forgotten.

🎁 We’ll also be raffling off carefully curated gift baskets featuring Vietnamese small businesses and creators.

🎟️ Make sure to buy your ticket soon for this unforgettable celebration! Register: VABAW's Annual Banquet Tickets, Thu, Oct 9, 2025 at 5:30 PM | Eventbrite

Join VABAW by registering and donating HERE as part of the “Joint Asian Bar Associations” team at this year’s Walk for Rice - June 28th @ 9AM in Seward Park! Walk for Rice is an annual fundraiser for ACRS (Asian Counseling and Referral Service) in Seattle, providing legal services in over 40 languages. Learn more by visiting acrs.org

What: A one-hour training for pro bono attorneys, legal professionals, and community advocates to learn how to support clemency cases for Southeast Asian immigrants with removal orders. Seattle Clemency Project will conduct the training, and CLE credit will be provided (WA state only).

Speakers: Jennie Pasquarella, Legal Director, Seattle Clemency Project; Melanie Nguyen, Partner, Stritmatter; and Joanne Kalas, Corporate Counsel, Amazon

 When/Where: Tuesday, June 3 from 4-5pm PT. Both virtually and in-person at Stritmatter Law (3600 15th Ave W #300, Seattle, WA 98119).

Register here: https://stritmatter.zoom.us/webinar/register/4817477656621/WN_0D5e1c2PRYetY636K1q6vg

 Why This Matters:
This CLE provides training for attorneys and advocates interested in preparing clemency petitions for individuals—many longtime residents primarily of SE Asian decent—facing deportation due to decades-old criminal convictions. These community members often pled without understanding the full consequences, and today they face life-altering consequences. Clemency is one of the few tools available to stop unjust removals. This training walks through how volunteers can help, in partnership with the Seattle Clemency Project, to bring these cases before the clemency board and restore stability to families and communities.

Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month: Recent History On The Bench - May 2, 2025

ABAW, FLOW, KABA, SCBA, SABAW, and VABAW proudly presented this special panel to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month on May 2!

SPONSORED BY RYAN, SWANSON & CLEVELAND, PLLC.

Join VABAW for our annual spring mixer! Open to all law students and legal professionals.

Sign up here!

Arrive at around 5:30pm to Ryan Swanson's new downtown office space. Food and drinks will be provided by our gracious hosts. We will pair off with mentors and mentees during the event at around 6:00pm. Feel free to bring business cards to exchange.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the 19th Annual Banquet. We hope to see you next year!

Monday, November 7, 2022
5:30 PM - 8:00 PM
The Triple Door
216 Union Street (Downtown Seattle)