Deanna “Dede” Tran, President

Dede is Principal Corporate Counsel at Microsoft, where she works in Compliance & Ethics and investigates workplace discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Also a U.S. Army veteran, she proudly served as Co‑Chair of the Legal Department’s Military Veterans Employee Network, helping build a strong and supportive community for veterans and military families.

As the daughter of Vietnamese refugees, she is committed to giving back to and supporting Vietnamese American communities. Her past community work includes the Moving Voices Oral History Project (Tiếng Nói Lưu Vong), Viet Fest, and Viets for Afghans. In 2023, she completed a fellowship with WSBA’s Washington Leadership Institute, which also helped inspire her involvement with VABAW.

Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her partner, Tuan, and their dog, Bơ (Vietnamese for “butter”).

Tiffany Wang, President-Elect

Tiffany is an associate attorney at Stoel Rives LLP, where she advises and advocates for clients on a wide range of environmental and natural resources litigation and regulatory-related matters.  She is experienced in litigating claims brought under the Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and the Clean Water Act, as well as other federal and state environmental statutes.  She also defends clients in federal and state environmental enforcement proceedings.  In addition to her litigation practice, Tiffany helps clients navigate and comply with complex regulatory schemes.

 In her spare time, Tiffany loves cooking, hiking, listening to live music, and watching the San Jose Sharks and Seattle Mariners.

Stephanie Ngo, Secretary

Stephanie is an Associate Legal Counsel at Adobe. She is a 2024 graduate of the University of Washington School of Law and has been a member of VABAW since 2022. She was previously the student liaison for Gonzaga University and the University of Washington. Having grown up in Southern California, Stephanie loves to get involved in the Vietnamese community and sharing her culture with others. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys baking fresh sourdough bread and running marathons.

Julie Do, Treasurer

Julie is a trust and estate planning attorney and the owner of Jules Legal PLLC. With a distinctive background combining both tax and legal expertise, Julie takes great pride in serving as a trusted advisor to her clients. Before entering the legal profession, Julie worked as a certified public accountant (CPA) for over a decade working for multiple accounting firms as well as Amazon. As a second-generation immigrant, Julie is passionate about serving underrepresented communities, including immigrants, people of color, and LGBTQ individuals. In addition to VABAW, Julie also serves on the board for Seattle Clemency Project. She also volunteers her time in pro bono clinics for Sound Generations and Snohomish Legal County Services, providing free estate planning services to low-income seniors.

Outside of work, Julie loves staying active and spending time outdoors. Her favorite activities include Barre, yoga, standup paddleboarding, hiking, camping, snowboarding, skiing, and traveling.

Joanne Kalas, Director

Joanne is a Corporate Counsel, Environmental Compliance, for Amazon Web Services focusing on global sustainability, circular economy, equipment reuse, and waste issues. Prior to joining AWS, she was a partner at Foster Pepper (now Foster Garvey PC) advising public and private clients on environmental litigation, regulatory compliance, and transactions focusing on contaminated sites and water quality. Joanne has also done extensive pro bono work representing immigrant clients before the Washington State Clemency and Pardons Board who are facing the threat of deportation due to old criminal convictions. Before moving to Seattle, Joanne lived in New York City and practiced as an environmental attorney in New Jersey. During law school, she interned for the Pace Law Environmental Litigation Clinic and the UN Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), and was a delegate for the Republic of the Marshall Islands at the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP‑15) for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark. Before starting her legal career, she worked in the field of medical education and managed international conventions for the photography industry.

Joanne served as VABAW President from 2021-2023.

Furhad Sultani, director

Furhad is an attorney at Stritmatter Kessler Koehler Moore.  He litigates cases, including those involving wrongful death and criminal death claims.  Furhad graduated from law school at the University of Washington School of Law after obtaining a degree in Economics from Wesleyan University.  During law school, Furhad was an extern for the Hon. John R. Ruhl of King County Superior Court as part of VABAW’s Externship Program.

Emily Vo, director

Emily is a litigation associate at Seyfarth Shaw. She represents clients in a broad range of complex litigation matters, involving contracts, securities, consumer protection, and real estate. Emily holds a B.A. in Political Science from Belmont University, with an Asian minor, and a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law, with a concentration in International and Comparative Law. Emily’s favorite Vietnamese dish is from her parent’s hometown, Bún bò Huế.

Veronika “Ronnie” Nguyen, director

Ronnie is a first-year associate at Kirkpatrick Symanski Parker, working primarily in civil defense and personal injury cases. She graduated from the University of Washington in 2021 with a bachelor's in political economics and is a 2025 graduate of the Seattle University School of Law. Ronnie has been an active member of VABAW since her 1L year of law school and hopes to support students and other attorneys through the organization that has supported her own law career. Ronnie's dedication to helping others largely stems from her desire to help her local community here in Washington, and she strives to treat everyone with the kindness and respect they deserve as they navigate the field of law. 

Jerrald Callanta, director

Jerrald is a Bay Area native, where he completed his BA in Philosophy at San Francisco State University in 2021. In July 2025, Jerrald graduated from Seattle University School of Law. Jerrald is a personal injury attorney at Brumley Law Firm. Jerrald became involved with VABAW for its valuable mentorship and leadership opportunities. Apart from learning how to be a young advocate and leader, Jerrald loves karaoke and attending social events.