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) 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).

VABAW Committee Chair: Communications

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.

VABAW Committee Chair: Banquet

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.

VABAW Committees Chair: Governance, Scholarship

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.

VABAW Committee Chair: Membership

nam nguyen

Nam is the current Director of the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs, a state agency that serves as  he governor to be a voice for Washington’s diverse Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.  Prior to the Commission, Nam served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Revenue and Finance Division and in private practice for law firms in Bellevue, WA, and Houston, TX. He graduated from Boston University School of Law and has a masters in foreign policy from the University of Michigan.  

Nam has a history of serving his community. After law school, he volunteered in Bayou La Batre, AL (where Forrest Gump started the Bubba  Gump Shrimp Company) to help address the economic and social problems caused by the BP Oil Spill. He has also, in the past, volunteered as an assistant scoutmaster and troop leader for both boy and girl scouts troops in Alabama, Massachusetts, Texas, and Washington. In addition, Nam is the president-elect of the Washington State Bar Association and the treasurer for the Judicial Institute. 

VABAW Committee Chair: Vietnamese Community Engagement

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.

VABAW Committee Chair: Judicial

Emily Vo, director

Emily is an associate corporate counsel at Amazon Web Services (AWS). Prior to AWS, Emily was a litigation associate at Seyfarth Shaw and Stoel Rives. She represented 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.

VABAW Committee Chair: Awards

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. 

VABAW Committee Chair: Mentorship

Jerrald Callanta, director

Jerrald is an associate attorney at Bauer Moynihan & Johnson. Jerrald advises clients on issues related to the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act as well as Washington State workers’ compensation matters.

Jerrald attended law school at Seattle University School of Law, where he interned at the Family Violence Appellate Project and Division II of the Washington State Court of Appeals. As a law student, Jerrald held various leadership roles in several student organizations. Of note, Jerrald helped found the Seattle University Filipino American Law Students Association and National Filipino American Law Students Association. Also, Jerrald served as Symposium and Events Chair for the American Indian Law Journal at Seattle University School of Law.

In Jerrald’s free time, he enjoys volunteering at legal clinics, reading, and hosting his friends for dinner with his fiance, Malinda.  

VABAW Committee Chair: Social

Joanne Kalas, Director (Jan-Aug 2026)

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 rolled off the board because she moved abroad. We thank Joanne for her many years of leadership and service to VABAW, including serving as VABAW President from 2021-2023.