Nov

VABANC 19th Annual Scholarship Dinner

by VABANC

Actions and Detail Panel

Sales Ended

Date and time

Fri, November 17, 2017

6:00 PM – 10:00 PM PST

Location

Dynasty Cupertino

10123 N. Wolfe Rd.

Cupertino, CA 95014

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Refund policy

No Refunds

Description

The Vietnamese American Bar Association of Northern California (VABANC) cordially invites you to attend our 19th Annual Scholarship Dinner, celebrating VABANC’s commitment to cultivating relationships between Vietnamese American judges, attorneys, law students, and the Vietnamese American communities in Northern California.

Proceeds will support scholarships for law students who have demonstrated a commitment to serving the Vietnamese American community and other underserved communities. Proceeds will also support programs such as VABANC’s legal clinics in San Jose and Oakland, and efforts to increase diversity in the legal profession. Last year’s dinner, organized jointly with the National Conference of Vietnamese American Attorneys, was attended by over 240 guests, including 9 judges.

SCHEDULE

6:00pm Reception w/Cash Bar

7:00pm Dinner & Program

TRAILBLAZER AWARD RECIPIENT

Vilaska P. Nguyen, Office of the San Francisco Public Defender

Vilaska Nguyen is a senior trial attorney at the San Francisco Public Defender's Office where he began his indigent defense career in 2004 as a Research Fellow before being promoted to the Misdemeanor Trial Unit. As a misdemeanor attorney, Vilaska balanced a case load ranging from 150-200 clients and litigated more than 30 jury trials to verdict before moving on to the Felony Trial Unit. His current focus is on serious felony matters and he has successfully defended cases involving homicide, sexual assault and hate crimes. Over the course of his career, Vilaska has mentored and championed students who have developed into stellar advocates in the courtroom and become prominent leaders in the legal community.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Thuy Thi Nguyen, President, Foothill College

VABANC is very excited to announce that Thuy Thi Nguyen, President of Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, California will present the keynote address at our 19th Annual Scholarship Dinner. Ms. Nguyen is believed to be the first Vietnamese American college president in the country. She transitioned into her position of academic leadership after a distinguished legal career during which she has served as interim general counsel for the California Community Colleges' Chancellor's Office, General Counsel for the Peralta Community College District, and Interim President and Chief Executive Officer of the Community College League of California.

Upon graduation from Castlemont High School, a predominantly African American and Latino public school in Oakland, its mayor declared June 23, 1993 "Thuy Thi Nguyen Day" in recognition of her community service. In 2002, Ms. Nguyen was listed among "30 Most Influential Asian Americans Under 30" nationally by Rainmaker Political Group (politicalcircus.com). In 2007, she was named one of eighteen "Best Lawyers Under 40" in the country by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. In 2016, Thuy received the coveted Diversity Award from the State Bar of California, an award given to an individual who has helped diversify the legal profession.

And this year, the Carnegie Corporation of New York included Ms. Nguyen in its annual Great Immigrants tribute, recognizing her along with other honorees such as Anthony Hopkins and Liam Neeson, in a full-page public service announcement in The New York Times on the Fourth of July. VABANC proudly honored Ms. Nguyen with its Trailblazer Award in 2011.

SCHOLARSHIP AWARD RECIPIENTS

Ana Duong & Jacqueline Khong

Ana Duong is a 2L at Berkeley Law. Ana, the daughter of Southeast Asian refugees from Vietnam, is the first in her family to graduate college and to attend law school. Her past experience as a child garment worker inspired her to go to law school and to advocate for marginalized communities. Ana is a Clinic Director for Berkeley Law’s Workers’ Rights Clinic, which hosts a free weekly clinic for community members with employment-related legal issues. She also serves as Associate Editor for the California Law Review, Co-Chair for the Coalition for Diversity, Social Chair for the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association, and Submissions Editor for the Asian American Law Journal.

Jacqueline Khong is currently a 3L at Golden Gate University School of Law. Jacqueline is pursuing a career in law to help under served communities in the area of family law. This past summer, she interned at the Schoenberg Family Law Group. Jacqueline currently volunteers at the KIPP Foundation, a nonprofit creating a national network of public schools for students from educationally under served communities. Next semester, she will be interning at the Family Violence Law Center in Oakland.

SPONSORSHIP

VABANC's annual scholarship award dinner would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. Sponsors will be recognized in welcoming and closing remarks, the dinner program and VABANC's website.