Past - President

TREASURER

Joanne Kalas

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.

CAMERON CARLSON

Cameron is an attorney for Cairncross & Hempelmann in the Real Estate group where his practice focuses on management arrangements, leasing, acquisition, and financing related to commercial real estate transactions. Cameron received his J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law in 2018. At UW Law, he served as the Senior Articles Editor on the Washington International Law Journal, was Co-President of the American Constitution Society, and volunteered at the 2016 Works-in-Progress Intellectual Property (WIPIP) Colloquium. Prior to joining Cairncross & Hempelmann, Cameron served as a Judicial Extern for the Honorable John C. Coughenour in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, Legal Intern for the U.S. Department of Commerce on international trade matters, and worked for Hogan Lovells International LLP in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam as part of VABAW’s Hồng Đức Clerkship Program.

David tran

David Tran is an associate attorney in the business and real estate transactions practice groups at Helsell Fetterman, LLP. Prior to joining Helsell Fetterman, David clerked at the Washington Court of Appeals, Division II, for the Honorable Judge Linda Lee. David earned his bachelors degree in architecture from the University of Washington in 2011, and earned his law degree, Magna Cum Laude, from the Seattle University School of Law in 2015. David is committed to giving back to the API community through VABAW, through the Asian Bar Association of Washington as president-elect, and through Seattle Asian Sports Club as a basketball coach.

furhad sultani

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.

KATHY AU

Kathy Au grew up between Shoreline and Spokane, Washington. As a daughter of a single immigrant mother, Kathy’s personhood centers on equity, resource accessibility, and her community of Northeast Spokane. She is a current law student at Gonzaga University School of Law with an expected graduation date of May 2024. Kathy is a Carl Maxey Scholar. Outside of the classroom, Kathy is a founding member of the Asian Pacific Islander Law Caucus and recipient of the Asian Bar Association of Washington’s 2022 Takuji Yamashita Scholarship. Before attending law school, Kathy served two years as an AmeriCorps member at Spokane Public Schools and Gonzaga University’s Center for Community Engagement in youth programming. In her free time, Kathy is learning to crochet and woodwork.

veronika nguyen

Veronika, who also goes by Ronnie, is a Seattle University law student with an expected completion of May 2025. She is a Washington native who graduated with a Bachelor's in Political Economics at the University of Washington. Prior to law school, Veronika worked at a creditor's rights firm as a legal assistant and is now interested in learning more about various fields of law as a budding legal professional. She is a current member in various organizations at Seattle University, including the Privacy Law Student Association, Real Estate Law Association, Asian Pacific Islander Law Student Association, and will be a staff editor on the Seattle Journal for Technology, Environmental, and Innovation Law beginning in the fall of 2023. She is looking forward to strengthening VABAW's connection to local API law students and being more involved in the Vietnamese legal community. In her free time, Veronika enjoys baking, travel, going to concerts, and finding new shows to watch!