Persis Yu

My name is Persis Yu and I am running for Co-President of the Asian Pacific Islander Law Student Association. Through out this last year, I have been fortunate to serve as an APILSA 1L Representative for Section A. Because of this opportunity, I have been able to develop valuable friendships and a strong community of both API students and API professionals. I would make a good co-president for APILSA because I have vision, leadership experience, and connections with the local API community. As co-president, I promise to increase efficiency by creating a master calendar with key events like Karaoke night and the Luau scheduled prior to the start of school. In addition, I plan to increase opportunities for general APILSA members by working with the other board members to create committees that will streamline organizing fundraisers, the luau and karaoke night, and monthly APILSA activities (such as speakers, panels, and movie nights). Furthermore, I plan to support Seattle University’s social justice mission, by working with the boards of PILF, OUTLAWS, BALSA, the SBA, SALSA, KALSA, and the many other student organizations to promote additional collaborative projects.  
I have several qualities that make me the perfect candidate for co-president. First, I have extensive leadership experience. As an undergrad, I chaired several student organizations, including the Council on Student Affairs and the college’s Diversity Committee. Outside of school, I am the treasurer for SEAMEC, a local non-profit, and a steering committee member of Allyship, a local community organization. Furthermore, from my work in the Washington State Legislature and as a participant in the API Community Leadership Foundation’s Community Leader’s Program, I have developed many contacts with prominent API leaders in our community. All combined, my leadership skills, my community contacts, and my vision for the future of APILSA, will ensure that APILSA will provide all students interested in Asian Pacific Islander issues the opportunity for community, intellectual stimulation, and professional growth. Please vote for Persis Yu for APILSA co-president. Thank you!

Ling Ly

Hello, my name is Ling Ly and I am running for Co-President of the Asian Pacific Islander Law Student Association, primarily because as the current 1L Representative for Section C, I enjoyed meeting fellow members and supporting their interests and goals by relaying information I received through my position. As co-president, I hope to continue this role on a larger scale. Specifically, I hope to strengthen the commitment of current members and increase membership by encouraging a more collaborative spirit in APILSA. I plan to give each member opportunities to develop their leadership skills and to engage more meaningfully with APILSA by:  

• Opening up APILSA’s core events (Karaoke Night, Thomas Tang Moot Court Luau, etc.) to be planned by subcommittees comprised of board member(s) and general members;
• Hosting periodic get-togethers/lunches on various topics where students can be mentored and be mentors in a relaxed setting. These gatherings will also allow members to express new or current projects that they would like APILSA to consider working on; and
• Increasing access to information about events and opportunities by improving the use of the APILSA bulletin board, blasts, website, and word-of-mouth network.

I hope that by fostering more member involvement will also enable APILSA to organize more activities. For instance, APILSA could work with the ABAW to host a professional development event where students could learn about the myriad of contributions of Asian Americans to the legal field. I am also interested in increasing collaboration with the other minority student associations with social and/or educational events; sponsoring and organizing topical lectures; and furthering APILSA’s involvement with and service to the Asian American community. Furthermore, I believe I have the necessary skills and enthusiasm, which come from my active participation in my undergraduate student coalition; my professional experiences in the communications and legal fields; and from organizing and participating in various volunteer endeavors. I hope you will vote for me as APILSA co-president so that we may work together to realize our personal and professional goals.  

Luke Oh

Dear APILSA:

            I have faithfully served as a 1L representative for the year 2006-2007. Now, I would like to step up and take responsibility as President alongside Mr. Keith Seo, recent recipient of the Labor Law and Employment Scholarship who has similar interests and aspirations for APILSA.

            I am a firm believer that there is strength in numbers. By utilizing my interpersonal skills, I wish to recruit as many people as possible into the APILSA organization for the 2007-2008 year. In this endeavor, I would form a campaign of bringing Asian awareness into the school and to get people excited about APILSA. Although we are one of the biggest organizations in the law school, I feel we have much room for growth. I only wish to be given the opportunity to make APILSA an even better organization than it already is. Thank you. 

Respectfully,

Luke Oh

  My name is Edmund Lee and I would like to be the next APILSA Events Director. I’m qualified for this position because I have extensive experience in events planning. My freshman year I was an intern at a wedding planning company. There my duties included planning more than 20 weddings, coordinating with the various caterers, photographers, and other wedding contractors, and helping to run the actual wedding. I have also planned and personally run various fundraisers for charity organizations such as the Humane Society, the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders. These fundraisers, ranged from wine tastings to dinner parties. I am also active within local organizations such as the Taiwanese American Professional Society and Young Professionals International Network. In addition to the extensive experience that I have gained in these various roles, I have maintained a wide network of contacts with local area businesses, hotels, restaurants and clubs. I have also learned to plan an event under a deadline, with vendors, and harried clients.  
 

      My goals for the position are threefold: first, I would like to continue the tradition of amazing events planned by the previous APILSA Events Directors and supported by APILSA as a whole. Second I would like to plan more events, both social ones and professional ones; events like a legal professional speaker series, monthly happy hours/dinner parties, and an APILSA Mariners game outing. Third, and finally, I would like to do more outreach events to the incoming 1L class and the Seattle Asian/Pacific Islander community as a whole. To this end I would do like plan a couple of events to reach out to incoming students; simple things like how to get through law school, what study guides to use, things to build a connection with them and make them feel like a part of the APILSA family. I would also by that same token like to plan events in conjunction with other local area Asian/Pacific Islander groups. Not only would this help to share costs, but also this will help to promote APILSA to the Seattle area in general, and build connections and networking opportunities for APILSA members. I believe that my experience and my goals for the Events Director position would allow me to not only put on great events, but also help to promote and connect with local area networks, incoming students and legal professionals within the Asian Pacific Islander community.