Applications are accepted throughout the month of December unless indicated otherwise. Students interested in applying for this scholarship should wait until that time to submit their application and materials.

At the 2010 LBAW Annual Dinner, the Foundation awarded the following deserving Washington State law students with scholarships:

Maria Lucia (Malou) Chavez, 3L, Seattle University School of Law: Maria currently serves as the 2009-2010 Student Bar Association President. Ms. Chavez was born in Mexico and moved with her family to the United States at age 9. She grew up in Compton, California and is first in her family to graduate from college, the University of California, Los Angeles and the first to pursue a professional degree. Malou is dedicated to helping students of color access and benefit from higher education, particularly undocumented immigrant students. With a driving vision to better serve and continuously give back to her community, Maria’s career goal is to become a public interest lawyer and provide legal services to marginalized communities.

Emily Gonzalez, 3L, Seattle University School of Law: Emily received her B.A. from the University of Washington in 2007 with a major in Law, Societies, and Justice and a minor in Human Rights. Ms. Gonzalez currently serves as the Marketing and Events Editor for the Seattle Journal for Social Justice, and is also a board member of the National Latino Law Student Association and the President of the Latino Law Student Association. She has worked at the immigration firm of Rios Cantor, P.S., the Yakima City Attorney’s Office, and is currently providing public defense for juveniles at the Youth Advocacy Clinic at SU School of Law. Ms. Gonzalez authored a law article on the aging-out of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status which was selected for publication by the Seattle Journal for Social Justice.

Alena Suazo, 3L, University of Washington: Alena was born and raised in southern California where she spent a significant number of years of her youth involved in a street gang. Ms. Sauzo worked hard to turn this challenging upbringing into positive future for herself as well as those that she mentors. Alena entered community college at age 23 and transferred to Chaminade University in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelors degree in Historical and Political Studies. As a law student, she is committed to increasing access to law school for Latina/o students and to using her experience and academic skills to serve the community by providing criminal defense and immigration legal services. Ms. Suazo serves on the UW Law School Dean’s Advisory Committee on Diversity and is the Co-chair of the Latina/o Law Students Association. Following graduation, Alena aims to secure a position in either public defense or immigration removal defense.