20th Anniversary AEF Benefit Dinner a Reminder to Give Back

Washington DC – When Frank H. Wu, Chancellor and Dean of the University of California, Hastings College of Law was a child, he was teased mercilessly for being Asian American. He was upset at his parents for not doing more to help but now he says he understands how hard it was for them. It was because of his experiences, Wu said, that he now encourages Asian American lawyers to give back to their communities.

Wu’s message was well received among the 300 participants at the 20th American Pacific American Bar Association Education Fund Benefit Dinner. The dinner aimed to raise money for grant fellowships for law students who work with public interest or government organizations.

“In India, there is no way that a woman could go back to school,” said Punitha Cloud, who is studying for her law degree at UDC. Cloud hopes to use her law degree to set up a nonprofit to work with rural schools in India after she graduates.