Recipient
2022 SABA-SD Scholarship, sponsored by Jones Day
Amandeep Ghuman, a second-year student at California Western School of Law, became motivated to be a lawyer after seeing her parents struggle to navigate the court system to obtain a legal conservatorship for her autistic brother. Seeing her family’s challenges up close made her want to help those who feel disempowered by the legal system.
In college, Amandeep served as a Justice Corps intern at the Norwalk Superior Court, helping litigants at the self-help desk fill out forms and better understand family law and unlawful detainer proceedings. An exceptional student, Amandeep is currently in the top 9% of her law school class, has held several leadership roles in the South Asian Law Students Association, and has engaged with SABA San Diego members at past events.
Application
The application period for the 2022 Law Student Scholarship has now closed. Please check back next year for details about our 2023 scholarship.
At the annual dinner on October 20, 2022, SABA San Diego will be awarding a $5,000 scholarship sponsored by Jones Day to a current law student who has demonstrated a commitment to serving South Asian and other diverse communities. If you are interested in applying, be sure to join SABA San Diego for an informational panel on September 14th at Cal Western School of Law. Past scholarship recipients Sachin Bhatmuley and Divya Sriharan will provide insight on the process, with networking opportunities and samosas to follow. For more details, please visit our events page.
Interested Applicants should submit the following materials, at a time TBD, 2023.:
1. Your resume;
2. Your 1-2 page Personal Statement detailing why you believe you are the most qualified candidate for the scholarship. Your Personal Statement should include your views on one or more of the following topics:
- a. How your involvement in the South Asian community or in SABA-SD has contributed to your academic development;
- b. How you hope to contribute to SABA-SD or the South Asian community after graduation;
- c. What reasons compelled you to pursue a career in the law; or
- d. What you find most interesting, challenging, or fulfilling about your education; AND
3. Academic Records. Either an official transcript or law school registrar’s letter of good standing if an official transcript is unavailable. [New first year law students: because you do not yet have law school grades, please provide an official copy of your undergraduate transcript.]
Selection factors may include but are not limited to: (1) academic standing; (2) past, current or future public service to the South Asian community and other diverse communities; and/or (3) financial need.
APPLICATIONS MAY BE SENT VIA E-MAIL TO: saba-info@sabasandiego.org.
The SABA-SD Scholarship recipient will be informed on or before the 2022 Annual Dinner. Pandemic-permitting, the scholarship recipient will be announced at that event. Details to follow.
Past Recipients
2021 –Divya Sriharan received the 2021 SABA-SD Scholarship, sponsored by Jones Day, as a third-year law student at the University of San Diego School of Law. Growing up as an immigrant and a Sri Lankan Tamil woman shaped Divya’s perspectives and career path. Divya grew up in five different countries, including India. Watching her parents deal with immigration issues made her realize the desperate need for advocates for South Asians and communities of color. This message hit home during Divya’s internship at the District Attorney’s Office, where she saw firsthand the need for greater minority representation in the courtroom. During her first year of law school, Divya volunteered at the NAACP Legal Redress Committee to interview victims of racial discrimination. She has volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club as a mentor for commuter students and is the Chair for the Crawford Academy, helping high school students with public speaking and higher education goals. Divya is also the Vice President of the National Lawyers Guild, an organization that seeks to help marginalized people through the law. After law school, Divya is committed to working in public interest law, specifically, with juveniles in the criminal justice system. Congratulations, Divya!
2019 – Sachin Bhatmuley received the 2019 SABA-SD scholarship, sponsored by Jones Day, as a third-year law student at the University of San Diego School of Law. Sachin joined law school after working at Qualcomm, where he pitched, established, and ran a technology incubator in India. He expressed a keen interest in practicing intellectual property law upon graduation to help emerging market innovators protect and monetize their intellectual property. Sachin has traveled extensively throughout Africa, India, and Southeast Asia to help various tech companies. In addition to his law degree, he holds an MBA from San Diego State University, where he graduated at the top of his class, and an MS in electrical engineering from Cleveland State University.