NFALA Foundation Scholarships

2026 LAW STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

OVERVIEW

NFALA Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization that works closely with the National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA) to cultivate a pipeline of leaders through scholarship and financial aid to students interested in the legal profession, as well as spearheading fundraising efforts to support these programs.

For the 2026 scholarship cycle, NFALA Foundation scholarships are available to students who are:

• currently enrolled in a J.D., LL.M., or S.J.D. program at an accredited U.S. law school; and
• members of NFALA, one of its regional affiliates or affinity networks, or who have demonstrated past or current service to the Filipino American community.

NFALA Foundation strongly encourages applications from applicants reflecting diverse cultural and experiential backgrounds, people with disabilities and of diverse ethnic, racial, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds, work experiences, national origins, sexual orientations, and ages.

AVAILABLE SCHOLARSHIPS

NFALA Foundation will award this year the following scholarships:

• Raymond L. Ocampo Jr. Family Scholarship – one award of $10,000
• NFALA President's Annual Scholarship – one award of $3,000
• NFALA LGBTQ+ Scholarship –  award(s) of $2,000 to $4,000
• NFALA Government and Public Interest Scholarship – one award of $1,500

MATERIALS NEEDED FOR ALL APPLICATIONS

A complete application consists of the following materials, subject to the optional and scholarship-specific requirements noted below:

a.     Completed and signed application.

b.     Resume.

c.     An official or unofficial copy of your law school transcript (or for a first-year law student, a statement from your law school certifying that you are a law degree candidate enrolled in Fall 2026 at least part-time).

d.     Up to two letters of recommendation. Letters are recommended but not required. An applicant will not be excluded from consideration for failing to submit a recommendation letter.

e.     Applicants for the NFALA Government and Public Interest Scholarship must provide proof of qualifying employment, clerkship, internship, or externship in government, the public sector, non-profit, or public interest, during the 2025-26 or 2026-27 academic years. Acceptable documentation may include an offer letter, employment confirmation, fellowship notice, employer letter, or similar documentation identifying the employer, position, and dates of service.

Please submit the items as one PDF package by September 14, 2026, 11:59 p.m. (Pacific) to scholarships@nfalafoundation.org, with your full name entered in the email subject line and file name. Recommendation letters submitted directly by recommenders may be sent separately but must be received by the application deadline.

IMPORTANT DATES

9/14/2026 - The application and required materials must be received by 11:59 p.m. Pacific

9/21/2026 - Notification of scholarship recipients

10/28/2026 - Scholarship recipients to submit any materials requested in connection with the awards presentation (may include a short bio, professional headshot, and a brief video recording)

11/11/2026-11/15/2026 - Scholarship awards announced at the NFALA Annual Gala in Los Angeles, California. Awardees will be recognized at a Luncheon program during NFALA @ NAPABA

CLICK HERE FOR THE APPLICATION AND FULL INSTRUCTIONS 

THE RAYMOND L. OCAMPO JR. FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP

In 2020, the NFALA Foundation established the Raymond L. Ocampo Jr. Family Scholarship.  In 2023, a grant in the amount of $10,000 will be awarded to a law student who has demonstrated exceptional aptitude for the study of law and a strong commitment to serve or contribute to the Filipino American community as a future leader in the legal profession.  

RAYMOND L. OCAMPO JR. is the principal founder of FBANC and the President and CEO of Samurai Surfer LLC, a private investment company. He retired as Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary of Oracle Corporation in 1996, where he served as its chief counsel for more than a decade after the company’s initial public offering. He is a trailblazer as the first Asian Pacific American (APA) general counsel of a company to become a Fortune 500 company and is the first APA general counsel of a company that is a current (2021) Fortune 500 company.

In 1997, Mr. Ocampo co-founded and served for two years as Executive Director of the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, which led to the school’s ranking by US News & World Report as the country’s #1 IP Law program for 21 of the past 23 years.  Before joining Oracle Corporation in 1986, Mr. Ocampo was a lawyer in private practice with firms in San Francisco, where he focused on antitrust and complex litigation for more than 10 years. He also served as an adjunct professor of law at Hastings College of the Law from 1977-82, where he taught trial practice, professional responsibility, and legal writing. He received his undergraduate degree from UCLA in 1973 and his law degree from Boalt Hall School of Law at UC Berkeley in 1976.

After his retirement from Oracle Corporation until 2015, Mr. Ocampo was a private investor and served on the boards of more than two dozen public and private companies and nonprofit organizations, including the Asian Pacific Fund, a San Francisco community foundation that he chaired from 2006-2010. His philanthropic work includes annual scholarships and internships he has provided to FBANC since 2000, AABA since 2003, and NFALA Foundation since 2020.

Mr. Ocampo has been active with the American Bar Association, where he was Chair of the Section of Science & Technology Law and served as a member of the Commission on Women in the Profession and the Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession. He was a member of the ABA Task Force on Gender Equity, a past Chair of the Computer Litigation Committee of the Section of Litigation, and a past member of the National Conference of Lawyers and Scientists, the ABA Journal board of editors, and the Standing Committee on Publishing Oversight. He is a 2010 recipient of the ABA’s Spirit of Excellence Award for his work in increasing diversity in the legal profession.

Mr. Ocampo is the author of Surfing the Law & Technology Tsunami (American Bar Association 2001), a collection of keynote addresses on the intersection of law and technology, and co-author with Shelley Curtis and John Moss of Negotiating and Drafting Software Consulting Agreements (Glasser LegalWorks 1996), the leading work in its field.

Mr. Ocampo is an avid athlete who competed on behalf of the Philippines at the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary, Canada in men’s luge. In 2010 he served as an honorary captain of the U.S. Olympic Luge Team that competed in Vancouver, Canada. He regularly completed marathons in the 1970s before long-distance running became wildly popular. He and his wife are on a current 10-year streak of finishing the Honolulu Marathon together. One of his fondest memories is being a member of a state championship basketball team in high school. Mr. Ocampo has spent much of his post-retirement time learning a wide range of ballroom and Latin dances. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, he could often be found at a milonga, where Argentine tango is danced. He looks forward returning to the dance floor.

NFALA President’s Annual Scholarship

The NFALA President’s Annual Scholarship is sponsored through the generous donation of the National Filipino American Lawyers Association in support of NFALA Foundation’s mission. NFALA Foundation scholarship awards are given to law students who demonstrate exceptional aptitude for the study of law and strong commitment to serve or contribute to the Filipino American and AAPI communities as future leaders in the legal profession. 

NFALA LGBTQ+ Scholarship

The NFALA LGBTQ+ Scholarship is sponsored by the NFALA LGBTQ+ Affinity Network through the kind donations received in the past years and most especially during NFALAGanza!, the pride-themed celebration of the NFALA LGBTQ+ Affinity Network. The scholarship will be awarded to law student(s) who has demonstrated the most dedicated commitment to the advancement of the LGBTQ+ community.

NFALA Government and Public Interest Law Student Scholarship

The NFALA Government and Public Interest Scholarship is sponsored by the NFALA Government and Public Sector Lawyers Affinity Network. The scholarship will provide at least $1,500 to a law student who will be working in Government, Public Sector, or Public Interest during the current or following academic year. The scholarship will be awarded to a law student who has a demonstrated commitment to public service and working to empower and support the AAPI and Filipino-American communities.

2025 Scholarship Recipients

NFALA Government and Public Interest Law Student Scholarship

Justine Lim | University of California – Irvine (Class of 2026)

Justine Lim (she/her) is a Public Service Scholar at UC Irvine Law deeply committed to advancing workers' rights. A proud Filipino-Chinese immigrant from Quezon City, Philippines, Justine’s passion for workplace justice is shaped by both her cultural background and personal experiences. As an undergraduate student, she served as President of the Pilipinx Pre-Law Pipeline, where she created pathways for Filipino students to enter the legal profession. After graduating from UCLA, Justine led the Asian American Racial Justice Project at the UCLA Labor Center, where she co-authored Did You Eat Yet?, a book on the undocumented AAPI experience. She also served as a summer fellow with the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO, and played a key role in organizing the inaugural UC Labor Summer Fellowship in 2023, bringing together students across the UC system to advance labor justice.

At UC Irvine Law, Justine remains committed to public service, serving on the executive boards of both the Public Interest Law Fund (PILF) and the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA). She is also a student representative for the Filipino Lawyers of Orange County (FLOC) and the Philippine American Bar Association (PABA). Beyond her leadership roles, Justine dedicates time to pro bono work with Legal Aid at Work, where she assists low-wage workers facing employment issues.

Driven by a deep connection to her Filipino identity and a firm belief in workers' rights, Justine spent her 1L summer clerking with UNITE HERE Local 11 in Los Angeles, where she represented hotel and food service workers and advocated for immigrant workers in both the workplace and political sphere. This summer, she is continuing her advocacy as a Peggy Browning Fellow at the AFL-CIO in Washington, DC, using her legal skills to help strengthen the national labor movement and advance workers' rights across the county. Outside of law school, Justine enjoys vlogging, making matcha, and exploring local coffee shops.

NFALA - FALA-New York Robin Mangaser Tizon
Law Scholarship

Magdanikka "Maggie" Taylan | University of Baltimore School of Law (Class of 2026)

Magdanikka “Maggie” Taylan is a Juris Doctor candidate at the University of Baltimore School of Law, Class of 2026. A proud Filipina-American and first-generation law student, Maggie is deeply committed to public service and uplifting historically marginalized communities. Her passion for advocacy began through her leadership in the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue, Incorporated (FIND Inc.) District 6, where she supported Filipino American students across the East Coast through cultural education, community organizing, and civic engagement. She also contributed to the Maryland Democratic Party’s campaign efforts during the 2022 gubernatorial election, further solidifying her belief in accessible and community-driven representation.

In law school, Maggie has focused her work on immigrant and family justice. She served in the University of Baltimore Immigrant Rights Clinic, providing direct legal services to asylum seekers. She is currently interning with the Blattner Family Law Group, where she is gaining experience in family and divorce law to complement her previous work in judicial chambers, municipal government, and nonprofit legal settings.

Maggie currently serves as Vice President of the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA) at UBalt, Vice President of Membership for the National Filipino American Law Students Association (NFALSA), and is a competing member of the University of Baltimore Mock Trial Team.

She is honored to be selected as a recipient of the Robin Mangaser Tizon Memorial Law Scholarship and remains inspired to carry forward a legacy of justice, service, and community empowerment.

NFALA President's Scholarship

Theana Aromin | Seattle University School of Law (Class of 2026)

Theana Lynn Aromin (she/her) is a third-year law student at Seattle University School of Law. She was born and raised in Guam and moved to Washington to attend the University of Washington, Seattle for her undergraduate degree. Initially intending to study engineering, Theana shifted her focus to American Ethnic Studies and Law, Societies, and Justice after becoming involved in the various AANHPI collegiate organizations. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, she moved back to Guam and taught at her former high school. Over three school years, she taught in almost every department—science, social studies, math, electives, and English language arts. Now, Theana works as an Admissions Fellow and Research Assistant while attending law school. This year, Theana serves as the President of the National Filipino American Law Student Association, President of the SU Filipino American Law Student Association. She is also the Vice President of the SU Pacific Islander Law Student Association and an Online Editor for the Seattle University Law Review.

NFALA - LGBTQ+ Scholarship

Magdanikka "Maggie" Taylan | University of Baltimore School of Law (Class of 2026)

Maggie Taylan is a third-year law student at the University of Baltimore School of Law, where she focuses on immigration law, public interest litigation, and advancing equity for marginalized communities. A naturalized U.S. citizen and proud Filipino American, Maggie has centered her legal education around advocacy for immigrant rights and Asian Pacific American communities. As a student attorney with the Immigrant Rights Clinic, she has represented survivors of trafficking and asylum seekers in complex legal matters.

Beyond the classroom, Maggie serves as Vice President of the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA) and Vice President of Membership for the National Filipino American Law Students Association (NFALSA), where she uplifts AANHPI voices and supports professional development across the country. She is also a competing member of the University of Baltimore Law School Mock Trial Team, sharpening her litigation skills and courtroom advocacy. Maggie aspires to a legal career rooted in movement lawyering and impact litigation, working to protect immigrant communities and empower the next generation of AAPI advocates.

NFALA - Sac-FALA Law Scholarship

Jason Braun || University of California, Davis (Class of 2026)

Jason Braun is a rising 3L at UC Davis School of Law, where he serves on the UC Davis Law Review and holds leadership roles in the Filipinx Law Students Association.

Jason recently externed with the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, concentrating on regulatory development and administrative law. He is currently a summer law clerk in Lydecker’s practice in Los Angeles, deepening his interest in environmental and corporate law.

Active in several professional bar associations, Jason is the Student Liaison for SacFALA, an ABAS member, and the Northern California Regional Governor for NFALSA. When he steps away from legal and academic work, he enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, hiking California’s scenic trails, and discovering new travel destinations.