Student Ambassador Council
Students at the UW School of Law are what make our law school community special. While all of our students lead busy lives inside and outside of the classroom, our SAC Members are willing to answer questions, offer candid advice and share their law school experiences.
Feel free to contact any of our ambassadors to learn more about them and their decision to choosing the University of Washington.
Lauren Hunady, 3L (PILA Ambassador)
Email: lhunady@uw.edu
- Hometown: Atlanta, GA
- Undergrad Institution: Emory University
- Undergrad Major: Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies; English
- Law School Activities: Public Interest Law Association, Students for Labor and Employment Justice, National Lawyers Guild, Alliance for Disability Law and Justice, 1L Mock Trial Competition, 1L Moot Court Competition.
- Professional Experience: I’m K-JD! While in college, I took positions as: Legal Intern at ACLU of Georgia; Organizing Fellow at NARAL Pro-Choice America; Legal Volunteer at Partnership Against Domestic Violence; as well as some social science research fellowships. In law school, I have been a two-time Peggy Browning Fund Fellow and the 2022-2023 Extern for the National Labor Relations Board.
- Why I chose UW Law: I was/am excited to experience a new part of the country, collaborate with like-minded students and faculty, and attend a school with the ability to concentrate in a legal discipline.
Camden Lethcoe, 2L
Email: clethcoe@uw.edu
- Hometown: Kansas City, MO
- Undergrad Institution: The University of Alabama
- Undergrad Major: History; Political Science
- Law School Activities: 1L Mock Trial, Moot Court, and Contract Negotiation Competitions; Student Animal Legal Defense Fund; Tech Law Society; First-Generation Law Student Association; Moot Court Honor Board; Journal of Law, Technology, and Arts
- Professional Experience: I came to law school directly after graduate school!I attended graduate school both concurrently with and immediately following the completion of my undergraduate studies, and received my Master’s Degree in History.
- Why I chose UW Law: I chose UW Law because I love the PNW and Seattle. Combining Seattle’s status as an ever-growing hub of technology and commerce with the supportive, collaborative environment that UW Law fosters, I am very happy to be here!
Stella Haynes Kiehn, 2L
Email: sbhkiehn@uw.edu
- Hometown: Woodinville, WA
- Undergrad Institution: University of Washington
- Undergrad Major: Political Science and History
- Graduate Degree: Library and Information Science
- Law School Activities: Technology Law Society Co-President, First Generation Law Student Association Director of Mentorship.
- Professional Experience: I am a K-JD! During the school year, I work for Gallagher Law Library in the cataloging, resource, and information management department. During my 1L summer, I interned for the Washington State Attorney General’s Office. Prior to law school, I interned at the Washington State Dept. of Licensing in the Data Privacy Division, and at the Law Library of Congress as a metadata intern.
- Why I chose UW Law: I chose UW Law because of the many opportunities for hands-on learning and the school’s focus on working with local communities.
Averill Aubrey, 3L
Email: aaubrey@uw.edu
- Hometown: York, PA
- Undergrad Institution: The University of Chicago
- Undergrad Major: Law, Letters, and Society
- Law School Activities: Parents Attending Law School RSO President, Washington Law Review, Public Interest Law Association.
- Professional Experience: I worked as a management consultant for PwC for six years, followed by a business career at Microsoft, where I served as a Director for six years. During my 1L summer, I interned at the United States Attorney’s Office of Western Washington, and during my 2L summer, I am working at the Washington State Office of the Attorney General in the Complex Litigation division.
- Why I chose UW Law: Having been a member of the community for ten years, and sure I wanted to practice law in the Pacific Northwest, it was important to me to attend a public university in the community I intended to serve. I also had a great experience meeting members of the UW community before making my decision and felt immediately at home here.
Matt Saling, 3L
Email: msaling@uw.edu
- Hometown: Spokane, WA
- Undergrad Institution: Washington State University
- Undergrad Major: Microbiology
- Professional Experience: After undergrad, I worked for several years as a clinical microbiologist in hospitals and reference laboratories. Eventually, I made my way into the corporate world of consumer finance and fraud prevention.
- Why I chose UW Law: I love being in Western Washington and plan on sticking around the area after graduation, so UW Law was an obvious choice. Also, UW Law provides a wide variety of academic and experiential opportunities, which allows students to try out different areas of law to find a good fit for themselves.
Ara Piroozmandi, 2L
Email: arapir@uw.edu
- Hometown: Woodinville, Washington
- Undergrad Institution: University of Washington
- Undergrad Major: Bachelor of Arts Political Science,;Minor in Law, Societies, Justice.
- Law School Activities: Law and Business Association Member, Contracts Negotiation Competition.
- Professional Experience: Extern at Sound Injury Law. Worked multiple jobs in the customer service sector including Home Depot and was an Amazon warehouse associate.
- Why I chose UW Law: The close proximity to my hometown combined with the reputation of strong academics intrigued me to choose UW law. I wanted to go to a law school with a strong reputation in the local area.
Rachael Idiarte, 2L
Email: ridiarte@uw.edu
- Hometown: Gig Harbor, WA
- Undergrad Institution: University of California - Los Angeles
- Undergrad Major: Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology
- Law School Activities: PILA Fellow Summer 2023, Washington Law Review, Law and Business Association Mentor, First Generation Law Students Association, and Parents Attending Law School (PALS).
- Professional Experience: Paralegal for a workers' compensation law firm, AmeriCorps JusticeCorps program, Intern for the Los Angeles District Attorney, and Extern at the Washington State Supreme Court for Justice Mary I. Yu. In the Summer of 2024, I will work as a Summer Associate for a big law firm.
- Why I chose UW Law: As a non-traditional student, mother, and Seattle-area native, it was a priority for me to attend law school near my family ties. Also high on my "pro" list were the world class instructors, abundant opportunities for professional growth, and ease of navigating Seattle's public transit.
Greg Papp, 2L
Email: gpapp7@uw.edu
- Hometown: Greenbelt, MD
- Undergrad Institution: Syracuse University
- Undergrad Major: Aerospace Engineering
- Law School Activities: Environmental Law Society Board Member, Students for Labor and Employment Justice, National Lawyers Guild.
- Professional Experience: U.S. Navy Veteran, Master’s Degree in Marine and Environmental Affairs.
- Why I chose UW Law: UW Law is uniquely situated. Seattle is a growing multi-industry hub with a long and complicated history of environmental decision making. There is a continued need for environmental and labor/employment legal advocates. In addition, UW Law is one of few law schools that offer Tribal Law classes and clinic opportunities.
Bryce McKay, 2L
Email: mckayba@uw.edu
- Hometown: Almira, WA
- Undergrad Institution: Whitman College
- Undergrad Major: History
- Law School Activities: OUTlaws Board Member, Student Law Library Advisory Board.
- Professional Experience: Cofounder/Director of an Agricultural Research Company, Resident Director at my alma mater, journalism/reporting intern.
- Why I chose UW Law: I love Washington State and the Pacific Northwest having lived here for my whole life!
Naman Patel, 2L
Email: namanp@uw.edu
- Hometown: Lewis Center, Ohio
- Undergrad Institution: The Ohio State University
- Undergrad Major: International Studies
- Law School Activities: Technology Law Society (Vice President), Asian Pacific American Law Student Association, 1L Mock Trial.
- Professional Experience: I am K-JD, which means I came to law school right after undergrad without taking time off to work. During undergrad, I worked as a legislative intern in the Ohio House of Representatives, worked as a Diplomacy Fellow, and worked on a local school district rebranding initiative.
- Why I chose UW Law: I wanted to explore a different part of the country and expose myself to a unique legal field. Seattle provides the perfect balance between a large legal market, where you can gain experience in many different practice areas, and a small legal community, where you can develop meaningful relationships with mentors. I chose UW because it provides a great balance of academic and professional support in developing a new legal career.
Cole Carpenter, 2L
Email: cole2810@uw.edu
- Hometown: Temecula, CA
- Undergrad Institution: San Diego State University & Colorado State University
- Undergrad Major: Business Administration & Zoology
- Law School Activities: Student Bar Association, Environmental Law Society, Public Interest Law Association.
- Why I chose UW Law: UW Law was the best opportunity to develop my legal career in the PNW, while encouraging my development alongside like-minded individuals in the specific fields I hope to make a difference in.
Mia Qu, 3L
Email: miaqu@uw.edu
- Hometown: Guiyang, China
- Undergrad Institution: University of Iowa
- Undergrad Major: Economics, Marketing, Accounting, and Linguistics
- Law School Activities: Washington Law Review, Academic Success Fellow, Federal Tax Clinic, Asian Bar Association of Washington, American Bar Association Business Law Section, 1L Mock Trial Competition, 1L Moot Court Competition, Tax LLM concurrent degree.
- Professional Experience: Summer Associate at Hillis Clark Martin & Peterson P.S, Extern at Seattle City Attorney’s Office, Marketing Assistant at the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center.
- Why I chose UW Law: Before law school, I served on university DEI committees and participated in campus inclusion strategic planning. I now hope to utilize my business and writing backgrounds to advance equitable community development and enhance minority representation in community leadership. I admire UW Law's dedication to public interest practices and its incredible alumni connections. I love the city, and the legal community here feels very collegial.
Jocelyn Dominguez, 2L
Email: jdom21@uw.edu
- Hometown: LaBelle, FL
- Undergrad Institution: University of Florida
- Undergrad Major: Criminology
- Law School Activities: Parents at Law School (PALS).
- Professional Experience: Legal Assistant and Volunteer Coordinator at Snohomish County Legal Services, On-Call Branch Office Administrator at Edward Jones, and Litigation Assistant at Morgan & Morgan, P.A.
- Why I chose UW Law: UW Law was my number-one choice because of its Public Service Law Concentration and its emphasis on social justice lawyering. UW Law's commitment to creating an inclusive environment and providing resources to help students who are parents, such as me, achieve work-life balance was another reason why I chose UW Law.
Russell Chiang, 2L
Email: ruchiang@uw.edu
- Hometown: San Diego
- Undergrad Institution: University of California, San Diego
- Undergrad Major: Business Psychology; Political Science
- Law School Activities: Asian/Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA), First-Generation Law Student Association, Business Law Association, If/When/How, 1L Contracts Negotiation Competition.
- Professional Experience: I came from undergrad directly! I worked at Dintaifung for a few months, and in my undergrad participated in Immigration Clinics around the border.
- Why I chose UW Law: I wanted to experience the PNW while staying on the West Coast! I have loved my experience here at UW, meeting friends, mentors, and attorneys from all walks of life. I would love to talk to anyone if they have any questions about attending UW!
Meriem Debbih, 2L
Email: mdebbih@uw.edu
- Hometown: Seattle, WA
- Undergrad Institution: University of Montreal
- Undergrad Major: Mathematics
- Graduate Degree: M.Sc., Computer Science
- Law School Activities: Cyber Law Association of Washington, Student Advocate for Immigrant Justice, Parents Attending Law School, attend various diversity and inclusion-focused events and discussions.
- Professional Experience: I’m an unconventional student, starting a JD mid-career. I am a parent juggling family and student life. I am a registered patent agent and worked in patent prosecution both in-house and in private practice for more than 15 years before starting my JD journey.
- Why I chose UW Law: I was/am excited to join the UW law community that has strong connections to the Tech industry in Seattle, as well as strong programs related to Intellectual Property and Tech Law. I attend Tech Policy lab events, I am interested in participating in the Entrepreneurial law clinic, the Technology law and public policy clinic, as well as activities presented by the Center for Advanced Study and Research on Innovation Policy (CASRIP).