Leah is a staff attorney with the Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach (APILO). Prior to joining Pangea's board of directors, Leah served on the organization's advisory board starting in 2013.
At APILO, she provides legal services to victims of human trafficking as well as working in general removal defense. Leah brings to her practice a strong commitment to social justice and immigrants' rights. Leah's approach to law and legal services is a holistic one - she views her clients as whole people, not just the immigration challenges they face. As a daughter of a refugee family, Leah understands the complex and emotional journeys that asylum seekers and immigrants face. This strong connection to the immigrant communities in the Bay Area informs her practice, as well as inspires her community-based advocacy for immigrants' rights and reform. Her practice mainly focuses on deportation defense.
Leah has worked and studied in various countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. She speaks Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. Leah is licensed to practice in the State of California and the U.S Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She serves as the Co-Chair of the National Lawyers Guild - Norther California Chapter Immigration Committee and Chairs the Center for Justice and Accountability's Young Professional Committee for Human Rights. She is a native San Franciscan and a graduate of the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.