Founded in 2005, the Origins Banquet celebrates Asian Pacific American diversity and culture in the legal profession and at the University of Michigan Law School.

Each year, APALSA also announces at the Banquet the recipients of its 1L Public Interest and Government Fellowships, which, through the support of generous alumni and law firms, provide students with up to $6,000 to support their summer jobs. The goal of the fellowship is to encourage Asian Pacific American law students to begin their careers in the public interest, non-profit, and government sectors, where they can contribute to and support the interests of the Asian Pacific American community through the law.

We hope to see you at the next annual APALSA Origins Banquet!

Our sponsors

Thank you to our generous sponsors for supporting the 2026 Origins Banquet.

Silver

  • Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP
  • Honigman LLP
  • Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

Bronze

  • Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP
  • Varnum LLP
  • Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP

From past banquets

The 2017–2018 APALSA Executive Board with Professor Roland Hwang and Reena Bajowala
The Executive Board from 2017–2018 pictured with keynote speaker Professor Roland Hwang and Origins Banquet Founder Reena Bajowala ’05 at the 2018 Origins Banquet.
Jasmine Wang and Ginny Lee at the 2018 Origins Banquet
Jasmine Wang, the 2018 recipient of the 1L Public Interest Fellowship, pictured with Ginny Lee, the 2017 recipient.
The 2016–2017 APALSA Executive Board with May Liang
The Executive Board from 2016–2017 with the 2017 Origins Banquet keynote speaker May Liang ’89. May is General Counsel and Chief Financial Officer for OpenConcept Systems.
The 2014–2015 APALSA Executive Board with Reena Bajowala
The Executive Board from 2014–2015 with Origins Banquet Founder and keynote speaker Reena Bajowala ’05. Reena is a Partner in Jenner & Block's litigation practice group in their Chicago office.