Statements of Candidacy

SABA-DC 2026 Board of Directors

Abhilasha Khanal - General Director

My name is Abhilasha Khanal and I am excited to submit my statement of interest for a Director position on the 2026 SABA DC Board of Directors.

I am a recent graduate from Penn State Dickinson Law (Class of 2025!) and currently serve as an Associate Attorney at Johnson and Masumi, and I am seeking this opportunity because I am deeply committed to helping strengthen the visibility, connectedness, and community bonds within the South Asian legal community in the D.C. region. Although my involvement to date has primarily been attending SABA DC events, those experiences made it clear to me how profoundly encouraging and meaningful it is to walk into a professional legal space where we are not the only one, where South Asian lawyers are not an exception but the norm. I want to help build more of those spaces for others.

Before practicing law, I worked in the nonprofit sector as a property manager. That experience developed skills that I believe translate directly to this role, including community building, relationship building across very diverse groups, proactive communication, and taking initiative in unstructured environments. I believe those strengths would make me an effective participant on SABA DC committees and a reliable partner to the Vice Presidents who lead them.
If elected, I am particularly eager to contribute to mentorship and pipeline building, especially supporting earlier career lawyers and students, to membership growth and visibility that prioritizes belonging rather than simply numbers, and to public interest outreach that highlights South Asian attorneys in government, public defense, legal services, and nonprofit advocacy. I would also like to explore practical ways to amplify the stories and accomplishments of our members through intentional communication and programming.

I understand that Directors are a core working function of SABA DC and I am prepared to fully participate in that role by helping with operations, logistics, brainstorming, and follow through. Most importantly, I am showing up with enthusiasm, humility, and a sincere desire to serve. SABA DC is an organization that has the power to deliver both community and opportunity, and I would be honored for the chance to contribute to that mission in 2026.