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Gala Tickets

We cordially invite you to attend SABA-DC's next Gala on the evening of October 18th at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum!

Tickets are currently not available yet. Ticket rates will be based on your membership level, so please be sure to log into your SABA-DC account prior to purchasing your tickets. All are welcome! Tickets will also be available for non-members and for guests of SABA-DC members.


Gala Sponsorship

We'd like to thank last year's sponsors for their generous support of SABA-DC. If you or your organization would like to inquire about sponsorship opportunities, please email sabadcpresident@gmail.com.


(Sponsors list updated as of October 1st, 2024)

    Community Awards

    SABA-DC's 17th Annual Public Interest Benefit Gala will be held on October 18, 2025, and we are looking forward to celebrating in person. This year, we continue our annual tradition of recognizing outstanding members of the South Asian legal community at the gala. We have modified our awards categories slightly from previous years and have removed the Private Sector Trailblazer Award and added the In-House Counsel and Law Firm Trailblazer Awards. We welcome your nominations (including self-nominations) for any of the awards listed below. Please fill out the nomination form below by July 15, 2025.

    Submit Award Nominations Here!

    Questions? Please email SABADCAwards@gmail.com.


    Timeline

    Jun 17, 2025: Awards Nominations Open

    July 15, 2025: Deadline for Awards Nominations

    August 2025: Award Winners Notified

    October 18, 2025: Awardees Recognized at Gala


    • Award Categories

      In-House Counsel Trailblazer Award

      Recognizes an individual within the SABA-DC community who has demonstrated sustained excellence in in-house legal work or a specific extraordinary accomplishment as in-house counsel at a for-profit organization. Recipients exemplify leadership, innovation, and commitment to advancing opportunity within their organization and the broader legal community.

      Law Firm Trailblazer Award

      Recognizes an individual within the SABA-DC community who has demonstrated sustained excellence in law firm practice or a specific extraordinary accomplishment at a for-profit law firm. Recipients exemplify leadership, innovation, and commitment to advancing opportunity within their law firm and the broader legal community.

      Public Sector Trailblazer Award

      Recognizes an individual within the SABA-DC community who has demonstrated sustained excellence in public sector legal work or a specific extraordinary accomplishment in the public sector. Recipients exemplify leadership, innovation, and commitment to advancing opportunity within their organization and the broader legal community. Public sector attorneys include those employed by the federal, state, or local governments, colleges and universities, and non-profit organizations.

      Rising Star Award

      Recognizes an emerging legal talent within the SABA-DC community who is under the age of 40 or has been practicing for fewer than 10 years. Recipients of this award will have made notable professional contributions early in their careers while actively supporting SABA-DC and the broader South Asian community.

      Community Leader Award

      Recognizes an individual or organization in the greater Washington or DMV area who, regardless of SABA-DC membership, has demonstrated strong support for SABA-DC, its members, and/or the South Asian community through pro bono work or community engagement.

      Lifetime Achievement Award

      This is SABA-DC's highest honor and recognizes an individual with 20+ years in the legal field whose career exemplifies exceptional dedication to the legal profession and to the South Asian legal community. The Lifetime Achievement Award is not presented annually, but rather on a selective basis when candidates of extraordinary distinction are identified by the Awards Committee. Recipients must have demonstrated pioneering impact that shaped new pathways for South Asian Americans in the legal profession, and maintained meaningful connections to SABA-DC or the broader South Asian community. Unlike the Trailblazer Awards which honor excellence in specific sectors, this award celebrates cumulative impact across one’s entire career. Previous SABA-DC award recipients become eligible for a Lifetime Achievement Award 5 years after their prior award. 

      Award Submissions

      Nominations

      Candidates may self-nominate or be nominated by others for all award categories, except for the Lifetime Achievement Award, which is only selected at the discretion of the Awards Committee. The Awards Committee can consider a nominee for a category other than the one they were originally nominated for.

    • Required Materials
      To be submitted via nomination form:

      • LinkedIn profile or other professional bio of the nominee
      • Statement in support of recommendation. The Statement should provide a concise narrative explaining the candidate’s qualifications for the award. Examples of information that may support an individual’s candidacy may include, but is not limited to, the following:
      • Professional Excellence: Describe how the nominee has demonstrated exceptional skill in their field, highlighting specific accomplishments relevant to the award category and their influence on the legal profession through forward-thinking approaches.
      • Leadership Impact: Provide examples of how the nominee has shown leadership within their organization or community.
      • Dedication and Service: Detail the nominee’s commitment to advancing equal opportunity in the legal profession, including through mentorship.
      • Community Involvement: Detail the nominee's contributions to SABA-DC and/or the South Asian community.
      • Overall Impact: Summarize why this individual's contributions are worthy of recognition for the specific award category.

    • Award Qualifications

      Honorees must be:

      • Current with their SABA-DC membership (except for Community Leader Award); and
      • Present at the SABA-DC Annual Gala to receive the award.

    2024 Awardees

    Congratulations to last year's Community Awardees, who were recognized at our 16th Annual Gala on October 5th, 2024: 

    • Balaji Narain - Public Sector Trailblazer Award
    • Ajay Jagtiani - Private Sector Trailblazer Award
    • Moh Sharma - Community Leader Award
    • Medha Gargeya - Rising Star Award

    SABA-DC 

    Our goal is to address the needs and concerns of the South Asian American legal community in Washington, D.C. while providing our members with the knowledge and support necessary to reach their personal and professional goals.


    You can find us here:

    South Asian Bar Association of Washington, D.C.

    P.O. Box 65349
    Washington, D.C. 20035


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