Linda Igarashi

Linda Igarashi is currently a student at the University of California, Los Angeles Law School.  Ms. Igarashi is the daughter of immigrant parents, and was the first in her family to enroll in a university.  Based on her knowledge of the difficulties of the lives of immigrants, Ms. Igarashi has focused on studying economic development and public policy.  After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in Economics and B.S. in Business Administration, Ms. Igarashi became a Fulbright scholar and spent a year in Chile which she spent researching the economic impact of newly privatized pension systems on women.  Ms. Igarashi proceeded to obtain a Master of Public Administration in International Development from Harvard University, where she focused on issues facing developing countries, in particular those affecting women.  She intends to use her experience as a financial analyst and risk management consultant plus her legal education to help women in emerging economies to gain full economic participation by promoting how women-owned businesses can reduce their exposure to legal and financial risks.  In addition to her professional experience, Ms. Igarashi has volunteered at the Big Brother Big Sisters program and as a court-appointed special advocate for neglected girls in foster care.  She plans to continue to mentor disadvantaged girls in the Los Angeles area post-law school.