Sarah Best joined APALSA in the fall of 2018.  All who met Sarah knew she was exceptional.  She spoke with abundant enthusiasm and a vibrancy undimmed by life’s challenges.  She led with grace: kind, patient, and focused.  She embodied compassion, extending both a gentle hand to those who have fallen and a raised fist against those who oppress.  Sarah worked tirelessly to advance equality, inclusivity, and representation.  All of Sarah’s accomplishments, too numerous to list in full, demonstrate her commitment to those ideals and her full embrace of Korean culture and her AAPI heritage.  We highlight a few below.
 
Sarah, APALSA Board.  Sarah was appointed to the APALSA Board for two years (most serve only for one).  In the 2019 to 2020 academic year, she was Conference Chair.  In the following year, she was Academic Development Chair.  As Conference Chair, Sarah organized the “Fighting for Visibility: Asian Americans in Law and Politics” Conference which comprised three panels titled: (1) Representation in the Judiciary; (2) Gaining Political Power; (3) Breaking Biases: Asian American Women in the Legal Profession.  Sarah secured distinguished panelists from across the country, including federal and local judges, leaders of Asian American public interest organizations, and law firm partners.  She even brought table centerpieces to the Conference; the same ones used at her sister’s wedding.  The Conference broke APALSA records including number of attendees and sponsorships.  It also had a rager of an after-party (some people missed their flights!).  As Academic Development Chair, Sarah put an incredible amount of thought into mentorship pairings and academic panels.  She held several discussions on mental health, and always made herself available to mentor others. 
 
Sarah, the academic and professional.  Sarah had a brilliant mind.  As a law student, she was Senior Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, graduated summa cum laude, and entered the Order of the Coif.  She also threw herself into the Keedy Cup competition and, with a collaborative spirit, actively supported her competitors and later volunteered to mentor other entrants as an alumna.  As of this writing, Sarah is the only AAPI woman (and APALSA member) to win both the Keedy Cup and the Keedy Cup’s Best Oralist distinction. 
After law school, Sarah clerked for Judge Eugene E. Siler, Jr. on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Judge Paul S. Diamond on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Judge John P. Cronan on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.  She then joined Wilkinson Stekloff, a D.C. law firm known for its commitment to pro bono representation. 
 
Sarah, the leader.  Sarah was a natural leader with a style imbued with patience and grace.  She was an inaugural member of ALLSA.  Her focus and direction allowed ALLSA to flourish, and its membership has grown exponentially since.  Sarah fought for justice and equality, bringing together affinity groups across the law school to protest the conduct of a professor who spouted hate.  In the wake of the stunning rise in anti-Asian hate that began in 2020, Sarah was the first to call out incidents of anti-Asian violence in Philadelphia to the then-APALSA president and demand that something be done.  At the law school, Sarah spearheaded an Asian American race and immigration seminar, creating a shared community space for APALSA members and others at the law school to discuss the unique history and challenges of existing as an AAPI person. 
 
Finally, and most importantly, Sarah was a friend.  She took on our troubles when times were hard.  We ate hot pot when times were good.  Together, we shared our ambitions, fears, and life milestones.  Sarah laughed easily, gave selflessly, and inspired with her very presence.
She earned her namesake by every measure.  Sarah was, simply put, the best of us. 
 
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Sarah,
 
From all of us at APALSA past, present, and future, know that you will be deeply missed.  Those who knew you will feel that pain acutely, a pain that will round its sharpest edge with the passage of time, but will never abate.  Those who will not have the privilege of meeting you will feel the void and sense that their lives might have been brighter with your presence.  Know, too, that we will carry on the work that you would have done; that the progress you made in improving this world will continue; that your ideals will live on.  In your long nap, we hope this small expression of our intent will give you a reason to smile.
 
With great love and great sorrow,
 
Contributors
 
Esther Kang, L’21
Jen Kim, L’21
JiLon Li, L’20
Lydia Lim, L’21
Chrissy Pak, L’21
Michelle Wang, L’21
 
Signatories
 
APALSA Board of 2017/2018
APALSA Board of 2018/2019
APALSA Board of 2019/2020
APALSA Board of 2020/2021
APALSA Board of 2021/2022
APALSA Board of 2022/2023
APALSA Board of 2023/2024
APALSA Board of 2024/2025