From left to right: Professor Maggie Chon, Catheriine Romero 96', and Dean tony Varona
At Seattle University School of Law’s third annual Technology, Innovation Law, and Ethics (TILE) Institute’s Annual Celebration of Alumni, Microsoft Director of Compliance and Responsible AI Catherine Romero ’96, who works on Microsoft’s philanthropic AI for Good team, received the 2025 TILE Alumni Award for her mentorship of law students. Romero, whom Dean Anthony E. Varona called “a shining example of how our alumni truly are leaders serving justice,” co-founded the Hispanic National Bar Association’s (HNBA) Intellectual Property Law Institute (IPLI), an intellectual property and tech law immersion program for law students, and actively mentors many Hispanic law students and lawyers.
From left to right: Professors Tony Varona, Steve Bender, Gaia Bernstein, Miguel Willis and Maggie Chon
TILE held a Celebration of Alumni on September 30, 2024 with keynote speaker Professor Gaia Bernstein, introduced by TILE Director and Professor Margaret Chon. A law professor @SetonHallLaw, an internationally prominent thought leader, and the author of "Unwired: Gaining Control over Addictive Technologies," Bernstein spoke about the harmful effects of social media over-consumption for teens. The event also featured opening remarks from Dean Tony Varona and the presentation of the 2024 TILE Alumni Award from Professor Steve Bender to @pennlaw Professor Miguel Willis ’17.
As the outgoing co-president of the Environmental Law Society (ELS), Caitlin helped organize the inaugural ELS Mentorship Program this year, pairing law students with Seattle-based environmental employees. She has also worked as a research assistant for the Technology, Innovation Law, and Ethics (TILE) Institute for the past two years. Among many other projects, she helped the Washington State Bar Association's Legal Technology Task Force finalize its report on the impact of artificial intelligence on the legal profession.
Divya Dhami '25
Divya Dhami '25 is the recipient of this year’s Westin Scholar Award, given by the International Association of Privacy Professionals each year to a student who is identified by the participating school as a future leader in the field of privacy or data protection. Divya aims to enter the field of civil litigation, with a strong interest in intellectual property and privacy, while remaining open to diverse legal opportunities.
Xenia C. ’25
Recent grad Xenia C. ’25 was awarded the annual Washington State Bar Association Intellectual Property Section Scholarship. Xenia is beginning her legal career with a strong foundation in government and in-house practice, including work at the Washington State Supreme Court, the Washington State Office of the Attorney General, and T-Mobile. She is especially interested in intellectual property and innovation, and is excited to explore opportunities where she can grow and make a meaningful impact.
Ania (Kamkar) Smeraldo ’25
Recent grad Ania (Kamkar) Smeraldo ’25 was awarded the annual Washington State Bar Association Intellectual Property Section Scholarship. Ania came to law school following a career in the music industry, where she developed a passion for intellectual property, entertainment, and emerging technologies. She brings experience at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, Amazon Global Media, and Davis Shapiro Lewit & Grabel, LLP, and she plans to build a career at the intersection of law, innovation, and the arts.
Contact
Margaret Chon TILE Faculty Director and Professor of Law mchon@seattleu.edu
Feven Teklu Assistant Dean for Development and Alumni Relations fteklu@seattleu.edu
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