UVA’s AAPI Alumni have a proud history of driving change and helping to reshape our social, political and cultural experiences as Americans. But even within this high-achieving group of people, a few individuals stand out. To recognize their contributions, AAPAAN will present the AAPI Alumni Achievement Award to alumni who best exemplifies the positive impact made by UVA’s AAPI alumni on their local communities and the greater AAPI community. The award also aims to highlight those who exhibit exceptional achievement in their chosen careers. By honoring the best of our AAPI alumni, we hope to inspire today’s UVA students to strive for both personal and professional success in their post-graduate life.
The nomination period for the 2025 AAPI Alumni Advancement Award is now closed.
2025 AAPI Alumni Achievement Award Recipient: Catharina Min
Catharina Yoosun Min (Col ’87, Law ’90) is a partner in the corporate group of Covington & Burling and works in the Palo Alto, CA office. She represents technology and life sciences clients in mergers and acquisitions, private/venture financing, joint ventures, emerging companies and cross-border corporate transactions. She has been named a Women Leader in Technology Law by the legal journals for multiple years.
She moved to Virginia from Korea with her family when she was 12. As a daughter of immigrants, she grew up in a supportive family where her parents raised the 4 children to do their best. Catharina and 2 of her siblings attended UVA and she went onto UVA Law School.
During her tenure as a law student, Catharina took the initiative to co-found the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA) at UVA Law, at a time when Asian-identifying law students at the school numbered only in the single digits. APALSA has since become one of the largest student organizations at UVA Law, providing mentorship, community, and professional development to future AAPI legal professionals. Catharina has remained close to APALSA over the years through her mentorship of several generations of APALSA leaders, and her law firm has been a major sponsor providing the financial support that enables APALSA to host its many events. Her enduring legacy has strengthened the pipeline of AAPI representation to the legal field.
Catharina has been a leader in many organizations serving the Korean American and broader AAPI communities. She is, among other things, the Founding Director, past Chairwoman and current Director of the Council of Korean Americans (CKA), past Overseas President and past Director of the International Association of Korean Lawyers, past President and past Director of the Korean-American Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco and the Korean-American Bar Association of Northern California, and past Co-Chair of the Practice Development Committee of the Asian American Bar Association.
Catharina is a frequent speaker who champions mentoring and empowerment for women and underrepresented groups. For her contribution to advancing opportunities for women in the legal profession, she was honored in 2021 as a Woman of Achievement by Legal Momentum, the nation’s first legal defense fund for women.