Call For Support to An Alumnus Family -- Recent Tragic Murder of Attorney Xia Zhao

There was a recent tragic murder of a woman attorney Zhao Xia  in Silicon Valley.  Her father, Mr. Lisheng Zhao, is a retired professor at Electrical Engineering Department (电机系) of Zhejiang University, who is over 70 now. As alumni, we are compelled to do whatever we could to help them besides our condolences and best wishes to the family.

Here are some news about this murder event:

http://news.wenxuecity.com/BBSView.php?SubID=news&MsgID=643772

http://news.wenxuecity.com/messages/200807/news-gb2312-644633.html

F. Y. I. for events

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Funeral Services:

Hi All

Kevin has already confirmed during the meeting on Saturday that the viewing on Friday evening and the funeral on Saturday are both public.  Anyone who wants to pay respect to Xia can attend. 
 
Funeral details:

Friday night 6pm to 9pm - Public viewing Darling and Fischer Chapel of the Hills 615 N. Santa Cruz Ave. Los Gatos, CA

Saturday 10am - funeral service at Chapel of the Hills Burial to follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetary in Los Altos

Thank you.
Kevin and Eric

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Calling for donations:

Dear friends and colleagues, 

Many of you may have already heard about the murder of attorney Xia Zhao (赵霞).  The San Jose Police Department presently has a suspect in custody. The suspect was charged but not convicted of killing his wife in 2003. Xia had been representing the late wife’s mother in a wrongful death lawsuit against the suspect. It was not Xia’s ususal practice, but she took this case out of a sense of justice, and to help a grieving mother.

Xia was a first generation immigrant who became a successful attorney with her own practice. She graduated from UCLA and UC Hastings College of the Law, while working night shifts as a nurse to support herself. All those who knew her remember her as a warm, earnest, smart and remarkable lady. In addition to her legal practice, Xia was actively involved in the Bay Area legal and Chinese communities. Xia was the President of CALOBA(Chinese American Lawyers of the Bay Area), an organization of Chinese attorneys in the Bay Area. She is survived by her husband, Kevin Schwarckopf, her two-year-old son Kael, her parents, Mr. Lisheng Zhao and Mrs. Jinfeng Zhu, who are in their 70s, and a brother.

In memory of this dedicated, generous, and courageous woman, a fund has been established for her son and her parents, who, as recent immigrants, were wholly dependent upon her for support.  Contributions to this fund may be made by check payable to Xia’s Memorial Fund at P.O. Box 10399 , San Jose , CA 95130 .  Alternatively, you can make a donation online to Xia’s parents and son through Google Checkout on CALOBA’s website at www.caloba.org/ xia.html. Please specify whether the donation is for Xia’s parents or child.

If you are a lawyer, you understand that Xia died for doing her job. Lawyers being killed for their work are not common.  A lawyer should be free to represent clients in difficult or even controversial cases without the danger of being shot and killed in front of her office.  To the best of our knowledge, the last it happened in the Bay Area was in the 1980s. Very few lawyers would have prepared financially for such events.  After practicing for six years, Xia developed a successful practice but not yet accumulated significant assets due to large expenses that come with running one’s own law firm.  In addition, unfortunately, the payout from Xia’s life insurance is limited and is not enough to provide adequately for her aging parents and child.  You would want the legal community and your friends to take care of your family if such tragedy happens.  Please donate to help Xia’s aging parents and two-year-old son.

If you are not a lawyer, you would want a lawyer willing to represent you in a difficult case without being intimated, harassed, or even killed.  You would want all the lawyers to have the courage to help people when they are in trouble.  If you believe in this, please donate to help Xia’s aging parents and two-year-old son.

If you are an immigrant like Xia, you understand that her success was built on hard-work, courage, and a strong sense of family and community.  You would want your community and friends to take care of your family if you encounter any accidents or illness, not only in the event of a tragic killing. If you believe in this, please donate to help Xia’s aging parents and two-year-old son. Thank you.

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