Home Town: Knoxville, Tennessee
Undergraduate Degree: B.A., History, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Graduate Degree: M.A., Sociology, Tulane University
Career Interest: Corporate Law/Litigation

When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, Ramaah Sadasivam was a graduate student at Tulane University and planned to become a sociology professor.  Forced to evacuate, she watched through the media as the hurricane took its toll and people all along the Gulf Coast lost homes, businesses, and loved ones.  She wanted to return to help those in need, and to help change the systems and organizations that had let so many people down.  That’s why she applied for admission to UC Davis School of Law.

“I believe that the legal profession is one of the most exciting careers out there, because as lawyers we have the ability to use our knowledge to empower others and change our clients’ lives,” said Sadasivam.  “The knowledge that we possess can cancel an immigrant’s removal orders or allow a company to acquire another company. The ability to effectuate change in our local, regional, and national communities is really limitless.”

At King Hall, Sadasivam found a legal community dedicated to public service and student organizations where she would not have to wait till after graduation to bring help to those in need.  During her first year, she utilized the resources of the UC Davis chapter of the Humanitarian Aid Legal Organization  (HALO), a group she co- chaired, to travel to New Orleans and provide pro-bono legal service, working with clients to help them gain clear title to their properties and apply for government aid.  

After graduating from the School of Law, Sadasivam joined the Sacramento firm Downey Brand, where she is an associate.  She credits the training she has received at UC Davis for putting her in position to realize her dreams. 

“King Hall has it all: an academically challenging learning environment, supportive faculty, and an amazing student body,” said Sadasivam.  “I have grown personally and academically over the past two years at King Hall, and I know that I will always draw on the legal skills that I gained here from classes, extracurricular activities, and externships.”