Xia Zhao '02 Murdered Tuesday July 1, 2008

Xia Zhao '02, active in the Hastings alumni community and the Chinese American legal community, lost her life on Tuesday, July 1, apparently in direct retaliation for her work in a wrongful death case.  For details and information on contributing to her family's fund, please see the press release below.

Press Release
The Hastings community suffered a tragedy on July 1, 2008, with the murder of Xia Zhao '02. Ms. Zhao, an attorney practicing in the San Francisco Bay Area, was shot in the parking structure of her office while arriving at work last Tuesday. It is believed that her murder is related to her representation of a client in the prosecution of a wrongfuldeath suit. The San Jose Police Department presently has a suspect in custody, though investigation into the circumstances and causes of her death continue. Xia Zhao was a nurse in Hangzhou China before immigrating to the United States in 1991. She obtained her license as a registered nurse in California, and worked the evening shifts in order to put herself through eight years of higher education in the United States. She graduated UCLA with a bachelor's degree in economics. At Hastings College of the Law she was deeply involved in student affairs and was part of the alumni mentor program. Those who knew her at the Hangzhou Nursing School, UCLA, and at Hastings, remember her as a warm, earnest, smart and remarkable lady.

Xia started Pacific Crossing Law Offices in 2003, on the Peninsula, and expanded into the south bay in 2006. In addition to her legal practice, Xia was actively involved in the Bay Area legal communities. Xia was the President of CALOBA (Chinese American Lawyers of the Bay Area), an organization of Chinese attorneys in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is survived by her husband, Kevin Schwarzkopf, 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 to Xia's parents and son through Google Check on CALOBA's website at www.caloba.org/xia.html. Please specify whether the donation is for Xia's parents or child.

A public viewing will be held on Friday, July 11, 2008, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Darling and Fischer Chapel of the Hills, 615 N. Santa Cruz Avenue, Los Gatos, CA. A public memorial and funeral service will be held Saturday, July 12, 2008, at 10:00 a.m. at the Chapel of the Hills, with the interment to follow at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Los Altos. Those wishing to pay their respects are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, the family appreciates your donations and continued support.