Coming Home to GGU: Alan Ma, JD ’84, Revisits His Law School Roots

When Alan W.C. Ma stepped back onto Golden Gate University’s campus this summer, he wasn’t just visiting a place—he was returning to a turning point. More than forty years after earning his law degree from GGU in 1984, the Honolulu-based attorney retraced the corridors that launched a career spent advising families, entrepreneurs, and international investors across the Pacific. 

He began where so much of his GGU journey once unfolded: the Law Library. Guided by Professor Michael Daw, JD, Associate Director for Graduate Law Students, Mohamed Nasralla, JD, Associate Director of the University Library, and Deborah Sanborn, Library Specialist, Ma revisited the rooms and desks where he logged countless study hours. Then came a moment he didn’t expect: Mohamed produced Ma’s original 1984 GGU Commencement program, a piece of memorabilia carefully preserved in the archives. The keepsake instantly bridged past and present—“a tangible link to my graduation day,” Ma reflected later—reminding him how rigor and community at GGU shaped the lawyer he became. 

In the archives, Ma paused at a display honoring two alumni who served as NASA astronauts and carried a GGU flag into space—a symbol of just how far a Golden Gate education can travel. The resonance was personal. Across four decades in practice, Ma built a reputation for steady counsel, global perspective, and service to Hawaiʻi’s diverse communities: qualities first forged in these halls and libraries. 

Beyond his law practice, Ma’s career has been marked by service and leadership. A former Chairman of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Hawai‘i Chapter, he played an important role in shaping immigration practice in the state. He was also appointed as the Trade Representative of the State of Hawai‘i in Hong Kong and China, where he promoted U.S.-inbound investment and strengthened international connections. These roles highlight the global reach of his work and the deep trust placed in him by both his profession and his community. 

“I have benefited much from the legal education I received from GGU and was truly happy to be able to return,” Ma said after his visit. “I will continue to support GGU within my ability and hope to re-visit the campus again in the future.” 

Walking through the classrooms where it all began, Alan Ma could see the through line from student to alumnus: determination, opportunity, and community. His homecoming was a testament to GGU’s lasting influence and the way a law school education can ripple forward into a lifetime of service and achievement.