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The Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (British Columbia) Society (FACL BC) is a diverse coalition of Asian Canadian legal professionals working to promote equity, justice, and opportunity for Asian Canadian legal professionals and the wider community.

Founded in 2011, FACL BC is the largest equity-seeking bar association in British Columbia with over 850 members ranging from judges, partners, associates, in-house counsel, academics and law students and is affiliated with other FACL chapters across Canada and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) in the United States, which represents over 80,000 Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander lawyers.

In 2024, FACL BC became the second organization to receive the Canadian Bar Association Touchstone Award as a result of our contributions relating to race and gender, and for promoting equality in the legal profession, the judiciary, and the legal community in all of Canada. That same year, FACL BC also received the NAPABA Affiliate of the Yaar Award, recognized out of 75 organizations for its best practices and accomplishments in the local community, becoming the first Canadian organization to receive this recognition.

FACL BC was also the winner of the 2022 Clawbies award for Best Podcast and the 2021 Clawbies award for Best Innovative Project for our ground-breaking documentary, “But I Look Like a Lawyer”, which captures stories of the discrimination, stereotyping and bias experienced by members of the Pan-Asian legal community. Our documentary was screened at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival in 2022 and continues to serve as an educational resource for Canadian and US law firms and law schools, including the BC Professional Legal Training Course.

Allies are welcome and can support our mission by joining as a Supporting Member. Supporting Members do not need to identify as pan-Asian or as a legal professional. Learn more here. 


  • Navigating Mental Health and Addiction in the Legal Profession

    • 25 Mar 2025
    • 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
    • Thompson Rivers University - Reading Room (OM 3652) & Zoom
    Register

    Advocating for your own mental health and well-being can be a challenge when you are navigating the demands and expectations of the legal profession. Join FACL BC’s panel speakers, who will share their lived experiences with mental health and addictions for an opportunity to learn tools that will help you navigate and advocate for yourself during the various stages of your legal career. Our diverse panel will share how they have developed effective strategies to balance their legal career with their life outside of work, and their recommendations to create healthy and sustainable habits in their work life.

    Panelists:

    • Hardeep Chahal, Counsel at TRU

    • Ruby Dhand, TRU Faculty of Law Professor

    • Kim Carter, Kim Carter Law

    • A representative from the Lawyers Assistance Program of BC

    While this event is complimentary, we kindly request that you inform us of any changes to your RSVP as a courtesy to both our panelists and other potential attendees. Timely notification of any changes ensures efficient planning and helps us maintain the quality of our events. Please note that unexplained absences or repeated no-shows to FACL BC events may affect your ability to attend future complimentary events.

    ___________________________________________________

    By attending this event, you agree to abide by the FACL BC Event Code of Conduct.

    If you have any questions about the Code of Conduct, please email info@faclbc.ca.
    Show details

  • NCA/LLM: Surviving and Thriving PLTC and Articles

    • 26 Mar 2025
    • 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
    • Zoom
    Register

    Are you planning to become a lawyer in British Columbia? Curious about PLTC, preparing for the bar exams, or what the articling experience is like? Heard mixed stories about the licensing process and want to separate fact from fiction?

    Come join us at "Surviving and Thriving PLTC and Articles" on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at 5:30PM - 7:00PM (online). Designed for NCA and LLMCL candidates, this event will provide valuable tips, strategies, and best practices to help articling students succeed. Connect with seasoned professionals and gain the insights you need to navigate your journey with confidence!

    The panel will cover firsthand experiences, common challenges, strategies for success, and essential skills for thriving throughout PLTC and articling. Insights will be shared by a current articling student and lawyers with extensive experience mentoring students through these stages. Featured speakers are Tina Ye (Yan Muirhead), Will Tao (Heron Law Offices), and Maral Angha (Cassels).

    Meet our Speakers

    Maral Angha is currently the Knowledge & Practice Innovation Manager at Cassels. Her career transitioned into knowledge and innovation three years ago after over a decade as a litigator working in various environments from in house to big law. Maral was also a PLTC teacher at the Law Society of BC and continues to work with students at the Everyone Legal Clinic at Access Pro Bono as a supervising lawyer helping students with strategies on passing the PLTC. Maral was called to the BC Bar in 2012 after graduating from the University of Buckingham and continues to be a practicing lawyer in BC.

    Will Tao is the founder of Heron Law Offices, specializing in Canadian immigration, refugee, citizenship, and administrative law, with a focus on complex litigation and applications for residence and citizenship. His work involves challenging government’s use of Automated Decision Making, and finding creative immigration pathways for applicants in tech, arts and sports industries. Will is a respected lecturer to CLE publications, frequently cited by media and academia, and has served as an expert affiant before Parliamentary Committees. He is proud to share that he is a first-generation lawyer in his family and currently mentors articling students, including LLM and NCA students.

    Tina Ye is a current articling student at Yan Muirhead LLP. She completed her PLTC course at the May 2024 session and will stay on with the firm to practice civil and commercial litigation. Tina obtained her LLB from Queen’s University Belfast and completed the LLMCL program at UBC in 2023. Tina is the current committee co-chair for the FACL BC NCA/LLM committee. She also volunteers with West Coast LEAF and Access Pro-Bono.

    Final Notes

    This event is free and open to FACL BC members only. Register through the button on the left of this page. (Note: in order to complete registration, you must be signed in to your account on the FACL BC website).


    While this event is complimentary, we kindly request that you inform us of any changes to your RSVP as a courtesy to both our panelists and other potential attendees. Timely notification of any changes ensures efficient planning and helps us maintain the quality of our events. Please note that unexplained absences or repeated no-shows to FACL BC events may affect your ability to attend future complimentary events.

    ___________________________________________________

    By attending this event, you agree to abide by the FACL BC Event Code of Conduct.

    If you have any questions about the Code of Conduct, please email info@faclbc.ca.

    Show details


Statements


Our Podcast

    


Documentary



President's Message

It is a true honour to lead FACL BC as President for the 2024-2025 year. As a first-generation Canadian and the first in my family to become a lawyer, I deeply resonate with many of you. When I joined FACL BC as an articling student during the challenges of COVID, I sought support and connection in a time of uncertainty. What I experienced was far more remarkable than I ever expected: a vibrant and passionate community dedicated to mentorship, driving meaningful change, and championing Asian-Canadian legal professionals.

Throughout my time with FACL BC, I have been privileged to be part of many incredible initiatives and events. Some highlights include helping produce the FACL BC Podcast, available on Apple Podcast and Spotify, where we spotlight the inspiring journeys of Asian-Canadian legal professionals; being involved in the largest mentorship program in Western Canada for law students and junior lawyers; contributing to our impactful documentary, But I Look Like a Lawyer, which has become a key resource for equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) training at local law schools and in the BC bar materials; hosting our monthly wellness-focused journal club, Write On, for the past two years; enjoying meaningful connections at our Hometown Eats events; and establishing our very own FACL BC Journal to highlight and discuss pressing legal issues and topics important to the Asian-Canadian community in BC.

FACL BC has so much to offer, and I sincerely hope you have all experienced the same sense of welcome, community, and belonging that I have. Whether someone introduced you to FACL BC or you bravely attended an event by yourself, I applaud you. It is because of you that we have this wonderful community of over 800 members.

Together, we are a powerful voice for the Asian-Canadian legal community. As we enter our 13th year, leveraging our collective strength to push boundaries is more crucial than ever. In light of recent EDI program cutbacks across North America, fostering unity in diversity is not just a priority - it is a necessity. There is still a lot of work to be done. This year, we are committed to continuing furthering our EDI efforts, sparking essential conversations on allyship, and providing impactful legal educational opportunities for the Asian-Canadian legal community.

I encourage you to continue sharing your ideas, stories, and milestones, actively participate in our initiatives and events, and most importantly, consider volunteering your time or becoming a sponsor. FACL BC is a non-profit society that is predominantly volunteer-driven with 22 board members, over 100 committee volunteers, and 3 part-time staff members. Our growth and influence are only made possible because of your engagement.

We warmly invite you and your friends to join our community at https://faclbc.ca/join as Full or Student Members. Our allies are also welcomed through our Supporting Membership.

Thank you for the privilege of serving as your President. I look forward to working with you! 

Jenny Huang
President
Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers BC
LinkedIn


@faclbc


The FACL BC registered office is situated on the unceded, traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓ə (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We acknowledge the significance of the land for the Indigenous peoples who have lived here and acted as stewards since time immemorial, as well as the historical and ongoing injustices they still face. We are committed to working towards decolonial solidarity and the full realization of Indigenous rights.   Read our full land acknowledgement here.

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