FACL BC Newsletter
February 2020 Edition
Event Updates
FACL BC 8th Annual Gala
The Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (British Columbia) Society (“FACL BC”) was thrilled to host 350 distinguished guests at our 8th Annual Gala on November 8, 2019. The Honorable David Eby, Q.C. gave a brief speech emphasizing the importance of judicial diversity. The Honorable Madam Justice Palbinder Kaur Shergill delivered an inspiring speech filled with her personal and professional stories. The recipient of the 2019 Lawyer of Distinction Award was Winston Sayson, Q.C., the first Chinese-Filipino Canadian appointed as Queen’s Counsel in British Columbia. The recipient of the 2019 Student Scholarship was Ms. Samrah Mian. We are thankful for every one of our generous sponsors and look forward to hosting you again in November 2020.
FACL BC Weekend Dim-Sum
In 2007, the original plans for FACL started over dim sum. To pay homage to FACL’s origin story (and because connecting over great food is a reason in itself to get together), on November 24, 2019, FACL BC held its 2019 Dim Sum Social at Sun Sui Wah. To no surprise, the sold-out event was a great success and brought together over 50 attendees, including senior counsel, FACL BC board members, lawyers and students.
Thanks to everyone who attended!
FACL In-House Counsel Roundtable Discussion Series
On Thursday, February 6, FACL BC held its inaugural roundtable discussion series at Avigilon (Vancouver) for in-house counsel to connect and talk about key topics and issues relevant to their practice. It was a very successful event and will be the first of many for years to come. If you currently work in-house and want to be part of this in the future, please email May Au or Steven Ngo to join.
For members who are not working in-house, FACL BC will be organizing an event in the summer/fall 2020 which will be open to all lawyers and students.
Upcoming Events
3rd Mentorship Roundtable and Mixer
Want to learn more about different legal practice areas and how to determine the right fit for you? There is no better way than speaking with lawyers immersed in those areas to gain some insight into their respective practices. This event is often well-attended by law students, junior lawyers, and anyone else looking to explore their options. On registration, you will be asked to select 3 practice areas of interest. During the event, you will then be rotating through 3 informal conversation groups led by lawyers practicing in each of your chosen areas. Come with your questions, as this will be a great opportunity to feed your curiosity.
Date: February 20, 2020
When: 5:15 - 7:40pm
Where: McCarthy Tétrault (745 Thurlow St Suite 2400, Vancouver, BC V6E 0C5)
TRU Panel
On March 6, 2020, FACL BC x Beyond the A is hosting a panel event at the Faculty of Law at TRU. The topic of the event will be “Equity” in the legal profession, discussing various topics such as race, sex, age in the interview processes and throughout one’s career. Currently, we have our very own Steven Ngo, Corporate Counsel at Visier, as a confirmed panellist, along with Adrienne Smith, a Human Rights lawyer. We will have two more panelists who are TRU Alumni and working in the Kamloops area sitting on the panel to provide a diverse and rich discussion. The event will be hosting around 100 TRU students, faculty members and more. We are so excited to have our first collaboration event with TRU Law and are looking forward to thoughts and ideas to be shared, and connections to be made!
Date: March 6, 2020
Where: Thompson Rivers University (835 University Dr, Kamloops, BC V2C 0C8)
Anxiety and Mental Health in the Legal Profession
On March 18, 2020, FACL BC is hosting a panel of lawyers at different stages of their careers in private practice, in-house and government to talk about anxiety and mental health, their personal experiences and how you can apply these lessons in your career. Afterwards, we will leave some time for Q&A and informal discussions.
This event is hosted in collaboration with Beyond the A and is kindly supported by Fasken. Food/refreshments will be provided.
Date: March 18, 2020
When: 5:15 - 7:30pm
Where: Fasken (550 Burrard St Suite 2900, Vancouver, BC V6C 0A3)
RSVP: https://www.faclbc.ca/event-3728337
General Announcements
Mentorship Pairing
Our mentorship program is underway and spots are filling up fast. There are less than 20 pairing opportunities remaining. If you are a law or articling student interested in finding a mentor this year, we encourage you to sign up by filling out our 2019-2020 Mentee Application Form. Please note that all mentees must be FACL BC members. Please sign up at: https://faclbc.ca/mentorship.
Sincerely,
FACL BC Membership Committee
