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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. 


  • Writing Cafe: Celebration and Gratitude (IN PERSON)

    • 26 Jan 2025
    • 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Hanlin Tea House, 8328 Capstan Wy Unit 1121, Richmond, BC V6X 4B6
    • 11
    Register


    Welcome to our second in-person Writing Café membership event and the first journaling session for 2025! This event is designed to help legal professionals explore their heritage, identity, and professional lives through guided writing and reflection. Whether you’re an experienced journaller or trying it out for the first time, this session will offer a supportive space for personal growth, setting goals, and connecting with like-minded individuals.

    Event Details:

    Join us in person on January 26, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Hanlin Tea House (8328 Capstan Wy Unit 1121, Richmond, BC V6X 4B6) for an inspiring session of reflective journaling. We will be sipping on bubble tea while journaling together. Please note that a minimum purchase of one drink is required to attend the event. 

    What to Bring:

    A journal, or any writing materials (pen, paper, or laptop). 

    Moderators:

    • Janice Jua Fujikawa, FACL BC Membership Vice-Chair, Owen Bird Law Corporation

    • Jenny Huang, FACL BC President, Blakes

    This event has limited capacity, we kindly request that you inform us of any changes to your RSVP as a courtesy to others who may wish to have attended the event. 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 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

  • In-House Counsel Winter Social

    • 30 Jan 2025
    • 5:30 PM - 9:30 PM
    • LIVIA Forno e Vino, 1399 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC V5L 3X5
    • 5
    Register

    Join us for this exciting in-house community-building event at Livia, a locally-owned Italian bar restaurant in Vancouver. This will be a stand-up event with high-top tables. At this event, you will have the opportunity to enjoy a taste of authentic Italian tapas, canapé, and wines.

    Details

    Date: January 30, 2025

    Time: 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm

    Location: LIVIA Forno e Vino (1399 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC V5L 3X5)

    This event is exclusive to in-house counsel and spots are limited on a first-come-first-served basis. We thank Fasken and Bennett Jones for their generous sponsorship.

    Registration is open to FACL BC in-house counsel members only starting on January 9. Please log into your FACL BC member account to register. To become a member, please visit faclbc.ca/join. 

    Registration will be open to all in-house counsel on January 15. 

    Final Notes

    This is a complimentary event, please update your RSVP if you plans change as a courtesy to our sponsors 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

  • In-House Trailblazers: Catherine Chow, Chief Legal Officer (Vancouver Canucks)

    • 18 Feb 2025
    • 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM
    • Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, (#3000 - 1055 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver, BC) and Zoom
    Register


    The FACL BC In-House Committee is thrilled to host a Trailblazer event with Catherine Chow, the Chief Legal Officer of none other than our very own, Vancouver Canucks. You will hear firsthand from Catherine about her career path, from navigating challenges to leading by example to raising the bar for the legal community.

    Please join us for an engaging and thoughtful discussion with Catherine. Open to both in-house lawyers and private practitioners, this event will be an opportunity to network and reflect on the impact the two groups can make collectively for the legal profession.

    Date: Tuesday, February 18th

    Time: 5:00 - 7:30PM

    Location: Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, #3000 - 1055 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver, BC 

    This will be a hybrid in-person/Zoom event, with a Zoom link for remote registrants to follow. The discussion will be led in person by Steven Ngo, Senior Counsel at Rivian.

    Special thanks to Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP for their generous support and sponsorship of this event.

    Agenda:

    5:00PM - Doors Open/Reception

    5:30PM - Opening Remarks / Moderated Discussion with Catherine Chow

    6:30PM - Closing Remarks and Post-Event Social

    Meet our Speaker

    Catherine Chow is the Chief Legal Officer of the Vancouver Canucks Sports and Entertainment. Previously, she worked as the Vice President + General Counsel of Keg Restaurants Ltd. In her executive in-house role, she leads and collaborates with business teams to successful outcomes. Catherine is experienced in a broad portfolio of legal matters across Canada and US: financing, real estate, business development, franchising, procurement, risk management, litigation, trademark protection, and reporting issuer compliance. Prior to The Keg, Catherine was in private practice with a focus on expropriation law, real property development and commercial leasing.

    Catherine has been appointed as an adjudicator to the Law Society of British Columbia for a second four-year term to hear cases of lawyer’s professional misconduct and disciplinary action. Catherine holds a LLB’97 and BA’94 from the University of Calgary, and an LLM’07 from the University of British Columbia.

    Meet our Moderator

    Steven Ngo is a past president of FACL BC and was named one of the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers by Canadian Lawyer Magazine in 2022 and an Alumni Changemaker by the Allard School of Law in 2023. Steven currently works as Sr. Counsel at Rivian and serves on the board of governors for the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).

    In 2024, he joined the faculty at the Peter A. Allard School of Law as an adjunct professor (where he co-teaches with Catherine Chow) and is also a guest lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley. Outside of law, Steven is a father and the host of 2 Dads 1 Car, a podcast that discusses modern fatherhood.

    Final Notes

    This is a complimentary event, please update your RSVP if you plans change as a courtesy to our sponsors 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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