FACL BC Statement Endorsing Resolution 3: Member Resolution regarding the Implementation of Changes to the Member Portal and Lawyer Directory (Law Society of BC 2022 AGM)

June 14, 2022

The Law Society of BC’s 2022 Annual General Meeting will be held on June 22, 2022. Members can vote on resolutions during the meeting or through advance online voting, which is open now until 5:00 p.m. PDT on June 21. Visit the Law Society’s website for the full text of all resolutions and more information about how to vote.¹ 

FACL BC endorses Resolution 3: Member Resolution regarding the Implementation of Changes to the Member Portal and Lawyer Directory and encourages our members who are eligible to participate to vote in favour of it. This resolution has been put forward by Diana Sepúlveda and Afifa Hashimi, Vice President - External of FACL BC. 

Resolution 3 proposes a number of changes to the Lawyer Directory on the Law Society of BC’s website to increase access to justice by enabling members of the public to more easily find a lawyer who meets their needs. If accepted, it would allow individuals to search for lawyers based on any of the following search criteria: lawyer’s first or last names, city, language(s) spoken, and area(s) of law in which the lawyer practises. Currently, searches require a lawyer’s last name, and only allow individuals to include a city, not languages or areas of law. Resolution 3 also proposes creating a page that contains a list of practice areas with a plain-language description of each area.

If accepted, the proposed resolution would be an important step forward for inclusivity. The proposed changes would allow individuals to find a lawyer who is able to communicate with them in their preferred language, making it easier for people who may not speak English to access legal assistance. For members of the public who do not already know of any lawyers, removing the last name requirement and expanding the search criteria will improve their ability to find counsel. 

This statement by the movers of Resolution 3 explains how the resolution is linked to racial justice:²

Although we use the term “language minorities,” BC residents whose mother tongue is a language other than English make up a considerable proportion of the population: 31.2%.³

Language accessibility and racial justice are inextricably linked. Of the 31.2% mentioned above, the most widely spoken languages are Punjabi, Cantonese, Mandarin, Tagalog, German, and Spanish, most of which are predominantly spoken by racialized people. Providing meaningful access to legal services in languages other than English will improve racial equity by enabling language minorities, many of whom are Black, Indigenous, or people of colour, to participate in society and access justice at the same level as others. This is also connected to migrant justice, as many immigrants, refugees, and migrant workers speak languages other than English and may face language barriers while looking for legal assistance.

By expanding the use of the Lawyer Directory, access to the legal system would improve because it will be easier for members of the public to find lawyers who can provide what they need, both linguistically and service-wise.

FACL BC also endorses Resolution 4: Member Resolution on the Role of Lawyers in Addressing Climate Change. Read our statement on Resolution 4 here. 

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1 Voting: https://www.lawsociety.bc.ca/about-us/news-and-publications/news/2022/2022-annual-general-meeting-%E2%80%93%C2%A0second-notice/ 

² Diana Sepúlveda and Afifa Hashimi’s Statement in Support of Resolution 3: https://faclbc.ca/resources/FACL%20BC%20Documents/Committees/Advocacy/Statement%20in%20Support%20of%20Member%20Resolution%20by%20Diana%20Sepúlveda%20and%20Afifa%20Hashimi.pdf 

³ Statistics Canada reports that “immigrant languages” make up 29.3% of the BC population, French makes up 1.6% and “Aboriginal languages” make up 0.2%: https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/as-sa/fogs-spg/Facts-PR-Eng.cfm?TOPIC=5&LANG=Eng&GK=PR&GC=59

Register here

In accordance with the Bylaws of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (British Columbia) Society (“FACL BC”), notice is hereby given to all Members of FACL BC that a General Meeting of the Members ("AGM") will be held as follows:

• Location: Zoom 

• Date: Thursday, July 14, 2022

• Time: 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

This AGM is open to all current FACL BC members. Please register for the AGM by July 12, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. to receive the Zoom link. Voting will be conducted with the Zoom polling feature for those in virtual attendance. 

If you are not a current FACL BC member or have yet to register for the 2022-2023 year, you can join/renew through our website.

The Agenda for the AGM is as follows:

• 5:00-5:05 – Members join the meeting

• 5:05 – President – Call for meeting to order and approval of agenda and previous meeting minutes

• 5:05-5:10 – Treasurer/Secretary remarks 

• 5:10-5:25 – Outgoing President’s remarks and Incoming President’s remarks

• 5:25-5:35 – Incoming VPs’ remarks

• 5:35-5:40 – Acknowledgement of departing and remaining board members

• 5:40-6:20 – Election and appointment of new board members

• 6:20-6:30 – Presentation of "Next 10 Years" Student Scholarship, Closing Remarks and Adjournment

Call for Nominations: If you are interested in joining FACL BC’s Board of Directors (the “FACL BC Board”), please submit your nomination statement to info@faclbc.ca by 11:59 p.m. on June 30, 2022. Your nomination statement should include a short summary of who you are, why you are interested in our organization, the extent of your previous involvement with FACL BC (if any), and the position you seek to run for (maximum of 300 words). Please use the subject line “AGM Nomination”. These nomination statements will be sent to all FACL BC members. You may submit a nomination statement for no more than one position described below. 

The following positions are available: 

Directors-at-Large (Two Year Term)

The FACL BC Board has four Directors-at-Large positions available. These positions are open to FACL BC’s full members. Members on the FACL BC Board are expected to assume active high-level and on-the-ground leadership for our various initiatives, including in leading FACL BC committees. 

Director-at-Large (One Year Term)

The FACL BC Board has two Director-at-Large position available. This position is open to FACL BC’s full members. Members on the FACL BC Board are expected to assume active high-level and on-the-ground leadership for our various initiatives, including in leading FACL BC committees. 

Secretary (One Year Term)

The FACL BC Board has one Secretary position available. This position is open to FACL BC’s full members. The Secretary is an integral part of the FACL BC Board and responsible for, among others: 

• overseeing the issuance of notices of FACL BC General Meetings and Board meetings;

• taking minutes of FACL BC General Meetings and Board meetings;

• maintaining the records of the FACL BC Society in accordance with the Societies Act;

• assisting in conducting the correspondence of the FACL BC Board; and

• overseeing the filing of the annual report of the FACL BC and making any other filings with the registrar under the Societies Act. 

Area Representatives (One Year Term)

The FACL BC Board has one Area Representative position for each of Kamloops and Victoria available. Area Representatives are key liaisons between FACL BC and their respective region’s legal community and represent/promote FACL BC in their respective regions. These positions are open to FACL BC’s full members in Kamloops or Victoria. 

Student Directors (One Year Term)

The FACL BC Board has one Student Director position for each of BC’s law schools (UBC, TRU, and UVic) available. Student Directors are key liaisons between FACL BC and their respective law school and represent/promote FACL BC at their respective law school. These positions are open to FACL BC’s student members who are current JD or graduate law students at UBC, TRU, or UVic. For more information on the Student Director position, please click here.

All FACL BC Board members are expected to attend monthly Board meetings, participate in FACL BC committees (Membership, Advocacy, or Mentorship), and contribute actively to the planning and execution of FACL BC programming and initiatives.

For more information on the FACL BC Board, please see the recording of our info session here and/or contact us at info@faclbc.ca.

FACL BC Job Posting: Executive Coordinator

The Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (British Columbia) Society (“FACL BC”) is looking for a highly-motivated Executive Coordinator to help fulfill our mission of promoting equity, justice and opportunity for Asian Canadian legal professionals and the broader community. This is a paid contractor position at a competitive hourly rate. 

Term: April 2022 - March 2023

Applications closed - thank you for your interest! 

Who are we?

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 broader community.  FACL BC has over 400 members across all areas of the legal profession including students, associates, partners, in-house counsel, public service, and the judiciary.   

In November 2021, we hosted our 10th annual gala, The Next 10 Years, featuring the Honourable Justice Mahmud Jamal of the Supreme Court of Canada and Dr. Carol Liao of the Peter A. Allard School of Law as our keynote speakers.  We are also the winner of the 2021 Clawbies award 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.

What are we looking for?

• Current 1L or 2L student who self-identifies as Asian-Canadian and is attending the Peter A. Allard School of Law, University of Victoria Faculty of Law or Thompson Rivers University Faculty of Law

• Outstanding organizational and communication skills (verbal and written)

• Experience planning events for non-profit organizations, student clubs or similar organizations

• Experience with technology platforms such as Google Drive, Canva and Zoom is an asset

• Experience with social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn is an asset

• Experience with graphic design and website management is an asset

• Willingness to learn, adapt and problem-solve

What are your responsibilities?

 Administrative services

• Respond to director requests for assistance with operating Wild Apricot (our membership/website platform), Zoom, Canva and Google Drive

• Approve new membership applications, maintain an orderly archive and assist Treasurer with financial matters on Wild Apricot

• Contact Wild Apricot to troubleshoot issues that arise

• Apply for CPD credits or other professional credit approvals for FACL BC’s events

• Assist in recording board meeting minutes and/or action items, if needed

Communications

• Review, forward and respond to emails directed to the faclbc1@gmail.com email account

• Draft and send out email blasts to FACL BC’s membership

• Assist in sending out calendar invites for board meetings at the beginning of each term

• Assist with preparing marketing materials, including updating the FACL BC website, Instagram page, LinkedIn account, Facebook page and newsletter

Event Planning

• Provide logistical support for FACL BC events including creating event pages on Wild Apricot, Zoom and Facebook, making event name tags for attendees and speakers and setting up virtual events

• Assist Secretary in updating our internal events calendar with new events and changes, if needed

• Create and send thank you cards

• Such other services, and deliverables, as we may request.

Privacy Policy

We take your privacy seriously.  For details, please see our FACL BC Privacy Policy here.

FACL BC Statement on International Women’s Day

March 8, 2022

Today, on International Women’s Day, FACL BC celebrates the achievements of women and girls in all of their diversity, here in British Columbia and around the world. We honour those who stand up for gender and racial equality, in big and small ways. We also affirm our commitment to advocating for gender equality and uplifting the voices of Asian women in the legal community.

International Women’s Day this year comes at an important time for us all to reaffirm our dedication to working towards a society that defends and advocates for freedom and equality.  Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an alarming rise of racist incidents against Asian people across North America, including an increase in violence against Asian women in particular. 

This year’s International Women’s Day theme, #BreakTheBias, reminds us all that everyone still has work to do to break down both explicit and implicit biases.

FACL BC imagines and is committed to a world, including a legal community, free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. We celebrate the careers of our many brilliant women lawyers and jurists in Canada, including that of Justice Baljinder Girn, who was recently appointed to the BC Supreme Court, and look forward to a day where the justices on the Supreme Court of Canada reflect Canada’s gender and racial diversity. 

We encourage you to read our ​​resource list to highlight the voices and work of Asian women in the legal profession: Amplifying Asian Women in Law: A FACL BC International Women’s Day Resource List (2021) https://faclbc.ca/News/10175168.

Last year, FACL BC also released the documentary “But I Look Like a Lawyer”, which shares the stories of discrimination, stereotyping and bias experienced by members of the Pan-Asian legal community (https://faclbc.ca/documentary). We continue to hold up a mirror to our profession, in order to address the biases within. We encourage legal professionals to be active participants in working towards achieving gender equality, and building a profession and society free of bias and discrimination.

FACL BC Statement for Black History Month 2022: February and Forever

February 28, 2022

The national theme for this year’s Black History Month is February and Forever: Celebrating Black History today and every day. As February 2022 comes to an end, FACL BC reminds our membership to continue to honour Black history, celebrate the daily contributions of Black community members and colleagues.

FACL BC recognizes that anti-Black racism continues to exist in the legal profession and Canadian society at large. As Asian-Canadian legal professionals, we commit to acting in solidarity with our Black colleagues and acknowledge the contributions Black people have made to the profession. We encourage our readers to visit the Black Law Students’ Association of Canada’s Facebook page¹ to see some of their Black History Month 2022 spotlights, which highlight influential Black-Canadian legal professionals such as Justice Corrine Sparks² and Chief Justice Julius Alexander Isaac.³

Image Source: Government of Canada BHM2022 digital toolkit ⁴

This year, Black History Month and the Lunar New Year began on the same day, inspiring many to reflect on both the long history of Black and Asian solidarity and tensions in North America.⁵ Many also took this opportunity to honour the contributions of people of mixed Black and Asian heritage.

 Against the backdrop of COVID-19 and its disproportionate impacts on Black, Indigenous, and people of colour (BIPOC)⁷, both the Black Lives Matter⁸ movement and the Stop Asian Hate movement have gained significant momentum in the public eye.

We must work to ensure our pledges of solidarity are put into action. These actions must also include undoing the anti-Black racism and colourism that continue to exist within Asian communities. FACL BC commits to strengthening interracial solidarity toward the shared goals of ending racial injustice and white supremacy. To find resources on topics such as tackling anti-Black racism in Asian communities and allyship and action, visit FACL BC’s resource lists:

• FACL BC’s Resource List to Support Black Communities (2020)⁹

• FACL BC Resource List for Black History Month (2021)¹⁰

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¹ https://www.facebook.com/blsacanada/photos
² https://www.facebook.com/blsacanada/photos/2054135361430833

³ https://www.facebook.com/blsacanada/photos/2051760815001621

⁴https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month.html

⁵https://nondoc.com/2022/02/15/time-to-celebrate-black-asian-solidarity/

⁶ https://mixedasianmedia.com/celebrating-blasians-during-black-history-month-and-lunar-new-year

⁷https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2021/02/cpho-sunday-edition-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-racialized-communities.html

⁸ https://www.blacklivesmatter.ca/

⁹https://faclbc.ca/News/9013755

¹⁰ https://faclbc.ca/News/10111664

FACL BC Statement on the National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia

January 29, 2022

Today, FACL BC observes the National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia.

Five years ago on this day, Alexandre Bissonnette walked into the Quebec City Mosque and murdered six Muslim men while they prayed. Nineteen others were injured and one of those injured was left paralyzed. The loss to their families and community is tremendous.

On this day, we honour the lives of the men who were lost in this heinous act of violence and Islamophobia. FACL BC also honours the lives of the four members of a Pakistani-Canadian Muslim family who were killed while out walking in London, Ontario, in June of 2021. We stand against the racism and fear perpetuated against Muslims. 

FACL BC invites you to take a moment of silence to remember these victims and all victims of hatred: 

• Ibrahima Barry
• Mamadou Barry
• Khaled Belkacemi
• Aboubaker Thabti
• Abdelkrim Hassane
• Azzedine Soufiane

The National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia acts as a reminder that Muslim people and those perceived to be Muslim continue to face discrimination and the threat of violence. However, for those who face discrimination, no such reminder is needed.

We encourage allies and those within the legal community to learn about Islamophobia and the actions we can take to combat this issue.

FACL BC is an official sponsor of the Islamophobia Legal Assistance Hotline, a free and confidential hotline aimed at providing legal assistance to anyone who has been a victim of Islamophobia. 

Resources:

• Islamophobia Legal Assistance Hotline

• Islamophobia Awareness Month - What Is Islamophobia?

• National Council of Canadian Muslims - Community Resources

• Canadian Labour Congress - Islamophobia at Work: Challenges and Opportunities

• Naseeha Mental Health hotline available 7 days a week from 9AM-9PM PST: 1 (866) 627-3342 https://naseeha.org/ 

• 310 Mental Health Support: Call 310-6789 for emotional support, information and resources specific to mental health 

Relief Efforts for Individuals Impacted by B.C. Floods

November 19, 2021

FACL BC’s thoughts are with the thousands of individuals and families who have been impacted by devastating flooding in the coastal and interior regions of B.C. People have been displaced and their homes and livelihoods have been destroyed by these floods.

During this urgent time of need, we encourage our members and community partners to participate in and donate towards the relief efforts that are aimed at recovery and rebuilding efforts.

Listed below are a number of organizations that you can donate to:

Abbotsford Disaster Relief Fund

What they are doing: This brand-new fund was established to “support front-line agencies providing essential services to affected families and businesses.” It’s a collaboration between the Abbotsford Community Foundation, Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce and University of the Fraser Valley.

How to donate: abbotsfordcf.org

BC SPCA

What they are doing: Boarding for pets of evacuees in Kamloops and providing pet supplies and food for owners and pets who have been displaced by the floods.

How to donate: spca.bc.ca

Canadian Red Cross

What they are doing: The Canadian Red Cross is working to get help to people in and around affected areas as quickly as possible and provide humanitarian assistance for new needs as they arise. Money raised will enable the Red Cross to carry out relief, recovery, resiliency and risk reduction activities in and beyond the region at the individual and community levels.

How to donate: https://donate.redcross.ca/page/94172/donate/1?locale=en-CA

GoFundMe

What they are doing: There’s a verified page of fundraisers on the website now, including supporting people who are stranded, pet sanctuaries, farmers markets and family homes that have been destroyed.

How to donate: https://www.gofundme.com/en-ca/c/act/bc-flooding

Migrant Rights Network

What they are doing: Providing aid, housing and support to the approximately 700 migrant workers from Guatemala, Mexico, Jamaica and the Philippines that have been displaced by the floods inundating the province.

How to donate: https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/support-migrant-farmworkers-displaced-by-bc-floods/

2021 Bencher Candidate Statements on Diversity and Equity

November 8, 2021

An election is being held for Benchers of the Law Society of British Columbia in all districts for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2022 and ending December 31, 2023. Voting instructions and voter credentials were sent to eligible voters on November 1, 2021. Candidate biographies and election statements can be viewed here and are also posted on the online voting site.

Given that part of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (British Columbia) Society’s mandate is to promote equity and opportunity, we wrote to the Bencher candidates requesting that they provide us with a statement that answers the following questions:

1) Why is equity and diversity important to you? 

2) If elected, what steps will you take to improve equity and diversity within the BC Bar?

3) What accountability measures (e.g. monitoring and reporting) will you use to ensure progress on your commitments?

Please find the statements we received here. 

The views expressed are those of the candidates and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FACL BC.

Update (November 9, 2021):

On November 8, FACL BC distributed statements on diversity and equity from candidates in the ongoing Bencher election. Unfortunately, some candidates sent statements to us but we did not receive them due to a technical issue with our mail server. In particular, Cheryl D'Sa; Brook Greenberg, Q.C.; and Kevin Westell submitted statements to us but we did not receive them due to a technical error. We sincerely apologize for any issues caused by this error. We have now updated the document to include all statements that we are aware of.

We are currently in the process of reaching out to the other candidates to determine whether they sent us such a statement and will update the document tomorrow with all of the statements we received.

Update (November 10, 2021):

On November 8, FACL BC distributed statements on diversity and equity from candidates in the ongoing Bencher election. Unfortunately, some candidates sent statements to us but we did not receive them due to a technical issue with our mail server. In particular, Kim Carter; Tanya Chamberlain; Cheryl D’Sa; Brian Dybwad; Brook Greenberg, Q.C.; Doug Lester, Q.C.; Steven McKoen, Q.C.; Julian Porritt; and Kevin Westell submitted statements to us but we did not receive them due to a technical error. We sincerely apologize for any issues caused by this error. In addition, Lynett Jung did not receive our initial email because it went to her spam folder.

We have now updated the document on our website to include all statements that we are aware of.

FACL BC’s “Next 10 Years” Student Scholarships 2021

Amount: $1000 each

Deadline: Monday November 15, 2021 at 5:00 PM (Pacific Time).   

Please note that the deadline has now passed.   We thank you for your applications to our scholarship.

FACL BC Student Scholarships recognize current law students enrolled in a law school in British Columbia who demonstrate a keen interest in and willingness to contribute to the British Columbian pan-Asian Canadian legal community. This year is special as it marks FACL BC’s 10th anniversary. Five $1000 scholarships will be awarded. Consideration will be given to applicants’ leadership and community involvement, and financial need.

Requirements:

• Self-identify as of pan-Asian descent (South Asian, Southeast Asian, East Asian, Central/West Asian)
• Demonstrated past, current and/or future involvement in promoting equity, justice and opportunity for pan-Asian Canadian legal professions and/or the wider community in British Columbia
• Enrolled in a law school in British Columbia
• FACL BC member (membership is FREE for students - sign-up here)
• Available to attend the scholarship presentation on Friday November 26, 2021 at 5:00 PM over Zoom (Pacific Time)

Note: Current and former student directors are not eligible to apply.

Selection process:

• Each application that meets the requirements set out above will be reviewed by current FACL BC Executive Board Members
• FACL BC exercises sole and absolute discretion to determine scholarship eligibility and recipients
• FACL BC’s decisions are final and application materials will not be returned
• Recipients will be notified of FACL BC’s decision the week of November 22nd, and the scholarships will be presented at FACL BC’s Virtual Conference on Friday November 26, 2021 (Tickets are complimentary)

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Thank you to our sponsors that made FACL BC’s “Next 10 Years” Scholarship Fund possible:

FACL BC Statement on Resolutions 1 and 2 of the Law Society of BC 2021 AGM 

October 4, 2021

In December 2020, the BC Supreme Court and BC Provincial Court introduced practice directives instructing counsel and parties to introduce individuals by indicating their name, title, and pronouns. We posted an educational resource about this practice: https://faclbc.ca/news/10416646. FACL BC applauded the introduction of these practice directives that aim to make courtrooms more inclusive of transgender, non-binary, and other gender diverse people.

The Law Society of BC’s 2021 Annual General Meeting will be held on October 5, 2021. Members can vote on resolutions during the meeting or through advance online voting (open until 5:00 pm on October 4, 2021). Visit the Law Society of BC’s website for more information about voting and the resolutions.¹

FACL BC encourages our members to vote against Resolution 1. Resolution 1 proposes that the Law Society commit to “rational and unfettered discourse” on issues relating to the court pronoun practice directives. As the preamble makes clear, Resolution 1 places itself in opposition to these practice directives.

In our view, Resolution 1 seeks to undermine an initiative directed at increasing inclusivity for marginalized people and it therefore conflicts with our mission to promote equity, justice, and opportunity among legal professionals and the broader community.

For more information about Resolution 1 and why FACL BC opposes it, please see the Legal Equity and Diversity Roundtable (LEADR) statement, which FACL BC endorsed,² and the statement by the Canadian Bar Association, British Columbia Branch (CBABC).³

We also encourage our members to vote in support of Resolution 2, which proposes a number of changes to the Member Portal and Lawyer Directory on the Law Society website, including: to allow members to list their pronouns and forms of address; to include technical support for Unicode characters, to allow members from diverse communities to also list their traditional names; to include support for audio pronunciation guides for non-English names; and to include an easy way for members to change their names on the directory to prevent deadnaming.

In our view, Resolution 2 aims to increase inclusivity of people with non-English names, and transgender, non-binary, and other gender diverse people, which is consistent with our mission.

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¹ Voting: https://www.lawsociety.bc.ca/about-us/news-and-publications/news/2021/2021-annual-general-meeting-online-voting-and-regi/. Resolutions 1 and 2: https://www.lawsociety.bc.ca/about-us/news-and-publications/news/2021/2021-annual-general-meeting-%E2%80%93%C2%A0second-notice/
² https://www.linkedin.com/posts/legal-equity-and-diversity-roundtable_statement-against-resolution-1-at-the-2021-activity-6849356773745401856-c9Qk

³ https://www.cbabc.org/News-Media/Announcements/2021/Message-to-CBABC-Members-Law-Society-of-BC-Resolu