Spotlight: Julian Ho

Julian Ho is the Director of Legal Affairs and Intellectual Property at Clarius Mobile Health and was a past board member.

1. What is something that not many people know about you?

I lost a lot of weight once, like 60 pounds. It was a gradual process over several years, where I improved my relationship with food and exercise. Fortunately, I’ve generally been able to keep it off.

2. How did you first get involved with FACL BC?

I was attending law school in Toronto when FACL began in 2008, before the BC chapter started. I attended the FACL Ontario conferences throughout my years as an associate on Bay Street, and appreciated the perspectives I learned about diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. FACL helped me understand the unconscious biases I faced, and that I myself held. It was inspiring to see individuals who looked like me and had similar upbringings hold senior positions in the legal field. When I moved back to Vancouver in 2016, I naturally wanted to get involved with FACL BC.

3. What has been your favourite FACL event or initiative so far?

I appreciate FACL’s advocacy efforts. During my tenure as a FACL BC Board member, I helped coordinate activities that furthered the dialogue on issues of diversity on the Bench and at the Law Society. These are important issues. Change is happening, but it takes time and it’s encouraging to see this work continue. I’ve also been impressed with how the FACL BC leadership has been able to pivot during the pandemic. Out of the gate, FACL BC recognized the challenges the pandemic presented with in-person gatherings, but astutely also saw opportunity to build connection with individuals who may not otherwise have availability. The breadth and frequency of the programming from a volunteer-run organization such as FACL BC is incredible.

4. What advice would you give yourself if you were to go back in time?

Take more time to reflect. Life can feel like an endless barrage of tasks, whether they are files at work or responsibilities in your personal life. It’s important to occasionally check in with yourself to see if the path you’re on is still the right one, and course correct if not.