The Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers held its third annual conference and banquet on Saturday, November 7, 2009. Over 150 legal professionals and law students gathered to discuss and learn about issues facing the South Asian, Southeast Asian and East Asian communities, and new legal developments. It was the largest and most successful conference to date with media coverage from the Law Times and Fairchild Television.

Attendees had the opportunity to hear the Honourable Frank Iacobucci, former Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, share his personal experiences with diversity and speak passionately about his involvement with the Indian Residential School resolution process.

The conference also featured the following distinguished panelists:

• The Honourable Russell Juriansz (Court of Appeal of Ontario);
• The Honourable Shaun Nakatsuru (Ontario Court of Justice);
• The Honourable Manjusha Pawagi (Ontario Court of Justice);
• Anita Anand (Associate Professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law);
• Kathy Laird (Executive Director of the Human Rights Legal Support Centre); and
• Rosalyn Tsao (Partner at Epstein Cole LLP)

The banquet was held at Dynasty Chinese Cuisine where a number of legal professionals and law students had an opportunity to mingle and share ideas.

FACL would like to thank the following organizations for generously sponsoring this year’s event:

• Bennett Gastle Professional Corporation (Gold Sponsor)
• Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP (Gold Sponsor)
• Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (Silver Sponsor)
• Cavalluzzo Hayes Shilton McIntyre & Cornish LLP (Silver Sponsor)
• Heenan Blaikie LLP (Silver Sponsor)
• MacDonald & Partners LLP (Silver Sponsor)
• McMillan LLP (Bronze Sponsor)
• Mushtaq Law (Bronze Sponsor)
• Sack Goldblatt Mitchell LLP (Bronze Sponsor)
• Stikeman Elliott LLP (Bronze Sponsor)

For a summary of this year’s Conference and Banquet, please see: Strength in Diversity

For the 2008 FACL Conference and Banquet webpage and a summary of the event, please click here.

FACL’s fourth annual conference and banquet will take place in Fall 2010.