Thank you for visiting the website of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (“FACL”). In 2007, FACL was founded in Toronto by a small group of Asian Canadian legal professionals. Our founding members were united by a common interest in promoting equity, justice and opportunity for Asian Canadians in both the legal profession and the wider community. Our founding members also recognized the need to cultivate and advance advocacy, community involvement, and professional development by Asian Canadian legal professionals.

In a very short time, FACL has come a long way. We have become an affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association ("NAPABA"), an organization of over 40,000 attorneys across the United States and elsewhere. Our most recent annual conference in 2009 brought together about 200 legal professionals to discuss a wide variety of issues affecting the Asian Canadian community. We have also held several social networking functions and established a mentoring program for law students and lawyers who are just starting their legal careers.

2010 promises to be another great year for FACL. On April 24, we will be holding our first gala dinner, where the former Governor General of Canada, the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, will be our keynote speaker, and we will be honouring one of FACL’s founding members, Justice Maryka Omatsu, for her lifetime of public service. On May 10, we will be celebrating Asian and South Asian Heritage Month by holding a joint event with the Law Society of Upper Canada (“LSUC”), the South Asian Bar Association (“SABA”), the Metro Toronto Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic (“MTCSALC”) and the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (“SALCO”). And of course, we will be holding our fourth annual conference this fall. I invite you to not only join FACL, but to also come to our events, participate in one of our committees and be a part of our growth. I look forward to meeting you in the near future.

FACL President Jason Leung

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