Archived Newsletters

March 2011

FACL Annual General Meeting
Our AGM will be held on Saturday, April 16, 2011, at 10 Old York Mills Rd. (condo party room) in Toronto. There will be a potluck lunch from 12:30PM to 2:00PM, with official business beginning at 2:00PM. This meeting is open to members, as well as persons who may be interested in joining FACL, so we encourage you to invite your friends and colleagues. For those who wish to become more directly involved with and to take a leadership role in our organization, we encourage you to consider running for one of the 12 seats on the Board (10 for full members and 2 for student members) that will become open. More details regarding the Board elections and eligibility to run/vote will be provided in subsequent newsletters.

LSUC Bencher Elections
Licensed FACL members are encouraged to actively participate in the upcoming bencher elections. The deadline for voting is April 29, 2011 at 5:00 pm. We will be circulating in a separate communication the profiles of FACL members who are running for bencher.   FACL is also coordinating with other lawyer organizations representing equity-seeking groups to host a "meet and greet" session with candidates -- details will be provided in subsequent newsletters. For general information about the elections, visit http://www.lsuc.on.ca/bencher_election, or contact the LSUC's Office of the Elections Officer at 416-947-3404 / 1-877-947-3404 or by e-mail: bencherelection@lsuc.on.ca.

Nuts & Bolts Seminar
FACL and the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers will be co-hosting a seminar on March 3, 2011, at 4:30PM, to be held at the Toronto offices of McCarthy Tetrault LLP. Panel speakers from large and small firms, government, and in-house counsel will discuss their experiences and provide advice about the different application processes. Please see the attached flyer or visit our student page for further details.

CLE Seminar - Joint Ventures in Asia
The OBA and Inter-Pacific Bar Association will be hosting a complimentary reception and panel discussion  on March 3, 2011  at the Toronto offices of Stikeman Elliott LLP. While the discussion will focus on Japan-Canada transactions, lawyers and others with a broader Asia-Pacific interest will find it informative. For more information, please visit http://lists.oba.org/t/17319/1012385/6680/0/ and/or contact William A. Scott.

SPINLAW 2011
he Student Public Interest Network Legal Action Workshop (SPINLAW) brings students, practitioners, academics and activists from across the country together to discuss and present developments in legal public interest issues. This year's conference, titled "Canada 2020: The Future of Public Interest Law" will be held on Saturday, March 12, 2011 at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. Panel topics will include, inter alia, "Constitutional Rights and the G20 Protests in Toronto", "Litigation Strategies and Social Justice", and "Environmental Law and Activism". Registration is free, and breakfast, lunch and refreshments will be served. For registration and other details, please visit spinlaw.ca.

LSUC Reception / Website Launch Event
FACL members are invited to a reception / event on March 29, 2011, titled "Road to Justice", co-hosted by the Metro Toronto Chinese & Southeast Asian Legal Clinic, to commemorate and increase awareness about the historical injustices in the form of legislated discrimination imposed by Canadian governments on people of Chinese descent in Canada. For more details, please visit: http://ecom.lsuc.on.ca/equity/EQU11-0030401.jsp The Public Education Equality and Rule of Law Series is produced by the Law Society in collaboration with legal organizations, diverse community groups, schools and governments to promote awareness, education and discussion among members of the public and the legal profession on the challenges and opportunities for Francophone, Aboriginal, and equality-seeking communities in law and the legal profession.

NAPABA 2011 NORTHEAST REGIONAL CONFERENCE NORTHEAST REGIONAL CONFERENCE
The Connecticut Asian Pacific American Bar Association (CAPABA) will be hosting the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) 2011 Northeast Regional Conference in Stamford, Connecticut, on June 3-4, 2011. Please see the attached brochure for information about the Conference's activities, events, and CLE programs, as well as registration information. Registration is also available online at the newly redesigned CAPABA website at www.capaba.org. NAPABA is a non-profit, non-partisan organization and the only national organization representing the interests of APA lawyers, judges and law students, as well as the larger APA community. NAPABA represents over 40,000 APA lawyers in the U.S. FACL is a Canadian affiliate of NAPABA; membership in FACL automatically entitles you to membership in NAPABA.

Ontario Court of Justice
Judicial Vacancy in Cornwall The Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee, which advises the Attorney General of Ontario on the appointment of Judges to the Ontario Court of Justice, invites applications for a bilingual judicial position in Cornwall. The application deadline is March 11, 2011. Further details are available in the attached flyers. In light of our mission to promote equity, justice, and opportunity for Asian Canadian legal professionals, FACL would be pleased to consider providing a letter of support for qualified members who wish to apply. You may send a confidential e-mail to this address if you wish to discuss your application with us.

Career Opportunity
Parkdale Community Legal Services PCLS is looking for a skilled and experienced lawyer to supervise students in case work and to work for positive social change in the areas of employment standards and non-unionized workers’ rights. Membership in the LSUC and experience in litigation, the relevant areas of law, and an orientation to social justice is required. Demonstrable skills in mentoring and/or teaching are also required. The position is permanent and full-time, but senior applicants interested in secondment or sabbatical arrangements will also be considered. You may send your letter of application and CV and/or direct questions to Nancy Henderson, Clinic Director: hendersn@lao.on.ca. PCLS is one of Legal Aid Ontario’s network of community legal clinics and provides free legal advice, assistance, and representation to low-income residents living in the Parkdale and Swansea area.

Canadian Immigrant Magazine
Top 25 Canadian Immigrants of 2011 FACL is proud to announce that Board member Immanuel Lanzaderas is one of 75 finalists for Canada's Top 25 Canadian Immigrants Awards, as presented by RBC and Canadian Immigrant Magazine, an online and print resource dedicated to helping Canadian immigrants settle in Canada successfully. These Awards celebrate the achievements and contributions of immigrants to Canada and are voted on by Canadians across the country. Last year's winners include Olympic champion Donovan Bailey, VANOC chief John Furlong, and CBC's Ian Hanomansing. Immanuel's work with the student clubs at the University of Toronto and Queen's University Faculty of Law, his volunteer efforts with Legal Aid, his church, and in the larger community, and his tireless dedication to FACL demonstrates his commitment to social justice and equity for all Canadians. In order to be chosen as one of the Top 25 Canadian Immigrants for 2011, we ask you to support Immanuel and vote online http://www.canadianimmigrant.ca/top25 (search under "L" for "Lanzaderas").