The Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers BC’s Advocacy Committee is dedicated to carrying out FACL BC’s mandate to promote equity, justice, and opportunity for Asian Canadian legal professionals and the wider community. 

We recognize that there are intersections between Asian communities and many equity-seeking groups. We aim to address intersecting forms of oppression and work in solidarity with other equity-seeking groups and organizations that align with our mandate.

Contact

Email: advocacy@faclbc.ca

Committee Chair: David How

Vice President (External): Mark Iyengar

Collaboration and Consultation

We aim to connect and collaborate with others who align with our mandate. If your organization or group would like to connect with us to consult or explore opportunities for collaboration, please contact us at advocacy@faclbc.ca.

Political Engagement

Political engagement is a part of our advocacy work. We have engaged with ministers and other government officials to discuss issues impacting the Asian-Canadian legal community and the wider community. We also engage with stakeholders and ministers on a provincial level to address issues related to systemic racism.

Events

The Advocacy Committee hosts a variety of informative and interactive events. Our events provide forums for public dialogue on topics related to equity and justice. Through events, we engage with the legal community and stakeholders in community and government.

Some of our recent online events:

• LGBTQIA+ Asian Lawyers Panel

• Navigating Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: The Power to Create Boundaries

• Supportive Relationships Dialogue Series: Current Strategies for Fostering Reconciliation & Dismantling Colonial Approaches, presented by the CBABC in partnership with the University of British Columbia Peter A. Allard School of Law - Indigenous Legal Studies and FACL BC

• Trauma-Informed Lawyering with Myrna McCallum: Working with Asian Communities

• BIPOC Women in Law: Navigating Race, Gender and Equity in the Legal Profession

• BC Elections Panel

Resources

We create educational content, including resource guides:

• BC Courts’ Pronouns Practice Directives: What You Need to Know 

• Anti-Asian Racism and Hate Incidents Resource List 

• Amplifying Asian Women in Law: A FACL BC International Women’s Day Resource List & Instagram post 

• Do you know whose land you are on? A FACL BC Resource List & Instagram post 

• FACL BC Resource List for Black History Month & Instagram post

• Resource List to Support Black Communities

Written Advocacy

FACL BC publishes statements in response to events and issues.  

• FACL BC Statement on the Anti-Asian Fatal Shootings in Georgia, USA

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

• Statement on the Government of Canada's Fall Economic Statement

• FACL BC Statement on the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

• FACL BC Statement on Anti-Black Racism and Recent Events in Canada and the US

We also sign onto statements and letters that further our mandate. 

To view a full list of our statements, click here.

Documentary

The Advocacy Committee is involved in creating FACL BC’s documentary, But I Look Like a Lawyer, which is about discrimination, stereotyping and bias experienced by members of the Pan-Asian legal community. Visit https://faclbc.ca/documentary to learn more.