President’s Message – Alexis Eun Young Choi
It is an incredible honour to continue serving as President of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (FACL) Ontario as we celebrate 20 years of our organization. For two decades, FACL Ontario has built a community where Asian Canadian legal professionals can find belonging, opportunities, and mentorship. I am deeply grateful to the generations of leaders, volunteers, and supporters who have helped FACL grow into a vibrant network committed to promoting equity, justice, and opportunities for Asian Canadian legal professionals and the broader community.
Over the past year, I have seen firsthand how much FACL Ontario can accomplish through the indomitable commitment of our members and volunteers. FACL Ontario increased its membership by 19 per cent, delivered 18 events, and engaged more than 150 committee members and volunteers. We hosted our largest Annual Conference and Gala by welcoming over 1,000 attendees and achieved record sponsorship support. We also expanded opportunities for connection and leadership through new initiatives, including the launch of the In-House Subcommittee and new programming for our mid-level and senior members.
Advocacy remained central to our work. We issued statements on important legal and community issues, participated in the Law Society of Ontario’s governance consultation, and intervened before the Supreme Court of Canada in the Bill 21 challenge. We also continued to strengthen our relationships with the judiciary, other legal associations, and community organizations.
This term will be particularly meaningful as we celebrate our 20th Annual Conference and Gala. This milestone provides an opportunity to recognize those who built FACL and to consider what we want to accomplish over the next twenty years. Our first twenty years were about building community and our next twenty years must also be about building influence and impact.
As a first-generation lawyer, I know firsthand that a sense of belonging and mentorship that I found at FACL Ontario can make a lasting difference in one’s career. Our responsibility now is to ensure that our members are supported in pursuing opportunities, have a meaningful voice in decisions, and thrive in the legal profession and the broader community. This means developing leaders who will shape their organizations, the legal profession, and the justice system, as we continue to use our collective voice to advance meaningful change.
Looking ahead, we will expand mentorship and leadership development opportunities, deliver programming that reflects the needs of members at different career stages, and deepen our partnerships with other organizations. We will continue to improve our advocacy, governance, and operations, so that FACL remains an impactful and sustainable organization for years to come.
FACL is a volunteer-driven, pan-Asian, non-profit organization and I warmly invite you and your friends to join our community at https://on.facl.ca/become-a-member/ as Full or Student Members. Together, we can continue to strengthen our community, empower one another, and eliminate barriers for future generations.
Thank you for the continued privilege of serving as your President. I look forward to celebrating twenty years of community building and to laying the foundation for the next twenty years with you.
Alexis Eun Young Choi
President