Message from FBANC President Raymond R. Rollan
June 1, 2023
To my beloved FBANC community,
As we close Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and welcome Pride Month, I hope you all find the time to celebrate life and everything that makes us unique and powerful. In nearing the conclusion of my term as FBANC President, I reflect fondly on the past year and all that the FBANC Board accomplished despite the tremendous challenges presented by a post-COVID world. As FBANC’s first LGBTQ+ President in its 42-year history, I am particularly proud of the mindfulness, creativity, and empathy with which the FBANC Board approached this year’s agenda, with the goal of making FBANC, and the legal community, more inclusive.
Sadly, as we speak, the rights of marginalized and underrepresented communities, especially those of Black and Brown LGBTQ+ individuals, are under vicious and unrelenting assault. In moments like these, I implore you to find strength and solace in the community we have built with FBANC. This year’s theme “FBANC for All” served not only as a reminder to embrace authenticity and uplift our diverse identities, it also served as a challenge to think critically about how we can use our privilege as lawyers and legal professionals to center the needs of the most marginalized in our community. It was a call to action to be more cognizant of the impact of our actions, to be more deliberate about our choices, and to be more intentional in the ways we show up in the spaces we occupy. “FBANC for All” recognized the integral role that coalition building, compassionate leadership, and courageous advocacy play in the movement towards collective liberation - of making the world more equitable, just, and safe for all.
The FBANC 42 Board took this vision to heart without reservation, in turn producing programming that was impactful, thoughtful, and innovative. For that, I am eternally grateful. Please view the tremendous work of the FBANC 42 Board below.
This past year, we brought our families together during our annual picnic, holiday party, and FBANC advisory board meet and greet at the Oakland A’s stadium. We also hosted an exhilarating basketball game at Chase Center, featuring our very own FBANC members.
FBANC sustained and strengthened its mentorship program and organized an impactful in person Komunidad Conference that centered around mental health, financial planning, and effective networking. FBANC also launched the Bayanihan Stipend – a means to provide further support to law students experiencing financial hardship.
Centering the “FBANC for All” theme, FBANC’s Night with Fil-Am Lawyers focused on intersectionality. FBANC also reimagined its Night with Fil-Am Judges, hosting an intimate conversation with FBANC judges and leaders at Abaca.
FBANC further deepened its relationship with community partners and sister bar associations. FBANC hosted a community outreach event centered on coalition building and reflection. In collaboration with Sacramento Filipino American Lawyers Association, FBANC organized an event which celebrated the “California Is in the Heart” exhibit at the State Capitol. FBANC also assisted with the planning of San Francisco’s Filipino American History Month Celebration and marched at the Pistahan Parade. For the first time, FBANC hosted a legal clinic on estate planning that was catered specifically to LGBTQ+ and AAPI community members.
FBANC also advocated – we issued statements on LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, and free speech. In collaboration with the Philippine American Bar Association, Filipino American Lawyers of Orange County, Filipino American Lawyers of San Diego, and Sacramento Filipino American Lawyers, FBANC issued a powerful statement on gun violence following the mass shootings in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay.
Importantly, FBANC celebrated the many accomplishments of its members, including judicial appointments, bar association awards, appointments, and promotions.
The FBANC Foundation accomplished the following:
Through the generosity of FBANC Past President Ernie Llorente and his wife, Mila Llorente, FBANC will be launching the Ernie and Mila Lllorente Scholarship ($2500), which will be awarded to a law student who has demonstrated a commitment to serve a public agency in San Francisco;
Through the generosity of FBANC lifetime member Charles and Melita Jung, FBANC will be raising its Charles and Melita Jung Charitable Trust Public Interest Scholarship to $5,000.
Through the generosity of FBANC Advisory Board member Ted Borromeo, FBANC will be increasing its Ted Borromeo Scholarship to $3,500.
FBANC also renamed its FBANC Legal Scholarship to the Honorable Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil Sakauye Scholarship.
Finally, FBANC sustained the FBANC Directory and engaged in implementing its Five Year Strategic Plan, both of which were launched last year.
The FBANC Directory: Through the continued leadership of FBANC Membership Directors Bonifacio Sison and Jerel Agatep, the public can now search for FBANC attorneys specializing in distinct practice areas. If you are a paid member and would like to be added to the directory, please email membership@fbanc.org for more information. Click below to view the Directory.
FBANC’s Five-Year Strategic Plan (2022-2027): On May 9, 2022, FBANC approved its Five-Year Strategic Plan. The Plan underscores the fundamental mission of the organization and defines its evolving scope, capabilities, and potential. The Plan is built upon five pillars: (1) Professional Development; (2) Education; (3) Service to the Community; (4) Advocacy; and (5) Organizational Excellence. The Plan will serve as the blueprint for FBANC and its role in the community over the coming years. Executive Board Members Jennifer Sta.Ana, Raymond Rollan, Nelson Pineda Lam, Leoangelo Cristobal, and Advisory Board Members Marc Pilotin and Mari Bandoma Callado worked together over the FBANC 41 term to instill lessons of leadership into this guiding document. Click below to read the Strategic Plan.
This Pride Month, I invite you all to stand in solidarity and community at FBANC’s 43rd Gala: Be The Change (fbanc.org/fbanc-43-gala). Under the leadership of incoming President Nelson Pineda Lam, I am confident that FBANC will move forward with purpose, empathy, and courage. Please remember to claim your spot at the gala by today’s end.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for the trust you placed in me to lead this amazing organization.
Lubos na sumasainyo (very truly yours),
Raymond R. Rollan
FBANC President
raymondrollan@fbanc.org
fbanc.org/fbanc-42
