Candidate for Director:
Melani G. Tiongson
To the FBANC Community:
Thank you for having me as your Legal Clinics Director for the past year. It has been an amazing experience that has emboldened me to serve and honor our community in novel and creative ways. When I began my role, I set out to strengthen community connections as well as establish new ties to local organizations. Together with my co-director, Chloe, we executed FBANC’s first legal clinic in partnership with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area. We also organized our first Volunteer Appreciation Event during the 2021 Homecoming Party, where we highlighted the efforts of our volunteers and honored those who have helped support the local Filipinx community during the global pandemic. However, there is still much to do, and many to honor and serve.
If I am re-elected as Legal Clinics Director, I will continue to work with the Bay Area legal nonprofit community to provide services to the underserved. In particular, I hope to extend our legal clinic offerings to Filipinx communities in legal deserts where it is hard to find an attorney, let alone pro bono services. I also aim to increase accessibility of our clinics through in-person, virtual, and hybrid clinic structures. Finally, I will continue improving our mentorship and training opportunities to our law students and community members through our clinics. It has been an honor to guide our volunteers through the process of providing legal services, and I have learned as much from our volunteers as I hope they have from participating in our clinics.
FBANC has been an integral part of my career development ever since I was a first-year law student. Now as an attorney, I look forward to giving back to the community that has given me so much over the years. To me, I can think of no better way to give my thanks and show my appreciation than by continuing to serve on the FBANC board this coming year. I would also like to once again give my thanks to each and every FBANC member who mentored me and helped me get to where I am today. Without you, I would not have developed the confidence to finish law school, pass the California Bar Exam, and become an attorney. I promise to perform to the best of my ability if I am re-elected as a Legal Clinics Director, and to continue walking on the path of service and accessibility that countless others have paved for me over the years.
Sincerely,
Melani G. Tiongson