Candidate for FBANC President-Elect:
Raymond Rollan
Serving on the FBANC board for the past six years has been one of the highlights of my legal career. As a queer first generation college graduate, I never met a Filipino lawyer until I went to law school, when I attended the annual FBANC picnic. The rest is history. Since being on the board, I have had the privilege of working alongside extremely intelligent, kind, and thoughtful attorneys who continuously strive to uphold FBANC’s mission of supporting the education, professional development, advocacy, growth, and community involvement of Filipinx American lawyers and law students in the Bay Area. FBANC is truly an organization unlike any other; it recognizes that commitment to community is closely tied to respect for our history, shared struggles and achievements, and interpersonal relationships developed throughout the years. These reasons, and many more, make me proud to announce my candidacy as President-Elect of this amazing organization that I have to consider as family.
Serving this past year as FBANC’s Vice President, I worked with FBANC’s executive board to ensure that we responded to the challenges raised by the pandemic, including successfully transitioning to a remote environment. I worked alongside President Mari Bandoma Callado and President-Elect Jennifer Sta. Ana to ensure our board members and committees had the support and resources they needed in order to organize meaningful events for our members and the community. I also served as Co-Chair of the Awards and Endorsements and Judiciary Committees. In these roles, I ensured that FBANC remained objective by adhering to our established protocols and procedures.
The year prior, I served as FBANC Treasurer where I performed the following: (1) managed the organization’s day-to-day finances and resources, and regularly reported our financial health to the FBANC Board, (2) actively monitored expenditures to ensure compliance with a balanced budget, and (3) ensured timely compliance with all necessary governmental filings.
I have also had the privilege of serving as Chair of FBANC’s LGBTQ Committee, a position I have held for the past seven years. In this capacity, I have had the opportunity to establish meaningful relationships between FBANC, Bay Area Lawyers of Individual Freedom (BALIF), Asian American Bar Association of Northern California (AABA), National Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), and National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA) where I also serve as LGBTQ Network Co-Chair. In the past, I organized an annual Spring Diversity Mixer, which was co-hosted by over eight affinity bar associations. Last year, I worked with the BALIF Foundation to establish the FBANC/BALIF “Pamilya” Joint Scholarship, which is the first scholarship of its kind in the nation awarded to a Filipinx law student who has demonstrated a commitment to the Filipinx and LGBTQ communities.
Perhaps one of my proudest accomplishments with FBANC is establishing the Komunidad conference – the first conference in the country dedicated to the professional development of Filipinx and Filipinx American law students. FBANC held the inaugural event in person at UC Hastings Law School in February 2020, and transitioned to a virtual conference in August 2020. FBANC also hosted Komunidad Express in December 2020, which provided law students the opportunity to participate in one-on-one resume review and mock interviews.
This past February, I organized virtual Komunidad – Pagdiriwang (Celebration) alongside FBANC Membership Co-Director Maribeth Charvet. The conference, which centered on themes of celebration and resilience, consisted of three panels on interviewing for success, standing out as a law student and associate, and mentorship, It also featured a keynote remark from former McKesson Associate General Counsel Ted Borromeo and a fireside chat between President Callado and Judge Audra Ibarra. Due to the virtual nature of the conference, students who attend law schools outside the Bay Area were able to participate.
Throughout my service on the FBANC board, what has impressed me the most is witnessing the dedication and commitment that FBANC attorneys have to serving our community. Despite the growth of the organization, FBANC has maintained a strong sense of family, and it is this trait that truly distinguishes FBANC from other professional groups.
If elected as President-Elect, some my main goals are as follows:
Maintain and Strengthen Community Relationships:
FBANC has strong community ties with non-profit organizations and other affinity bar associations. As President-Elect my goal is to strengthen these relationships by continuing to support existing partnerships and identifying new opportunities for collaboration, such as co-hosted events and panels, additional legal clinics, or scholarships.
Continue to Build Pipelines of Leadership:
As President-Elect, I will ensure that programming like the Komunidad conference, continues to thrive and grow. I aim to further bolster FBANC’s scholarship program and identify new ways to assist law students in their careers. Another goal is to establish a pipeline to leadership program that will provide an opportunity to members interested in joining the board a path to serve.
Empower Board Members and Committees:
I will also work diligently to ensure our board members and committees have the support and resources they need in order to organize meaningful events for our members and the community. Additionally, I intend to work on programming that raises the profile and visibility of our board members, committee members, advisory board members, and general members.
Amplify FBANC’s Presence in Community:
FBANC’s community presence is undeniably strong. I will work to ensure that we continue to amplify FBANC’s impact in the community and identify new opportunities to generate impact.
The global pandemic has put front and center the various inequities and injustices that exist in our society. It is imperative that those with privilege and power lead with humility, empathy, and respect, and help the most marginalized. FBANC, a pioneer with its COVID-19 free legal clinic and COVID-19 stipends, is well-positioned to continue serving the community in meaningful ways. As we recover from this crisis, I look forward to working with FBANC to further improve the programs we deliver to our members and increase the contributions we make to our community. I would be honored to have your support.