Melanie Yabut Violan is an Associate Attorney at Candelaria LLP, where she assists both the Family Law and Trusts and Estates practices. A first-generation lawyer, Melanie graduated from U.C. Berkeley with a Bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies and earned her J.D. from John F. Kennedy University College of Law, where she was a Dean’s List and Honors student. During law school, she was active in the Law School Association, received Witkin Awards for Professional Responsibility, Criminal Law, and Constitutional Law, and earned a Public Interest Certificate. She was also awarded the Honorable Patricia Herron and Honorable Ellen James Scholarship by the CCCBA Women’s Section for her academic excellence and community work. Melanie has been consistently recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in Family Law and Estate Planning, a distinction held by only the top 2.5% of attorneys in California. She is highly involved in local and affinity bar associations, including the CCCBA, the Alameda County Bar Association (ACBA), the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Solano County (APABA), and FBANC.

Within FBANC, Melanie served as the 2024-2025 Legal Clinics Co-Director and Women’s Committee Co-Chair. For the 2025-2026 term, she served as the Membership Director and Women’s Committee Co-Chair. Additionally, she serves as a Board Member for Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Solano County (APABA).

Melanie is dedicated to increasing diversity within the profession through speaking engagements and mentoring undergraduate and law students. She values the community within FBANC and believes it is the ideal environment for connecting with legal professionals who feel like family.