Professional Development

The Professional Development Committee creates and organizes professional development programming beneficial to FBANC attorneys and law student members. FBANC is a MCLE provider in California.

Professional Development

Committee Info

2024-2025 Committee Chairs: Armbien Sabillo and Mika Domingo

Committee members:

  • Danielle Ocampo

  • Leoangelo Cristobal

  • Vannalee Cayabyab

Past Professional Development Events

Evening with Fil-Am Judges

An Evening with Fil-Am Judges is an in-person FBANC professional development event. As in years past, we will celebrate our community’s judges and judicial officers. Our program this year:

  • Location: Abacá, a modern Filipino American restaurant near Fisherman’s Wharf in SF (2700 Jones St, San Francisco, CA 94133).

  • Date/Time: Tuesday, April 11, 2023, from 6:00pm to 8:45pm.

  • Cocktail Mixer

    • 6:00 - 6:45pm

  • Discussion moderated by Ruthe Catolico Ashley, Esq.

    • 6:45 - 7:30pm

    • Ruthe will lead a discussion about finding a way to the bench with the following panelists

      • Hon. Ronald Quidachay (SF Superior Court, ret.), one of our most tenured judges

      • Hon. Christine Gonong (LA Superior Court), one of the newest judicial officers in our community

      • David Mesa, Esq., a prominent advocate for the appointment of new Fil-Am judges

      • More details on our panelists are below

      • MCLE Credit: 0.75 — PENDING

  • Dinner

    • 7:30 - 8:45pm

    • Abacá features Fil-Am cuisine. The New York Times says Abacá “make[s] every dinner feel like a party, complete with pancit and lumpia, habit-forming barbecue sticks of beef tongue and homemade longanisa, and a series of platitos that change in step with Northern California’s seasonal seafood and produce.”

Attendance at this event is free of cost and is limited to members of FBANC. For info on how to become an FBANC member, please click here.

Featured Speakers:

  • Hon. Ronald Quidachay

    The Hon. Ron Quidachay was the first judge of Filipino descent to be appointed in Northern California. He has served our community for more than 40 years, as a Superior Court Judge, Municipal Court Judge, Traffic Court Commissioner, including terms as the Presiding Judge of the Superior and Municipal Courts. Today, he serves as a Visiting Superior Court Judge following his retirement in 2018.

  • Hon. Christine Gonong

    The Hon. Christine Gonong was elected to the LA Superior Court as a Commissioner in 2022. Her FBANC roots are strong: she was the first recipient of the Raymond L. Ocampo Scholarship and obtained her J.D. at UC Hastings. She has served the public throughout her career, holding leadership positions in several Fil Am and Asian Am orgs, as well as a member of the State Bar of California’s Board of Trustees.

  • David Mesa, Esq.

    David Mesa is a partner at FisherBroyles, LLP, where he litigates complex civil disputes for clients in the pharmaceutical, medical device, automobile, and consumer product industries. David has served as FBANC President, NFALA President and as Chair of their respective Judiciary Committees. He has also served on the Board for the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. He currently serves on the Board for the California Asian Pacific American Bar Association and as Co-Chair of its Judiciary Committee.

  • Ruthe Catolico Ashley, Esq.

    Ruthe Catolico Ashley, Esq.

    Ruthe Catolico Ashley is Chair of California LAW Pathways, whose mission is to diversify California’s legal profession through the educational pipeline. Ashley is considered the Diversity Pipeline Guru for the legal profession in California. She has served the community for decades, including as a member of the State Bar of California’s Board of Governors. She was the first President/CEO of California ALL, and the first Executive Director of California LAW, two non-profit organizations.

Evening with Fil-Am Lawyers

An Evening with Fil-Am Lawyers was an in-person FBANC professional development event on Thursday, November 17, 2022, from 6:00pm to 9:00pm.

  • CLE (Elimination of Bias). MCLE Credit 1.0 – PENDING APPROVAL

    • 6:00 - 7:00pm.

    • Moderated panel featuring three speakers: Chief Admin. Law Judge Michael Cabotaje, Vanessa Candelaria, Esq., and Eric Casher, Esq. (more details below).

    • The panel's topic is Using Our Intersectional Identities to Create a More Inclusive Environment.

    • Location: Jackson Lewis PC, 50 California St, Floor 9, San Francisco CA 94111.

  • Happy Hour hosted by FBANC.

Questions? Contact FBANC Professional Development Committee Co-Chairs Mika Domingo (mikadomingo@fbanc.org) and Antonio Raimundo (antonioraimundo@fbanc.org).

FEATURED SPEAKERS AT FBANC’S EVENING WITH FIL-AM ATTORNEYS

  • Administrative Law Judge Michael Cabotaje

    Michael Cabotaje serves as the Hearing Office Chief Administrative Law Judge of the San Rafael Hearing Office, Social Security Administration, Office of Hearings Operations, where he leads a legal staff in adjudicating Federal agency administrative appeals.

  • Vanessa Candelaria, Esq.

    Vanessa Candelaria is the Principal Attorney and Founder of Candelaria PC. Her firm focuses on family law and estate planning, with offices in Walnut Creek and Oakland. Vanessa served as FBANC President from 2015 to 2016.

  • Eric Casher, Esq.

    Eric Casher is a Principal at Meyers Nave. Eric assists public entities, private companies, public-private partnerships, and nonprofit organizations as a strategic advisor and legal counsel. Eric is based in the firm’s Oakland office.

FBANC PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND JUDICIARY COMMITTEES PRESENT

The Firsts

A Conversation Highlighting the Legacy of Fil-Am Trailblazers on the Bench

Featuring: Hon. Patrick Bumatay, First Filipino American to serve as a federal appellate judge; Hon. Lillian Lim (ret.), First Filipina American judge in the U.S.; Hon. Benjamin Reyes II, First Filipino American judge on the Contra Costa County bench; Hon. Lorna Schofield, First Filipino American to serve as an Article III judge

Date: February 22, 2021

 

General FBANC Panel & Event : The opinions expressed in this event were those of the speakers. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of FBANC or its members.

FBANC Judicial Panel: The code of judicial ethics places limitations on what judges may say publicly. It is a list of prohibited topics, which includes the commentary on issues that are political or expressing their opinion regarding people, events, or issues that are or may come before them.

 

Member Spotlight: Bayanihan

We are excited to launch our FBANC Member Spotlight Series: Bayanihan. The term bayanihan means “being in a bayan”, which refers to the spirit of communal unity. FBANC will be featuring FBANC members and spotlighting their practice areas to provide practical tips and advice to our members.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this webinar are those of the speakers. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of FBANC or its members.

 
 

In April 2021, FBANC featured Nicole Ramos Takemoto, Special Counsel at Candeleria PC. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of estate planning. During this webinar, Nicole discussed how to prepare for themselves the statutory forms for three essential documents: durable power of attorney, advance health care directive, and a will. She also discussed the limits of the statutory documents so that attorneys will be able to issue spot scenarios where a more comprehensive estate plan is appropriate. This member spotlight was moderated by FBANC Social Co-Director, Jerel Agatep.

Resources: Presentation; Uniform Statutory Form Power of Attorney; Advance Health Care Directive; and Statutory Will Form.

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In May 2021, we are featured Givelle Lamano, Founder and Principal of Lamano Law Office. Givelle discussed how to increase cash flow, conversion rates, and what systems you can put in place to sustain small law firm during a global pandemic.

This member spotlight will be moderated by FBANC Membership Director, Isabelle Tan.

Details here.

Affiliations

Conventions, Conferences and other Programs

 
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NAPABA

FBANC is an affiliate of National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and encourages our members to attend NAPABA events and programs:

NAPABA Convention

FBANC regularly attends the NAPABA Convention. Due to COVID-19, The NAPABA will be hosting a Virtual Conference in November 2020.

Affiliate Membership

To obtain an affiliate membership code, please contact membership@fbanc.org

Stipend

The FBANC Foundation offers stipends to encourage law students and/or recent graduates to attend the NAPABA Convention.  Click here to learn more.

NAPABA Awards

NAPABA honors outstanding attorneys and organizations that have made an impact in the legal profession and within the Asian Pacific American community. To submit a request for endorsement or letter of support, contact FBANC’s Endorsements Committee.

In 2020, NAPABA recognized FBANC as its Affiliate of the Year.

The following FBANC members and/or past FBANC Award recipients have been honored by NAPABA with an Award:

Best Under 40 Award

  • Abigail Rivamonte Mesa (2020)

  • Vanessa E. Candelaria, Laurie Rose Lubiano, and Marc A. Pilotin (2019)

  • David Mesa, Vilaska Nguyen, and Christine Mari Palma Start (2017)

  • Marty Lorenzo (2007)

  • Rachel Puno (2003)

  • Eduardo A. Angeles (2002)

Partners Network In-House Counsel Diversity Leadership Rising Star Award

  • Laurie Rose Lubiano (2019)

Daniel Inouye Trailblazer

  • Eduardo A. Angeles (2018)

  • Assemblymember Rob Bonta (2015)

  • Bill Tamayo (2005)

Women’s Leadership Award

  • Ruthe Catolico Ashley (2012)

Trailblazer Award

  • Ruthe Catolico Ashley and Raymond L. Ocampo Jr. (1998)

 
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Pinay Powerhouse

In 2016, Pinay Powerhouse founders and FBANC Board Members Christine Start , Mari Bandoma Callado, Lorna Garcia De Guzman, Vanessa Candelaria and Jennifer Sta. Ana envisioned a women’s conference focused on empowering Filipina attorneys and aspiring attorneys as leaders in the law.  With the support of the women of the Filipino Bar Association of Northern California (FBANC), Laurie Rose Lubiano, Katrina Romero, Jeanne Grove, Vanessa Leonardo, Angelica Leonardo and Carmelita Miller, the founders’ vision came to fruition in 2017. 

Over 100 Filipina judges, attorneys, and aspiring attorneys attended the Inaugural Pinay Powerhouse Conference 2017 hosted by the Filipino Bar Association of Northern California in San Francisco, California.

Annual Conference

Following the success of the inaugural conference, Pinay Powerhouse Conference has been hosted by other NAPABA/NFALA affiliates in Los Angeles and Hawaii. The 4th Pinay Powerhouse Conference in Seattle was postponed due to COVID-19.

Stipend

Since 2017, the FBANC Women’s Committee and the FBANC Foundation has provided a stipend in the amount of $500 to $1,000 to a law student or recent graduate to attend the Pinay Powerhouse Conference.

 
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NFALA

FBANC is an affiliate of the National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA) and encourages our members to attend NFALA events and programs:

NFALA Mid-Year

Due to COVID-19, NFALA held a virtual mid-year during the months of May and June.

NFALA at NAPABA

FBANC regularly attends the NFALA at NAPABA Convention. In 2019, FBANC was recognized by NFALA as its inaugural affiliate of the year.

 
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CAL-APABA

FBANC is an affiliate of the California Asian Pacific Bar Association (CAL-APABA). FBANC encourages our members to attend CAL-APABA events and programs such as CAL-APABA’s Lobby Day.