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
The goal of the Professional Development Committee is to support Fil Am legal professionals in Northern California with valuable programming supporting practical and professional growth and a continuing legal education. Primarily, the Committee facilitates the Nights with Fil Am Judges, Night with Fil Am Professionals, and Liwanag - a conference geared toward Filipino legal professionals in the early- and mid- years of their career - which was held this year at UC Law San Francisco on Saturday, March 15, 2025.
Committee Info
2025-2026 Committee Chairs: Gabrielle Sullera and Glicel Sumagaysay
Committee members:
Ryan Louie O. Manuel
Danielle Ocampo
Armbien Sabillo
Danielle Eden Castro Silva
Upcoming Professional Development Events
Liwanag Conference 2026
RSVP for FBANC's 2026 Virtual Liwanag Conference! This conference is free for all to attend and we encourage newer attorneys to join us.
Event Date: Thursday, May 21, 2026
Time: 1:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. PT
Location: Virtual - Zoom - Link to be distributed via email.
RSVP Today for CA CLE credit: https://forms.gle/aTWYvHdgqdGkdUwq7
*You must be registered and present during the virtual panel to receive CLE credit for it.
IP and Privacy Panel featuring Anna Mercado Clark and Maria Althea M. Teves
1:00-2:15 pm
CA CLE Technology credit
DEI/Elimination of Bias in the Law Panel featuring Eric de los Santos, AL Judge Dorothy Chou Proudfoot and Amira Barger
2:30-3:45 pm
CA CLE Elimination of Bias in the Legal Profession credit
Best Practices in Civil and Appellate Briefs and Hearings Panel featuring Judge Benjamin Reyes, Judge Rita Lin, and Justice Tracie Brown
4:00 -5:15 pm
CA CLE General credit
In-Person Networking Mixer in San Francisco
6:30 - 8:00 pm
Questions? Contact glicelsumagaysay@fbanc.org or gabriellesullera@fbanc.org.
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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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.
Affiliations
Conventions, Conferences and other Programs
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)
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.
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.
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.