In this episode, we sit down with Gigi Chen-Kuo, TransLink's Chief Operating Officer, as she discusses her 30-year career that fuses law and public transportation. From her favorite TransLink route to her transition from law to an in-house role, Gigi shares insights on her unique position, daily challenges, and defining moments. Get a glimpse into her historic role as the first Asian heritage person to lead TransLink, her involvement in EDI initiatives, and practical advice for balancing legal work with non-legal roles. Tune in to gain valuable insights from Gigi's experiences at the intersection of leadership, law, and public service.

This is the first episode of FACL BC's new Corporate Lawyer Series. In this episode, we invite Julia Winters, a partner in Lawson’s Asia Pacific Group focusing on corporate/commercial and real estate law and the Chief Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Lawson Lundell. Julia shares her journey towards a corporate and real estate practice, her experience interacting specifically with Asian or Chinese clients, and her efforts in promoting EDI. She shares her views on how EDI may be improved in the legal profession. Whether you are a law student interested in solicitor’s work, an associate practising corporate/commercial or real estate law, or an associate considering the partner track, you can benefit from the practical advice that Julia candidly offers. Bonus: you will learn about Julia’s passion beyond practising the law and her vegetable garden. 

In this episode, we sit down with Sameer Kamboj, a litigator and new shareholder at Owen Bird. Sameer takes us on a journey through his path to law and shares his insights on the keys to success in becoming a shareholder or partner in a law firm. But that's not all. Sameer also provides invaluable advice to law students and associates, offering practical tips to help them thrive in the legal profession. And as a bonus, Sameer also opens up about his personal life and shares with us the journey of finding love while in law school. Spoiler Alert: during the recording of this episode, Sameer revealed that his partner is actually one of our previous podcast guests. Who could it be? Listen in to find out!

Late in 2022, FACL BC’s Vice Presidents, Jim Wu and Fiona Wong, sat down with Justice Randall Wong to reflect on his path to becoming a lawyer, and his distinguished career as a member of the judiciary.

In this episode, Justice Wong recounts the significance of Vancouver’s historical buildings, legal landscape, and key figures who served as mentors to him over the decades. He shares with us the important phone calls he received which changed his career, his journey working in Yukon, serving on the executive of the Canadian Association of Provincial Court Judges, the significance of his swearing-in ceremony when he was appointed as a federal judge, and the “bathtub effect” as a trial judge. Justice Wong emphasizes the importance of learning by doing (much like osmosis), provides mentorship to junior and young lawyers, and encourages young people, especially women, to consider positions in government as well as judiciary positions.

Justice Randall Wong was a trailblazer and an integral part to Asian-Canadian history in Canada. He was:

After 42 years of service and now colloquially known as a “judicial dinosaur”, but more accurately as a pioneer of Canadian law, Justice Wong shares his post-retirement plans since 2016, which includes serving on the board of the Chinese Canadian Museum (opening July 1, 2023), and acting as President of the Chinese Canadian Military Museum.

Justice Wong also wishes to invite FACL BC's membership to read his article here:

https://www.scribd.com/article/453439842/Reflections-By-A-Judicial-Dinosaur-On-50-Years-In-The-Law

Welcome to our first episode of 2023! FACL BC would like to thank its listeners and supporters for nominating its podcast to receive the 2022 Clawbies Award for Best Podcast. We are grateful to receive this award and hope you continue to enjoy our carefully curated content moving forward.

In this episode, we invite long time FACL BC Mentorship and Membership Committee volunteer, Abby Pang, to share with us her decision to pivot from personal injury law to family law, and how she managed to gain experience in family law before switching practice areas. Abby also shares her ups and downs behind the launch of her new law firm, Illuma Law, and explains the reason behind the unique and new firm name. Having previously hosted our successful panel event geared toward NCA (National Committee on Accreditation) and LLM candidates, Abby closes off the episode by sharing her personal experiences with the NCA process.

Family Legal Clinics:

Amici Curiae (AC) Friends of Court: https://www.legalformsbc.ca/#/

Rise Women's Legal Centre: https://womenslegalcentre.ca/

Battered Women's Support Services: https://www.bwss.org/

In this episode, we invite lawyer and life coach, Angela Han from the US, to share briefly about her own journey with mental health, how she helps others through her career, and her thoughts on being a minority in the legal field.

Angela paves the way for Asian lawyers, particularly Asian women, to turn our so-called “weaknesses” into “fuel” for our journeys. She reminds us that it's okay to be imperfect, and that perception is key to any situation we are in.

Listen to Angela's own podcast here: https://www.angela-han.com/

In this episode, Impact Recruitment's Steve Dorling and Olivia Truong explain to FACL BC's members and the legal community at large on what it means to work with skilled recruiters. They answer all of our questions, from how to work with a recruiter, whether it's a free service, what to submit in your application materials, the average pay range in the US, to being transparent about the difficulties of transitioning back from US legal practice and in-house practice. Is the grass greener on the other side? Only one way to find out!

If you are considering pursuing a career in the US with a Canadian law background, or want to consider a lateral transfer to a local firm in Vancouver, or other firm across Canada, do not hesitate to contact Impact Recruitment and reach out on their social media:

Website: http://www.impactrecruitment.ca

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ImpactRecruitment

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/impactrecruitment/

Twitter: @jobswithimpact

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-recruitment-north-america/about/

Our host May Au, in-house counsel at Lululemon, sits down with Jaclyn Leong, Senior Legal Counsel at Aritzia for this episode (recorded in April 2022). Aside from raving about the delicious fried chicken wings at Phnom Penh in Vancouver's Chinatown, and recommending her favourite pieces from the fashion boutique, Jaclyn shares with us her decision to transition from a legal career in private practice, to in-house at Telus, a major Canadian telecommunications company, to now in-house leading the employment portfolio for one of Vancouver's most successful clothing brands in North America. With over 100 stores across Canada and the US, Jaclyn offers practical tips and advice on how in-house counsel can navigate the fashion industry in multiple jurisdictions. In doing so, she speaks from both a legal and business perspective, and shares with us on how that can be achieved during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.