VIA Times – August 2014 Issue Vital News, Vibrant Views for Asian Americans in Chicago & Midwest
By: Mark Javier
77On July 17, 2014, the Filipino American Lawyers Association of Chicago (FALA Chicago) held its second annual Summer Soiree. Loyola University Chicago School of Law hosted the event and various Filipino-owned restaurants, including Sunda, E &O, and Isla Pilipina, catered food. Many different law firms and companies of all sizes sponsored the event. The evening celebrated the successful accomplishments of the organization over the past year, and the first Filipina- American federal district judge, Lorna Schofield, traveled from New York to make a special appearance and give the keynote address. Other distinguished guests included Northern District of Illinois Judge Virginia Kendall, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride, Illinois Appellate Court Justice Jesse Reyes, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Wright, Cook County Associate Judge Israel Desierto, among others. Over sixty attorneys and legal professionals attended the event. Since 2013, FALA Chicago has worked on many issues affecting the Filipino- American community including Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Typhoon Haiyan relief, immigration reform, police brutality against the Asian-American community, protecting the sanctity of World War II victims of sexual abuse, supporting qualified Filipino-American political candidates, and so much more. The association continues to identify key issues in the community and will work to address them with a Filipino-American prospective. The organization has grown rapidly in only one year and its attorneys encompass many legal resources across a wide range of practice areas. FALA Chicago’s membership includes federal and state judges, corporate attorneys, and practitioners in the fields of immigration, business litigation, corporate transactions, privacy law, criminal defense, real estate, non-profit, health care administration, and more. FALA Chicago has the ability to provide the Filipino-American community with all the legal services it needs. FALA Chicago is looking forward to engaging in many future Filipino-American community events and working with other groups to increase its exposure and access. A key goal for the association is to strengthen its connection to the Filipino-American community and identify specific areas in which it can be of assistance. FALA Chicago encourages everyone to contact the group at falachicago@gmail.com with any issues that may be related to the legal profession. ##
