National Filipino American Law Students Association

From Pinay Powerhouse to Pinay PowerHOME ?? This past weekend at Pinay Powerhouse 8: Advoc8 & Ingat (Pinay Powerhouse c3) was nothing short of transformative. As a law student, stepping into spaces in the legal world can sometimes feel daunting, but this conference reminded me of something deeply important—I belong in these spaces. I have worked hard, and I am exactly where I am meant to be. PP8 was more than just a conference; it was a community of powerhouse Filipina attorneys, legal professionals, and law students coming together to uplift, empower, and advocate—not just for our communities, but for ourselves. The discussions on immigration justice, disaggregated data, and reproductive rights challenged and expanded my perspective on advocacy, while the focus on ingat (self-care) reinforced that sustainable change starts with taking care of ourselves. I am so incredibly grateful to have met and served under Kaelyne Yumul Wietelman, our phenomenal chair, whose leadership and vision made this conference possible. I was honored to introduce Anna Mercado Clark, CIPP/E, CIPP/US, CIPM, FIP, the immediate past president of NAPABA, amongst her other incredible achievements, and was deeply inspired by the insights she shared about the profession and her journey. A huge shoutout to Caroline Capili, our incredible volunteer coordinator, who kept our team of volunteers organized and supported throughout the event. A heartfelt thank you to everyone I mentioned and to those I didn’t get to name, your hard work, dedication, and passion in planning, organizing, and running PP8 made this event truly unforgettable. I am so grateful to have been a part of it. To the amazing panelists, moderators, and attendees—thank you for sharing your knowledge, stories, and energy. And to my fellow law students (National Filipino American Law Students Association) who spent every waking moment together, turning this powerhouse into a true powerHOME—I am beyond grateful for this sisterhood. This experience has left me with a renewed sense of purpose and confidence as I continue my journey in the legal field. Maraming salamat to everyone who made Pinay Powerhouse 8 an unforgettable experience. I can't wait to continue these conversations and connections as I grow in my career. National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA) FALA DC

Please join us on Thursday, March 20, 2025 for NFALSA’s Post-Bar/Graduation Panel as our panelists discuss topics such as studying for the bar exam and searching for post-bar opportunities. ???WHEN: Thursday, March 20, 2025 at 5:30 PM PT / 7:30 PM CT / 8:30 PM ET ??WHERE: Zoom (Meeting ID: 936 2367 4709) ??REGISTRATION FORM: https://lnkd.in/gkyytCHy We are excited to announce our three panelists from around the country: Austin Tapuro, Associate at Stinson LLP in Kansas City, Missouri Michaela Gines, Associate at Chapman and Cutler LLP in New York City, New York Arthur Barrios, Associate at Mullen & Filippi and NFALA NorCal Regional Governor in San Francisco, CA MEET OUR PANELISTS: Michaela Gines is currently an Associate at Chapman and Cutler LLP in New York City. She graduated from UC Davis School of Law last May and passed the NY Bar Exam in July. A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, she earned her undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley. During law school, Michaela was actively involved in various organizations and activities, including the Filipinx Law Student Association, Law Review, Negotiations Team, and the Wage Claim Clinic. She worked as a Legal Intern at Accenture during her 1L summer, as a Summer Associate at Chapman during her 2L summer, and was also a Legal Extern at ON24 during her 3L year. In her free time, Michaela enjoys doing yoga, trying out new restaurants, and listening to podcasts. Austin Tapuro is a labor and employment attorney at Stinson LLP in Kansas City, Missouri. He graduated from University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law in 2022 and served as the Vice President for the Asian & Pacific Islander Law Student Association. He earned his undergraduate degree from Creighton University. He is dedicated to helping employers navigate the complexities of traditional labor law in unionized and non-unionized settings. Before joining Stinson as an associate,, Austin worked at Stinson as a summer associate. He also gained practical experience in Occupational Safety and Health Administration matters while interning at the U.S. Department of Labor. Additionally, his internship at the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri provided Austin with valuable insights for assessing legal matters from various perspectives. Arthur Barrios is an associate attorney at Mullen & Filippi in San Francisco, CA where he deals in workers’ compensation defense. He graduated from Golden Gate University in 2014 where he was President for the Pilipino American Legal Society. Prior to Law school, Arthur obtained his Bachelor of Arts in History from UC Riverside. In his free time, Arthur enjoys working on his various hobbies.

Registration for Pinay Powerhouse VIII is now live! Join us in Washington DC, March 7-9, 2025 for a three day conference designed to inspire, empower, and excite you to advocate and ingat (take care)! For more information, visit https://lnkd.in/eYhRPj2H

One of my proudest moments in law school is being a founder and Northeast Regional Director of the National Filipino American Law Students Association (NFALSA). Through this amazing organization, I have been given so many opportunities to meet people around the country. This past November, I had the privilege of attending my first National Asian Pacific American Bar Association and National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA) Conventions in Seattle, Washington! I was so happy to have met fellow NFALSA board members for the first time in person and connected with Asian American legal professionals and students from different parts of the country. I was truly amazed at the amount of Asian American representation in the legal field that was all in one place! Leaving Seattle made me inspired and empowered in my legal career, as I have seen how strong this community is. Although I am looking forward to the next NAPABA convention, I am so excited to attend and volunteer at Pinay Powerhouse c3 in Washington D.C. from March 7-9! This year's theme is Advoc8 and Ingat to celebrate the eighth year of Pinay Powerhouse. At this conference, we will focus on the empowerment of Filipina lawyers and aspiring attorneys as leaders in the law. I am looking forward to what the rest of 2025 will bring! If you are a law student interested in volunteering at Pinay Powerhouse, please sign up here: https://lnkd.in/eX3ZA4by If you are interested in attending, please register at this link: https://lnkd.in/e8HPRt32

Since our founding this past summer, we are pleased to announce that the National Filipino American Law Students Association has officially reached 100 members in 40 law schools, spanning 16 states and Washington, D.C. If you are a law student and identify as Filipino-American, we would love to have you in our network. Simply fill out this form, and we will reach out: https://lnkd.in/gzHJtF3b.

Last weekend, I had the incredible opportunity to attend the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Annual Convention in Seattle, WA, alongside my fellow members of the William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada-Las Vegas Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA)! We had an amazing time exploring the city, attending enriching panels, connecting with Asian lawyers from across the nation, and building friendships with law students from other APALSA chapters, as well as the National Filipino American Law Students Association! It was also an honor to further connect with members of the National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA) and witness the strength and unity of the Filipino legal community. This convention reinforced the importance of mentorship and representation in the legal field. Seeing so many successful Asian-American attorneys was inspiring and empowering. I can’t wait to attend next year’s convention!

I’m reminiscing about my second annual National Asian Pacific American Bar Association and National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA) conventions last week in Seattle. This year, I had the opportunity to attend as a newly minted-attorney.?“The NAPABA Convention is an annual gathering of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students, bringing meaningful insights, networking opportunities, and perspective to the legal community.” Simultaneously, NFALA hosts its annual gathering for Filipino American legal professionals to connect around our shared identity as Filipino Americans in the law. As the founder and immediate past president of the National Filipino American Law Students Association (NFALSA), I had the opportunity to formally announce its launch alongside my successor and current president, April Joy Payumo. The idea of NFALSA was born at last year’s NAPABA and NFALA conventions in Indianapolis. A year later, I am thrilled to share that we have almost 100 members across 33 law schools in 13 states plus D.C. I’m blessed to have had the opportunity to connect and mentor students within NFALSA as their ate (big sister). Another highlight was the opportunity to attempt to perform Tinikling (Filipino folk dance) with my ate Frances Prizzia and Caroline Capili. Similarly, I am grateful to reconnect with my mentors and ates/kuyas (big sisters and big brothers) from throughout the country in Seattle. Seeing many of my role models in law, NAPABA Immediate Past President Anna Mercado Clark, CIPP/E, CIPP/US, CIPM, FIP, former NAPABA President Ruthe Catolico Ashley, U.S. Commissioner on Civil Rights Glenn D. Magpantay, U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono among others, was inspiring. Thank you for the memorable conversations and mentorship. Congratulations to the new NAPABA and NFALA Boards. A special congratulations to my mentor and ate, Heliane Fabian, on her appointment as NFALA VP of Membership. I am proud to announce that I have joined her membership committee and am excited to serve the Fil-Am legal community. A big shout out to my Filipino Lawyers of Washington and Asian Bar Association of Washington (ABAW) family. It was wonderful connecting and making memories with all of you despite our busy work schedules. Thank you to my high school friend, Austin Tapuro, for inviting me to Stinson LLP's reception and my ate and mentor, Bianca Tillman, for inviting me to Dorsey & Whitney LLP's reception. I had a great time! Special thanks to my firm, Lee Smart, P.S., Inc., for allowing me to attend the convention, especially during my first week at work. I look forward to our next reunion in Denver, Colorado! In the forthcoming pictures, you'll see a representation of my Filipino culture through the Filipiniana sleeves. #NAPABA24 #AsianAttorney #FilipinoAttorney #Law #AANHPI #Attorney

Just wrapped up an incredible few days at the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Convention! My first NAPABA convention was in 2008 in Seattle. I made lifelong connections with other first timers, such as Julia Markley and Gail Manuguid. As I was in 2008, I am forever grateful for this community, the relationships I have formed, and memories made. I am also thankful for my former firm, Littler and the Littler ‘Ohana, for sponsoring my first NAPABA convention and continuing to support the NAPABA community for the past few decades. Thanks Andrew Hahn for founding and continuing to participate in the National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA) Basketball Social! It was inspiring to connect with so many brilliant legal professionals who are making waves in their fields and uplifting our communities. The panels, discussions, and networking opportunities truly reinforced the importance of representation, advocacy, and mentorship. Congratulations to Anna Mercado Clark, CIPP/E, CIPP/US, CIPM, FIP and Lorna Garcia, for completing their presidential terms for NAPABA and NFALA respectively. In the coming year, I look forward to collaborating with Thy Bui, NAPABA President, Joseph Yao, NAPABA President-Elect, and Bryan Ramos, NFALA President. Congratulations to many of this year’s NAPABA Award winners, including: President Awardees Nancy P. Lee, Wendy Shiba, and Priya Bose Purandare; INSPIRE Award Don Liu; Trailblazer Awardees Joseph Centeno, Robert Chang, Leslie E. Kobayashi, Goodwin Liu, and Christy Goldsmith Romero; IHC Diversity Leadership Awardee Stephanie Clausen; Military & Veteran Service Awardee Marty L.. Kudos to the Best Under 40 Awardees, including Raymond R. Rollan, Kelly Matayoshi, and Heaven Chee. Well-deserved recognition! As President-Elect of NFALA, I look forward to forging lasting partnerships from leaders of other national bar associations beyond NAPABA, including: American Bar Association; Hispanic National Bar Association; NATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION; National Native American Bar Association; NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF VIETNAMESE AMERICAN ATTORNEYS; THAI AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION; NATIONAL ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER PROSECUTORS ASSOCIATION. Special shoutouts to the newly formed national organizations: Burmese American Lawyers Association (BALA); National Association of Cambodian American Lawyers (NACAL); and National Filipino American Law Students Association. See you at next year’s NFALA@NAPABA convention in Denver, Colorado, November 5-9, 2025! #NAPABA24 #LeadershipEmpowerment #javinar4u

Mabuhay from Seattle! Last night, I was able to attend the annual gala for the National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA), and it was such a great time! I especially enjoyed meeting more law students from across the country. As Vice President of Membership of the newly formed National Filipino American Law Students Association, seeing our community grow makes my heart so full! Looking forward to what the rest of the weekend shapes up to be, especially for National Asian Pacific American Bar Association's annual convention, which I am also attending.