FALA Chicago

04/15/2026

Law Students: the 2026 FALA Chicago Scholarship application is now open!

FALA Chicago is proud to support the next generation of legal leaders through our annual scholarship program. This opportunity is designed to recognize and uplift law students who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership, and a commitment to serving the Filipino American community.

📅 Applications are due by May 8, 2026.

If you or someone in your network may be interested, we encourage you to apply and share widely.

🔗 Apply here: falachicago.org/scholarship

04/09/2026

FALA Chicago proudly congratulates our Board of Directors member, Mark J. Calaguas, on being recognized as a 2026 Vanguard Award honoree. This recognition is a testament to Mark’s leadership, dedication to the legal profession, and unwavering commitment to advancing accessibility and representation within our community.

We are proud to see Mark recognized alongside so many impactful leaders shaping the future of the law. His work continues to inspire and elevate the next generation of Filipino American attorneys.

Congratulations, Mark!

Presented by The Chicago Bar Association at the Union League Club of Chicago, the Vanguard Awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday, April 21 at 11:30am: chicagobar.org/Vanguard

02/24/2026

It is with great sadness that FALA Chicago shares news of the sudden passing of Michael C. Aguhar following a medical emergency this past Friday, February 20, 2026. Michael was an integral part in the establishment of our organization, having been a member of FALA Chicago’s founding board of directors starting in 2013, on which he served for two terms and co-chaired the communications and advocacy committees. Originally from Houston, Michael made an indelible impact on Chicago’s community organizing landscape through his work at the Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment (AFIRE Chicago). During Michael’s tenure as executive director from 2016 to 2019, AFIRE played a leading role in the coalition that won passage of the Illinois Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. For these efforts and more, FALA Chicago selected Michael to receive the 2017 Vanguard Award, an annual recognition presented by The Chicago Bar Association to honor “lawyers, judges, and institutions that have made the law and the legal profession more accessible to and reflective of the community we serve.”

Michael would later channel his passion for social justice into the philanthropic sector, most recently serving as program director at Crossroads Fund. He also supported regional mutual aid efforts by helping launch the Midwest Immigration Bond Fund as an advisor and inaugural board member. We will hold Michael’s memory in our hearts forever. He was a caring friend, conscientious advocate, and steadfast ally to marginalized communities across Chicagoland and beyond. FALA Chicago extends its condolences to Michael’s loved ones, including his partner Irina and toddler Zoya. While information on memorial services is still pending, a crowdfund has been established to support his family in this time of unexpected loss, which may be accessed at https://www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-michael-aguhars-legacy-and-family

01/07/2026

Congrats to our outgoing president Ian Sharping on being selected for The Diversity Scholarship Foundation's 2026 Advocate for Diversity Award! We can't wait to celebrate this well deserved honor at the DSF's Unity Dinner on January 22!

Congratulations to Ian Sharping on being selected as a recipient of the Advocate for Diversity Award 💫

This award honors individuals who actively champion diversity and inclusion within the legal profession, and Ian’s leadership, advocacy, and commitment to equity, particularly through his role as President of the Filipino American Lawyers Association of Chicago (FALA), truly embody the spirit of this recognition. We are honored to celebrate Ian at our Unity Dinner on January 22, 2026.

Thank you, Ian, for being a powerful voice and champion for diversity in our legal community.

🎟️ Tickets and sponsorships are now available.
Link in bio.

12/17/2025

APPLY TO BE ON THE 2026 FALA CHICAGO BOARD!
FALA Chicago is nothing without the support of all our talented members. Now here's your opportunity to take a lead in directing the course of the organization in the upcoming year!
We are collecting applications for candidacy in the FALA Chicago 2025 board elections until 11:59pm on Wednesday, December 24. For more info, visit bit.ly/falaboard2025.

03/14/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined us for FALA Chicago's monthly happy hour on Tuesday evening at McCormick & Schmick's Seafood & Steaks. We were honored to welcome Oregon Filipino American Lawyers Association (OFALA) past president Julia Markley as a special guest!

01/26/2025

This afternoon, the 2025 FALA Chicago board held its first monthly meeting of the new term, with president Ian Sharping taking the executive reins. Stay tuned to find out more about upcoming events!

01/09/2025

FALA CHICAGO 2025 BOARD AND OFFICERS

We are pleased to announce the incoming leaders of FALA Chicago, who were elected to the following positions last week:

PRESIDENT
Ian Sharping

VICE PRESIDENT
Zee Salles

SECRETARY
Israel Del Mundo

TREASURER
Belle Katubig

COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
Victoria Mpistolarides

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Julian Cagadas
Mark Calaguas
Janice Dantes
Ron Ilagan
Eileen Momblanco
Victor Ramos
Y. Jeffrey Tsai

LAW STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE
Aurelia Flynn

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Alan Montera

Join us in congratulating the new executive team and stay tuned for upcoming events from FALA Chicago!

11/26/2024

FALA Chicago proudly congratulates The Honorable Judge Mary Sevandal Cohen, a member of our Honorary Judicial Board, on receiving a prestigious award from the Northwest Suburban Bar Association (NWSBA)! 🏆🎖️

Join us to celebrate her remarkable achievements!

📅 Date: Wednesday, December 4, 2024
🕔 Time: 5:00 PM (Cocktails & Hors d’oeuvres)
📍 Venue: Gibson’s Bar & Steakhouse, 5464 N. River Road, Rosemont
💵 Price: $100 Members (includes 2 drink tickets) | $125 Non-Members (includes 2 drink tickets)

Register now at [www.nwsba.org](http://www.nwsba.org)

Special thanks to NWSBA’s sponsors:
- Advocus (National Title Insurance Company)
- Athletico (Physical Therapy)
- Lexitas

We look forward to celebrating this special occasion with you!

11/22/2024

FALA Chicago was a proud co-sponsor of the 12th Annual Minority Bar CLE Conference hosted by the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA). The two day hybrid event included both in-person and virtual sessions covering a wide range of timely and relevant topics related to diversity in the legal profession, lawyer wellbeing, civil rights, and emerging technology. Shout out to FALA honorary judicial board member Justice Jesse Reyes for delivering the opening remarks yesterday afternoon and to FALA vice president Ian Sharping for moderating this morning's panel on cybersecurity threats. We thank the conference planning committee for all their hard work and our sister bar orgs for their partnership, including the ISBA, Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area, Black Women Lawyers' Association of Greater Chicago, Inc., Chinese American Bar Association, Cook County Bar Association, Decalogue Society of Lawyers, HLAI - Serving the Hispanic Lawyers of Illinois, Korean American Bar Association of Chicago, LAGBAC - Chicago’s LGBTQ+ Bar Association, Muslim Bar Association of Chicago, South Asian Bar Association of Chicago, and Women's Bar Association of Illinois. See you all again next year! ⚖️