| Violet "Vi" Canlas Rabaya, ESQ. Beverly Hills, California A woman in "perpetual motion," always a leader among leaders, a champion of causes of the less fortunate |
As her colleagues, teachers, friends and family have known from
the outset, Violet Canlas Rabaya has been a woman in "perpetual
motion," always a leader among leaders, always a champion of
causes of the less fortunate or underrepresented, and most
assuredly, a beacon for all Filipino Americans.
From her childhood, Violet, a second-generation Filipina-
American, has been consumed by a desire to help others. In fact,
she first envisioned a career as a doctor before turning to the legal
profession. In her early academic career, particularly through
grammar school and high school, where she graduated as
valedictorian, she was an avid mathematics and science student.
But, her communication and writing skills soon beckoned her to
literary endeavors. In high school, aside from beging recognized
as the top mathematician and being awarded the American Heart
Association's country science student of the year" plaque, she also
picked up honors as the top English student, Spanish student and
"journalist of the year" award. She was editor-in-chief of her high
school's Literary Magazine, managing edictor of the school
newspaper, and copy editor of the yearbook. Truly a master of all
subjects, it was no wonder that she could later easily switch from
the rigors of a pre-med major in college to that of a legal scholar.
the outset, Violet Canlas Rabaya has been a woman in "perpetual
motion," always a leader among leaders, always a champion of
causes of the less fortunate or underrepresented, and most
assuredly, a beacon for all Filipino Americans.
From her childhood, Violet, a second-generation Filipina-
American, has been consumed by a desire to help others. In fact,
she first envisioned a career as a doctor before turning to the legal
profession. In her early academic career, particularly through
grammar school and high school, where she graduated as
valedictorian, she was an avid mathematics and science student.
But, her communication and writing skills soon beckoned her to
literary endeavors. In high school, aside from beging recognized
as the top mathematician and being awarded the American Heart
Association's country science student of the year" plaque, she also
picked up honors as the top English student, Spanish student and
"journalist of the year" award. She was editor-in-chief of her high
school's Literary Magazine, managing edictor of the school
newspaper, and copy editor of the yearbook. Truly a master of all
subjects, it was no wonder that she could later easily switch from
the rigors of a pre-med major in college to that of a legal scholar.
As a life member of the California Scholarship Federation and based on her college entrance scores, Ms.
Rabaya entered UCLA in the elite top 1% of all studnets in the United States. She was accorded Honors at
Entrance in the College of Letters and Science and remained in the honors program throughout her tenure
there. As a freshman, she was selected to the English Department's Honors Program, a distinction limited to
only 20 students out of the 5,000 freshmen enrolled at UCLA, even while she maintained her pre-med major
in bacteriology. Then, as a senior, inspired by her growing social consciousness and her quest for the
betterment of Filipinos and all peoples of color, she changed her major to history and decided to alter her
course of service to others from the medical field to the legal arena. Her senior history thesis was published
in 1971 by the Regents of the University of California, and is still required reading for all students enrolled in
courses in the Asian Studies Curriculum in the University of California system.
Violet, with her expansive academic background, was admitted to the top law schools in the nation, Harvard,
Stanford and the University of California at Berkeley. She chose UC Berkeley's prestigious Boalt Hall School
of Law where she was accorded the John-Woodman Ayer Fellowship in Law, a Boalt Hall School of Law
Scholarship and a Graduate Minority Fellowship. Almost instantaneously, she accelerated her interests in the
political arena, While at Berkeley, she first became the founder and president of the Filipino-Micronesian Law
Students' Association in an effort to educate others to the special needs and attributes of the "brown Asian"
community. Having accomplished this goal, she then went on to become president of the Asian American
Law Students' Association in her second year. That same year she was elected chair of the Boalt Hall
Admission Committee as well as was elected to a campus-at-large position as Senator of the 35,000
member Associated Students of UC Berkeley. She culminated her career at Berkeley when, as a third year
law student, she was elected the first Asian and woman student body president of the entire graduate and
undergraduate student populace.
As student body president at UC Berkeley, she assumed leadership as the vice-chair of the Student Body
Presidents' Council, representing the State of California. She was the Student Body Presidents' Council chair
of the Finance Committee and the Personnel Committee. Then, she extended her leadership nationwide by
leading the National Conference of Student Body Presidents at their convention in Washington, D.C.
In 1975, when Violet graduated with a degree of Juris Doctor, she had several job opportunities offered to her.
She was asked by politicans, including the new-elected Congressman Ron Dellums, to run for public office
as a member of the Berkeley City Council, an "anointed" post for her since Berkeley's student populated made
up a vast portion of the voters of the City. She was also highly visible in having addressed the UC Board of
Regents and then Governor Jerry Brown to add a student representative with full voting powers to the Board.
This unprecedented concept was approved, together with Violet's proposals to increase financial aid to
qualified needy students, and, her trips to Sacramento addressing the State Assembly and various governing
bodies made her notoriety and popularity as a proven leader known throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Nevertheless, Violet declined all material offers and an opportunity for a ready-made political career to
concentrate on community work at the Asian Law Caucus, Inc. in nearly Oakland, California. "She opted to
share her God-given leadership talents to serve the poor and the oppressed," recalled one of her classmates.
After taking the State's Bar examination and naturally passing on her first try, Violet moved back to Los
Angeles to be close to her ailing mother. She accepted a position as a deputy State Public Defender, one of
the original thirty lawyers hand-picked by the Office of the Government of California to start the first State Public
Defenders' Office which concentrated on appealing the convictions of indigent defendants in California. In a
short two-year period there, Violet argued before the California Supreme Court and set precedent in protecting
the constitutional rights of poor persons accused of crime in the case of - People v. Lewis (1978) 20 Cal.3d
496. After winning her Supreme Court case, Violet decided to turn to criminal trial work and became a staff
attorney handling special police brutality-related trials with the Greater Watts Justice Center of the Legal Aid
Foundation of Los Angeles. She quickly became recognized for her criminal legal expertise, teaching
seminars to other lawyers for the National Lawyers Guild.
Then, in late 1979, Violet was appointed by the presiding judge of a United States District Court landmark
transportation and housing case to serve as the first Executive Director of the court-created Office fo the
Advocate for Corridor Residents, Inc. on the Century Freeway Project. For almost six years, Violet protected
the rights of over 25,000 people whose homes were being condemned and who were being relocated to give
way to the building of the 9-billion dollar Century Freeway.
At the end of 1985, Violet decided to open her private law practice in Century City, a stones throw from her
home in the Beverly Hills area where she and her husband, Clark R. Pittman, reside. She also maintains an
office at the Philippine American Professional Building in the heart of downtown Los Angeles to directly serve
the needs of the Filipino-American community.
Even though Violet has not yet sought elective office, she remains steadfast in her involvement in political and
civic activities. Most recently, she chaired the Steering Committee for the election of Joselyn Geaga Yap, the
first Filipina candidate for the California State Assembly in the 46th District. She co-chaired Diane Feinstein's
inaugural Southern California Fundraiser for United States Senate in Beverly Hills in May of this year. She
was the Southern California Coordinator for the Filipinos for Feinstein for Governor Committee in 1990, having
previously been the Co-Chair of the State Committee for Asian-Pacifics for Mondale for President in 1984 and
the State Coordinator for Bradley for Governor in 1982. And, she was a delegate elected on the general ballot
to represent the 23rd Congressional District at the Democratic National Convention in 1984. Violet is currently
a member of the National Organization of Woman (NOW); the Asian Pacific Caucus, California Democratic
Party; the Filipino American Democratic Caucus, California Democratic Party; the Asian Pacific Women's
Network; the Filipino Women's Network; the Philippine American Los Angeles County Bar Association;
Philippine American Bar Association; California Attorneys for Criminal Justice; California Trial Lawyers
Association; and, American Bar Association.
Among a myriad of other community and civic activities too countless to number, Violet has served as
Founding Director and Vice-President of Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc. (LEAP); Commissioner,
Department of Transportion Advisory Commission, State of California; Co-Founder, Filipino Legal Outreach
Center, Inc., Los Angeles ; Member, Asian Pacific Research and Development Council, United Way, Inc., Los
Angeles; Director, Board of Directors, Center for Asian-Pacific Families, Inc., Los Angeles; Sponsor, Harriet
Tubman Legal Center, Los Angeles; Director, Board of Directors, Bay Area Urban League, San Francisco; and
Member, Executive Committee, Community Affairs Committee, Berkely City Council.
Violet is the daughter of Abe L. Rabaya, Sr., formerly of Talisay, Cebu and retired Filipino labor contractor in the
State of California. Violet's mother was the late Josefa Canlas of Arayat, Pampanga and Manila, who was an
active business woman in both America and the Philippines.#
Washington D.C. Since 1987
Washington D.C. Since 1987
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