Hispanic National Bar Association Commission on the Status of Latinas in the Legal Profession
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HISPANIC NATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF LATINAS IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION STUDY ON LATINA ATTORNEYS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST SECTOR LA VOZ DE LA ABOGADA LATINA: CHALLENGES AND REWARDS IN SERVING THE PUBLIC INTEREST SEPTEMBER 2010 BY JILL L. CRUZ,MELINDA S. MOLINA, AND JENNY RIVERA © 2010 Hispanic National Bar Association. All rights reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced, scanned or cop- ied or distributed in any printed or electronic form without the express written permission of the Hispanic National Bar Association. COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF LATINAS IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION COMMISSION CO-CHAIRS DOLORES S. ATENCIO JOSEFINA FERNANDEZ MCEVOY COMMISSIONERS Former HNBA Presidents and Lifetime Commission Members: Lillian G. Apodaca (1998-1999, Albuquerque, NM) Mari Carmen Aponte (1984-1985, Washington, D.C.) Alice Velazquez (1999-2000, San Juan, Puerto Rico) Dolores S. Atencio (1991-1992, Denver, CO) Ramona E. Romero (2008-2009, Wilmington, DE) Mary T. Hernandez (1995-1996, San Francisco, CA) Appointed Commissioners: Veronica Arechederra Hall (Las Vegas, NE) Claudine Martinez (Albuquerque, NM) Clarissa Cerda (Chicago, Ill) Teresita Chavez Pedrosa (Miami, FL) Adrienne Dominguez (Houston, TX) Lieutenant Colonel Carrie Ricci (Washington, D.C.) Josefina Fernandez McEvoy (Los Angeles, CA) Professor Jenny Rivera (New York, NY) Rose Gonzales (San Antonio, TX) Eneida Roman (Boston, MA) Monica MacGregor (Washington, D.C.) Ciarelle Valdez (Bellevue, WA) HNBA BOARD OF GOVERNORS PRESIDENT ROMAN D. HERNANDEZ (2009-2010) PRESIDENT-ELECT DIANA SEN (2010-2011) RICARDO APONTE PARSI,NATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT, PETER M. REYES,JR., NATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT, COMMITTEES REGIONS &CONVENTION CHAIR LIZ LOPEZ,NATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT,EXTERNAL AFFAIRS CYNTHIA MARES,NATIONAL SECRETARY JACQUELYNN RUIZ,NATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT, JORGE BARCELO,TREASURER MEMBERSHIP UVALDO HERRERA,GENERAL COUNSEL SEAN ANDRADE,NATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT,PROGRAMS DAVID RIOS,NATIONAL FINANCE DIRECTOR RAMONA E. ROMERO,IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT REGIONAL PRESIDENTS: EONARDO ASTRO EGION ROBERTA LIMONGUI RUIZ,REGION I L C ,R XI AVID ALDONADO EGION GELVINA RODRIGUEZ STEVENSON,REGION II D M ,R XII ESHACH HOADES EGION MIGUEL ALEXANDER POZO,REGION III M Y. R ,R XIII IZZETTE LAMEDA UBEY EGION RAFAEL LX. ZAHRALDDIN-ARAVENA,REGION IV L A Z ,R XIV HRISTINA IGIL EGION BETTINA T. GUEVARA,REGION V C A. V ,R XV ESSE ALDEZ EGION HADA HAULSEE,REGION VI J V ,R XVI ELEN ANTANA EGION ROLANDO E. BASCUMBE,REGION VII H S ,R XVII ONALD RRABAZO EGION JORGE A. MESTRE,REGION VIII D U ,R XVIII ICHARD RAFFAM EGION FRANK SANTILLI,REGION IX R G ,R XIX DENNIS NUÑEZ,REGION X SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS: JUDGE FRANCISCA COTA,JUDICIAL COUNSEL CO-LIAISON GIOVANNY RICALDES,LAW STUDENT DIVISION PRESIDENT JUDGE CARMEN R. VELASQUEZ,JUDICIAL COUNSEL MELISA LOPEZ FRANZEN,YOUNG LAWYER’S CO-LIAISON REPRESENTATIVE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS RESEARCH AND REPORT SUPPORTERS FOCUS GROUP AND SURVEY DISSEMINATION SUPPORTERS This Study and Report would not have been possible with- We are very grateful to the following offices and out the invaluable support of the Institutional Research individuals for their pro bono assistance and contributions and Academic Planning Office of St. John’s University, the to this project. Without their support with the Focus Groups City University of New York School of Law’s Library and and the dissemination of the Survey this study on public Center on Latino and Latina Rights and Equality (CLORE) interest sector Latina lawyers would not have been possible. and those who served as Editors. We are deeply grateful to the following: Special thanks and recognition to GCR, LLP and found- ers/partners Bonny Garcia, Yuri Calderon-Managing Part- Survey Administrators and Statisticians ner and Mary Hernandez for their significant contribution Clover W. Hall, Ed.D., St. John’s University, Vice of costs, as well as lending GCR’s staff and lawyers who President of Institutional Research and Academic devoted hundreds of hours to ensure the completion of Planning this study and the Commission’s 2009 ground-breaking study. Special recognition also to GCR paralegals Yvonne Piyaporn Nawarat, Ed.D., St. John’s University, Assis- Rico and Melinda Giannes. tant Director of Institutional Research and Academic Planning Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (AFL-CIO), UAW Local 2325, New York, NY, and Deborah L. Wright, Esq., Presi- Survey Editor dent for assisting with the Study outreach, including dis- Sam Sue, Esq., Director, Career Planning Office, City semination of the Survey and the New York Focus Group University of New York School of Law and PhD invitation Candidate in Educational Psychology, CUNY Gradu- ate Center Center on Latino and Latina Rights and Equality (CLORE), City University of New York School of Law, Flushing, Report Editors New York for assistance with organizing the New York Mary Lu Bilek, Associate Dean and Professor of Law, Focus Group and dissemination of the Survey and the City University of New York School of Law New York Focus Group invitation Janet Calvo, Professor of Law, City University of New Kristina Garcia, J.D. Candidate, HNBA Student Intern and York School of Law Research Assistant, University of Colorado Law School, for assisting with the Focus Groups and research on and Sam Sue, Esq., Director, Career Planning Office, City identification of public interest Latina attorneys University of New York School of Law and PhD Candidate in Educational Psychology, CUNY Gradu- Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund ate Center (MALDEF), Los Angeles Office, with special thanks and recognition to MALDEF Regional Director Nancy Ramirez Library Support for assisting with, and hosting the Los Angeles Focus Raquel J. Gabriel, Assistant Director for Reference Group and Research Services Associate Professor, Law Library, City University of New York School of Law New York County Lawyer’s Association, New York, NY for hosting the New York Focus Group Sarah Lamdan, Reference Librarian, Law Library, City University of New York School of Law Sonji Patrick, Education Director, LatinoJustice PRLDEF for assisting with circulation of the Survey and New York Proofreading Focus Group invitation Juanita Lynch Fox Rothschild, Los Angeles Office for sponsoring the Los Research Assistance Angeles Focus Group luncheon and paying the court Elizabeth Cordoba, J.D. Candidate, CLORE Research reporting costs Assistant, City University of New York School of Law Gelvina Stevenson, HNBA Regional President, Region II (NY) for assisting with the organization of the New York Focus Group TABLE OF CONTENTS HNBA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE ....................................................... 1 FOREWORD ...................................................................... 3 STUDY RESEARCHERS AND CO-AUTHORS .............................................. 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................. 7 BACKGROUND OF THE LAPIS STUDY PARTICIPANTS ..................................... 7 Demographic Background ................................................. 7 Educational and Professional Background and Status .......................... 7 KEY FINDINGS ................................................................ 8 Formative Experiences Influencing Entry into the Public Interest Sector ........ 8 Rewards and Challenges of a Public Interest Sector Career ..................... 8 Strategies for Success ...................................................... 10 HNBA COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................ 11 LAPIS STUDY METHODOLOGY ..................................................... 12 INTRODUCTION ................................................................... 13 STUDY METHODOLOGY ............................................................ 15 STUDY OVERVIEW .............................................................. 15 FOCUS GROUP METHODOLOGY .................................................... 15 SURVEY METHODOLOGY ......................................................... 15 STUDY LIMITATIONS ............................................................ 16 STUDY RESEARCHERS AND CO-AUTHORS ............................................. 17 STUDY PARTICIPANTS’BACKGROUND AND STATUS ....................................... 18 I. OVERVIEW OF PUBLIC INTEREST SECTOR ATTORNEYS ................................. 18 II. STUDY PARTICIPANTS’DEMOGRAPHIC BACKGROUND ................................ 20 A. AGE ................................................................... 20 B. ETHNICITY/NATIONAL ORIGIN ............................................... 21 C. RACE .................................................................. 22 D. GENERATIONAL LEVEL ..................................................... 23 E. PREDOMINANT LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME .................................... 24 F. MARITAL AND FAMILY STATUS ............................................... 25 G. FAMILY’S EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND ........................ 27 H. SUMMARY OF THE STUDY PARTICIPANTS’DEMOGRAPHIC BACKGROUNDS .............. 28 III. PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND AND STATUS ........................................ 29 A. LEGAL EDUCATION ........................................................ 29 B. YEARS OF LEGAL EXPERIENCE ............................................... 30 C. INITIAL ENTRY INTO THE LEGAL PROFESSION .................................... 31 D. YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST AND PRIVATE SECTORS ............... 32 E. CURRENT PUBLIC INTEREST EMPLOYER ........................................