NOTICIAS. Federico Rodriguez, President of HLAI. Inside this issue: July Newsletter. President s Message 1-2 Featured Committee 2

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1 July Newsletter OFFICERS President Federico M. Rodriguez President Elect Alejandro Menchaca Immediate Past President Salvador Cicero Communications Secretary Luana Montoya Membership Secretary Spiridoula (Litza) Mavrothalasitis Recording Secretary Alfredo Maldonado Treasurer Celia Meza-Utreras Board of Directors Ernesto Palomo Damian Ortiz Martha Victoria Diaz Steve Hernandez Iris Chavira Sergio Acosta HLAI Telephone Number HLAI Website Noticias Editor Jeff Prokaski Inside this issue: President s Message 1-2 Featured Committee 2 Calendar of Events 3 Announcements 4-5 Recent Event Photos 6-7 Job Opportunities 8-9 Contact 10 Membership 11 President s Message Chicago, Illinois, July 9, 2012 Dear Colleagues and Friends: It was heartwarming to see so many of you at our new Board s induction ceremony hosted by President Elect Alejandro Menchaca s firm, McAndrews Held & Malloy on June 7, On behalf of HLAI, I wish to extend our deepest gratitude for your ongoing support and well wishes. A very special thank you to Alonzo Rivas, Regional Counsel of MALDEF, for his keynote remarks and to the Hon. Edmund Ponce de Leon, Presiding Judge of the County Division of Cook County, for conducting the oath. Federico Rodriguez, President of HLAI We have a very progressive agenda for this upcoming year. Of note, there is the recent creation of the Joint Committee for Fair Judiciary Representation ( JCFR ) ; HLAI s new collaboration with the LGBTQ Immigrant Rights Coalition of Chicago (see Featured Committee); and let s not forget our mission to Mexico City this September by invitation of the Mexican Supreme Court. The JCFR spontaneously grew out of my deep disappointment that no Latina/o was elected as an associate judge in Cook County in the last round of such elections this April. Out of nine associate positions, none went to the either of the two vetted Latino candidates. As it is, the number of Hispanic judges in Cook County represents only about five percent of all judges. This is a huge problem when contrasted with a county-wide Latino population of approximately 24%. I immediately reached out to HLAI leadership and that of our sister organizations, the Puerto Rican Bar Association ( PRBA ) and the Hispanic National Bar Association ( HNBA ). The response was magnificent, resulting in the creation of the JCFR. We recently met with Chief Judge Evans, who very graciously welcomed ideas to help find positive solutions to this Latino deficiency in the judiciary. We plan similar Continued on page 2

2 PAGE 2 Continued from page 1 meetings with the Illinois Supreme Court and other governmental agencies. We will keep you updated as to our efforts. There is our historic mission to Mexico City by invitation of the Mexican Supreme Court scheduled September Immediate Past-President Salvador Cicero s efforts increased the prestige of this organization when he arranged the presence of Mexican Supreme Court Justice Franco in Chicago last November. This visit was so successful that the Mexican Supreme Court extended an invitation to HLAI to visit. We have already heard from over twenty members who intend on going. Special pricing offered by Melia Mexico Reforma Hotel is $1,570 pesos for single occupancy (approx. $115 dollars), and $1,760 pesos for double (approx. $129 dollars). Airfare through Aeromexico is around $560 per person. If interested, contact Salvador Cicero at (773) or abogados.chicago2@gmail.com. I look forward to working for you this year. Federico M. Rodriguez Featured Committee: LGBT COMMITTEE Through the hard work of our LGBT Committee, HLAI recently became a member of the LGBTQ Immigrants Rights Coalition of Chicago. The members of this coalition collaborate to advance immigrant rights legislation and public policy that, among other things, provides a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants in the U.S; respects human rights and civil liberties; is inclusive of same-sex couples and LGBTQ individuals; and promotes family unity that is inclusive of families headed by same-sex partners or individuals. On June 18, there was legislative breakfast coordinated by the Coalition attended by Congressman Gutierrez, Congressman Quigley, and the office of Congresswoman Schakowsky. Roberto M. Romero-Perez represented HLAI. Among the important issues discussed is working to produce a document or memorandum from the federal government that clarifies the exercise of prosecutorial discretion for undocumented immigrants who have U.S. citizens as same-sex partners. If you are interested in participating in this Committee or would like more information, please contact Committee Chair, Roberto M. Romero-Perez at roberto.romero@perrom.com

3 7/4/12: Happy 4th of July July HLAI Events PAGE 3 7/9/12: JCFR meeting at 6:00 PM hosted at Rodriguez Legal Group, LLC. Restricted to members! 7/11/12: HLAI meeting at 5:30 PM hosted at Rodriguez Legal Group, LLC. Restricted to board members! 7/16/12: The Institue for Inclusion in the Legal Profession s Diversity Networking Reception from 6:30-9:30 will include hors d oeurves and cocktails. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP, will be hosting at their firm located at 155 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL United States Court of Appeals Judge for the S e v e n t h C i r c u i t, Honorable Ann Claire W i l l i a m s w i l l b e delivering remarks that evening. Sun Mon Tue Wed Independence Day 8 9 JCFR Meeting Diversity Networking Reception HLAI Board Meeting Thu Fri HNBA Voting Deadline CLE Corner None scheduled. Stay posted for future CLEs. Sat 7/31/12: Voting for the HNBA Board of Governors will conclude on this day at 11:59 PM EST

4 Announcements PAGE 4 HLAI, the PRBA, and the HNBA Region IX seek to identify individuals interested in the position of United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. If you are, please contact Federico M. Rodriguez at frodriguez@rlegalgroup.com by July 24, New DREAM Advocacy Effort The Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) is launching a new advocacy effort for the DREAM Act. The effort involves promoting a model resolution in state legislatures urging Congress to pass the DREAM Act. This grassroots campaign will be an ongoing effort, meant to keep the DREAM Act in the national consciousness. Several national organizations are partnering with the HNBA in this important effort: DRM Capitol Group, Latino Justice PRLDEF, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), and the National Latino/a Law Student Association (NLLSA). The DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act) would provide certain undocumented youth, who arrived in this country as minors, with a credible path to legal residency by satisfying certain conditions, among them graduating from high school or earning a GED. They would also be expected to attend college or serve in our country s armed forces. Once enacted, the DREAM Act will help eliminate the legal limbo of the approximately 65,000 students who finish high school each year but are unable to pursue their dreams of going to college, enrolling in the military, or getting a job simply because they are undocumented. The DREAM Act is a matter of simple justice and fairness. It is good for our country. And it is the right thing to do. When it comes to making the DREAM Act a reality, HNBA is in it for the long run. And we appreciate our partners who share the same vision for the Act, -Stated HNBA President Benny Agosto, Jr. Materials for the DREAM Act campaign can be found on the HNBA s website at &e=fcb2668b95. Additional updates will be forthcoming on the website. # # # The Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) is an incorporated, not-for-profit, national membership organization that represents the interests of the more than 100,000 Hispanic attorneys, judges, law professors, legal assistants, and law students in the United States and its territories. For more information about the HNBA, please visit

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6 What We re Up To PAGE 6 Over Labor Day weekend, President Federico Rodriguez generously hosted HLAI members at his residence for a Taquiza! The 2012 HLAI Induction Ceremony was hosted by McAndrews Held & Malloy on June 7, ABOVE: Past, prsent, and future HLAI Presidents. LEFT: HLAI Latina Lawyers

7 What We re Up To Continued PAGE 7 RIGHT: Armando Gamboa, Sergio Acosta, and Alejandro Menchaca at the HLAI induction ceremony. B E - LOW: On June 28th, Cicero Law Firm and Rodriguez Legal Group, LLC, hosted a fundraiser for the Cook County State s Attorney, Anita Alvarez at Lalo s on Maxwell Street in Chicago!

8 Jobs and Volunteer Opportunities PAGE 8 Experienced Attorney The U.S. Attorney s Office (USAO) for the Northern District of Illinois is looking for experienced attorneys. Please note that these are term appointments. Justice is seeking to attract, retain, and promote individuals of exceptional ability and talent from all walks of life. The work environment at atmosphere is open, diverse, collegial, and inclusive. There are active affinity groups for African-American; Asian-American; Hispanic; LGBT; and Native American employees, which are open to all DOJ employees regardless of background. Justice fosters a work environment where people of all backgrounds and experiences may reach their full potential. These and other attorney vacancy announcements can be found at: Executive Director The Domestic Violence Legal Clinic (DVLC) of Chicago, seeks an Executive Director. DVLC provides legal representation to survivors of domestic violence in the areas of obtaining emergency orders of protection and divorce. DVLC seeks a highly motivated individual with strong legal, leadership and management skills to drive DVLC forward in fulfilling its mission. Please send a cover letter, resume, and three references to iotoole@dvlcchicago.org. Class A Office Space Galarnyk & Associates, Ltd of Chicago is a small, high quality civil litigation and business boutique law firm with 4 employees seeking a space in offices of a high quality practice firm willing to handle commercial and transaction work, and when necessary, support in substantial litigation matters. They are not looking to merge, but would consider an of counsel relationship in the right circumstances. Experienced Litigation Attorney Macey Bankruptcy Law of Chicago is a large transactional firm that seeks experiences litigation attorney for in-house litigation. Position involves representing the law firm in all aspects of litigation both as defense and plaintiffs counsel. Applicant attorney should have excellent quality of work, strong organizational skills, ability to provide oral and/or written weekly updates to GC, and review and enforce protocols for managing outside counsel. Staff Attorney Dovenmuehle Mortgage Inc. in Lake Zurich, IL is seeking a Staff Attorney to provide analysis, advice, and counsel on a wide variety of legal issues in the mortgage servicing and subservicing arena. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following: Provide legal analysis, advice and counsel to the company s officers and managers concerning assigned corporate, financial, regulatory, personnel, and contractual matters; actively support, as assigned, internal business departments such as customer service, default, and loss mitigation.

9 Attorneys with Litigation Experience PAGE 9 The Illinois Attorney General's Office really would like to get the word out to talented attorneys (especially minorities) about opportunities in their office. Right now, they are desperately looking for someone in Worker's Compensation and will be posting soon for a position in their Consumer Fraud Bureau. Both positions call for attorneys with about 3 years of general litigation experience. If you know anyone who might qualify please feel free to share this information. More information about the vacancies is at (access the About Us tab to find job opportunities). Intellectual Property Quarles & Brandy, LLP, has an opening for an Intellectual Property Junior Associate position in their Tucson office. Please find the position description here if interested: Attorney for Students The University of Illinois at Chicago is seeking applicants for the position of Attorney, Student Legal Service. The position provides leadership and oversight for the programs and services of the Student Legal Service. The University of Illinois at Chicago is large, urban, public research one institution with a highly diverse student population. The position reports to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs/Dean of Students. Responsibilities include: develop the strategic direction and goals for the Student Legal Service; develop comprehensive programs and services to address the legal needs of UIC students; advise, counsel, and guide students in regards to their legal concerns and rights within various areas of the law; represent student clients in court hearings and mediations; research legal precedent and procedure, statutes and decisions, legal articles, codes and other documents; investigate facts and laws to prepare for cases; prepare legal documents including affidavits and contracts; present educational workshops and presentations for students; supervise paralegal and student staff; direct the daily operations of the service including human resources, financial management, information systems, customer service, and quality improvement; consult and collaborate with internal and external constituencies. The position is full time and available July, Applicants must possess a Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school. Applicants must be licensed to practice law by the State Bar of Illinois. A minimum of six years experience in general legal practice including courtroom experience is required. Legal research skills and knowledge of a variety of areas of law including consumer, criminal, landlord/tenant, contract, and traffic law is required. Effective supervisory, leadership, managerial, communication, and consulting skills are essential. The ability to effectively collaborate with internal and external constituencies is necessary. Experience working in a higher education environment and involvement in professional organizations and activities are preferred. For fullest consideration, submit your cover letter, resume, and transcripts along with contact information of three references at: by August 3, Membership Renewal Joining or renewing has never been easier. To join or renew your membership, either go to our website, and pay via Paypal or the HLAI Membership Secretary at hlaimembership@yahoo.com. The membership form is also attached to pages 9 and 10 of this newsletter. Newsletter Members are encouraged to contribute their announcements, job and volunteer opportunities, and pictures by sending them to info@rlegalgroup.com. Please title your message as Newsletter.

10 HISPANIC LAWYERS ASSOCIATION OF ILLINOIS ( HLAI ) MEMBERSHIP FORM Calendar Year 2012 * Required Fields * Renewal (update information) * New Membership * Name: First Middle Last *Business Name: * Business Address: Website Domain: *Business Phone: - - Fax No. - - * Address: Title: *If you prefer to be contacted elsewhere, please provide alternate information: Mailing Address: Phone: - - Fax No. - - *I am (check all that apply): 1 an attorney licensed to practice in Illinois, admitted in (year); 2 an attorney licensed to practice in (other state(s) and year(s)); 3 a judge presiding in, since (year); 4 an adm. law judge/arbitrator/hearing officer for, since (year); 5 a law professor at, since (year); and /or 6 a law student at, with an expected graduation date of (year). Law school attended (or attending) and year of graduation: *ANNUAL DUES: $ sustaining member; $ patron member; $ contributing member; $50.00 more than five years of practice; $35.00 five years of practice or less; $10 for law students DUES OPTION: A combined 2012 and 2013 membership fee is available: $65.00 more than five years of practice; $50.00 five years of practice or less PAGE 10 * Membership applications approved on or after December 1 are considered to be for the remainder of that calendar year and the following calendar year. Applications approved on or before November 30 are considered to be for the remainder of 2012 and dues are not prorated, unless you select the DUES OPTION. Donations: HLAI Charities [tax deductible, enclose a separate check payable to HLAI Charities ] 1a Community Food Baskets Fund 1b JD Mentors Program 2 Latina Lawyers Committee 3 General Fund Total Amount Enclosed HLAI is an Affiliate of the Hispanic National Bar Association. As an HLAI member, for a $20 annual fee, you can join the Hispanic National Bar Association as an Affiliate Attorney. HLAI does not take payment on behalf of the HNBA. Please visit to become a member of the HNBA. Please return this completed form and dues payable to The Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois to: Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois, 321 South Plymouth Court, 6 th Floor, Chicago, IL If paying on-line please this form to smavrothalasitis@jenner.com with HLAI Membership in the Subject. Date: Signature

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