The Hispanic Issues Section is announcing the creation of a Hardship Committee to identify needs of and to assist section members facing difficult issues in their lives and practices, whether or not related to the pandemic or recent winter crisis.

Please see this letter for more details. 

And please help us identify needs and useful resources by completing this survey. (We expect the survey to take on average 15 minutes to complete.)

With your help, we can support our colleagues when they need us most!

As a result of the extraordinary impacts of the winter storm throughout Texas, this CLE has been rescheduled from its original date to Tuesday, March 2, 2021.  We hope that all of you have stayed safe and warm during this crisis.  Please click here to visit the State Bar of Texas’ Disaster Relief Resources page if you or anyone you know has legal needs arising from the storm.

Please join the Hispanic Issues Section and our co-hosts the Hispanic Bar Association of Austin and the Dallas Hispanic Bar Association for a free CLE at noon on Tuesday, March 2, with judges sharing their insights and lessons learned on their unique paths to the bench.

Our panelists include county court, district court, and appellate judges from around the state.

Click here for the flyer, or

Click here to register. 

We hope to see you on March 2!  In addition, the Hispanic Issues Section notes that March 8 is International Women’s Day – we invite you to visit the websites of the National Association of Women Judges and the International Association of Women Judges to learn more about the incredible contributions and impact of women in the judiciary throughout the United States and around the world.

PLEASE VISIT THIS TEXAS ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOUNDATION LINK TO SIGN UP AND DONATE!

DATE AND TIME: September 16, 2020, 5:00 – 6:30 pm

The Hispanic Issues Section is sponsoring a fun game night featuring a version of the popular loteria game benefiting legal aid.

Benefiting  
The Texas Access to Justice Foundation and legal aid efforts throughout Texas.

Special Guests
Distinguished Guest: Justice Eva Guzman
Host: Sylvia Firth, SBOT President-elect
Retired Judge Elsa Alcala
Justice Leticia Hinojosa
Justice Rebeca Martinez
Amanda Arriaga
Pablo Almaguer
Domingo Garcia
Jim Harrington

Where
Zoom
The Zoom link will be sent to you upon registration. 

Door Prizes & Intermission Entertainment!

SIGN UP HERE!

Flyer with More Information

The Hispanic Issues Section has proudly joined its colleagues in the African American Laywers Section, the Asian Pacific Interest Section, the LGBT Law Section, the Native American Bar Section, the Women in the Law Section, and the Texas Minority Counsel Program, in issuing a joint statement regarding recent comments by State Bar of Texas President Larry McDougal, and in support of the position taken by the African American Lawyers Section.

Read the entire statement here.

View the video presentation here!

The Hispanic Issues Section gives out three named awards each year at the Annual Meeting of the State Bar of Texas, along with several other awards.

This year our awards recipients are:

• Reynaldo G Garza Lifetime Achievement Award: Roy R. Barrera, Sr.
• Pete Torres Jr. Community Service Award: Jose Angel Gutierrez and Chris Luna
• James W. Wray, Jr. Founder’s Award: Renato Santos, Jr.
• Judge of the Year Award: Justice Gisela D. Triana
• Legislator of the Year Award: Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia
• Chair’s Award: Justice Gina M. Benavides
• Access to Justice Award: El Paso Bar Association

You can learn more about our awards, and find a list of our past award recipients, by clicking this link.

The Hispanic Issues Section has issued a statement (click here to view) regarding the death of George Floyd.  We encourage our members and all of our colleagues across the country to take a stand for equality and justice.

The Hispanic Issues Section encourages all members to nominate attorneys to apply for the LeadershipSBOT program, a diversity initiative designed to recruit, train, and retain Texas lawyers for leadership positions in the legal community and the State Bar of Texas.  See the nomination form (click here) or the notice letter (click here) for more details!  The deadline for nominations is Tuesday, June 30.

Here is a list of upcoming events involving the Hispanic Issues Section or local Hispanic bar associations, or other sections of the State Bar of Texas.  Click on event listings for registration information.

Special Events

Want your event on the list?  Email us!

• June 25, 2020 – SBOT Virtual Annual Meeting (HIS programming is in the afternoon) – Details

Local Hispanic Bar Association Monthly Meetings

This list has information about regular monthly meetings for local associations around Texas.  If you have any updated information or want to add your group to the list, please email us!

Austin – Hispanic Bar Association of Austin

When held, monthly meetings typically are held on the second Friday of the month at noon at the offices of the Austin Bar Association, 816 Congress Avenue, 7th Floor.  Main website – email

Houston – Mexican-American Bar Association of Houston

Monthly meetings typically are held on the second Monday of each month at 5:30 (monthly CLE) and 6:45 (meeting) at Lupe Tortilla, 1511 Shepherd Drive.  Facebook page – email

HIS was saddened to learn of the recent passing of Judge Timoteo (Tim) Gonzalez, an HIS Member, as well as a member of the Mexican American Bar Association of Texas and a former president of the Dallas Mexican American Bar Association.

A memorial mass for Judge Gonzalez will be held Wednesday, November 6, 2019, 6:30 pm at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, 9643 Ferndale Road, Dallas, TX 75238.

You can read Judge Gonzalez’s obituary information here.  Our thoughts are with Judge Gonzalez’s family at this difficult time. 

The Hispanic Issues Section’s latest newsletter is out now!  Click here to read the newsletter.

Are you a member, but did not receive the newsletter?  Let us know!

The Hispanic Issues Section and all of its members’ thoughts are with the citizens of El Paso following the tragedy that unfolded on August 3, 2019.

Attorneys from El Paso and throughout the state have mobilized to provide a variety of forms of assistance to survivors, their families, and others affected.

The State Bar of Texas has collected a list of resources that are available – please click here to review the list.

The Texas Bar Journal has published an article about El Paso and the El Paso Bar Association and the legal community’s tremendous response.

Click here for the Texas Bar Journal’s online version of the article.

Click here for a PDF of the article.

Article republished courtesy of the Texas Bar Journal and Amy Starnes.

The Hispanic Issues Section has selected its officers for the 2018-2019 bar year.  Your officers for 2018-2019 are:

• Justice Gina M. Benavides, Chair
• Valerie Carrillo, Chair-Elect
• Larry Banda, Vice-Chair
• Judge Victor Villareal, Secretary
• Jamie Vasquez, Treasurer
• Betty Balli Torres, Immediate Past Chair