2018-2019 Section Report

As reported to the State Bar of Texas and included in the July 2019 issue of the Texas Bar Journal

An ongoing goal of the Hispanic Issues Section is to promote diversity in the legal profession.  The section accomplished this goal by promoting diversity within the State Bar of Texas.  The section has been actively promoting diversity on the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors by submitting qualified names for the at-large director position. 

The section also ensures that it is included in CLE programs, especially since bar meetings and programs have been in the Austin area, which can limit representation of minorities.  The section has offset this by doing free CLE programs in Lubbock and Tyler.

The section also addresses the ongoing immigration issues at the border by partnering with the American Bar Association Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights & Responsibilities and its chair, Richard Pena, to provide pro bono services in the Rio Grande Valley.  Betty Balli Torres, a former section chair, spent a weekend assisting in the processing of asylum seekers and refugees. The section will continue to work on this endeavor. The section hopes to continue to serve as the voice of Hispanic attorneys and its community to bring their concerns to the attention of the State Bar.