The Hispanic Issues Section joins the Hispanic National Bar Association, the Dallas Hispanic Bar Association, and countless groups across the country in mourning the recent passing of attorney, activist and civil rights leader Adelfa Botello Callejo. Mrs. Callejo was a two-time recipient of the Hispanic Issues Section Reynaldo G. Garza Lifetime Achievement Award, given to an attorney or judge who has demonstrated a long commitment and made great achievement in addressing concerns and issues affecting the Hispanic community and to the Hispanic Bar in Texas and has worked toward advancing diversity and access to justice in the practice of law.
Among Mrs. Callejo’s numerous civil rights activities were her 1973 protest of the police shooting of 12-year-old Santos Rodriguez in Dallas’ Little Mexico neighborhood, 1982 protests against deportations from an Oak Cliff neighborhood that broke up families, efforts in the early 1990s to bring single-member districts to Dallas City Council elections, and more recently, marches and protests against harsh immigration policies.
The Hispanic Issues Section invites you to learn more about Mrs. Callejo’s tremendous efforts to make the legal profession and our communities more inclusive by reviewing these tributes to and informational pieces about Mrs. Callejo:
- Dallas Morning News article about Mrs. Callejo’s life and achievements
- Texas Legal Legends interview with Mrs. Callejo (Microsoft Silverlight plugin required)
- Hispanic National Bar Association Email Regarding Mrs. Callejo
- Remarks from Dallas Hispanic Bar Association President Elisabeth Wilson (PDF)
- Dallas Hispanic Bar Association Tribute Slideshow (PDF)
Mrs. Callejo will be terribly missed and the Hispanic Issues Section extends our sincerest condolences to her family, friends, and the countless individuals whose lives she touched.