Chair's Message
Maria Salas Mendoza
Judge, 120th District Court
El Paso, Texas
Greetings! I’m Maria Salas Mendoza, and I am honored to serve as the Chair of our Section this year. With the officers and council members (and many former council members who I insist stay on to support us), I am excited to roll out the coming year and its projects. Thank you for being a member of the Section, and for supporting the development of our profession addressing the issues of the Hispanic community and serving our members across the State of Texas. Many thanks to Immediate Past Chair Angelica Hernandes for a fantastic year highlighting the 70th Anniversary of Hernandez v. State as well as celebrating the 45th Anniversary of our section. She is a tough act to follow.
This year I hope to grow our Section. I am surprised that we are only a medium section in the Bar. Know that I will be reaching out to have you join our committees and recruit members to our Section. Why? Along with dynamic CLE (free to members!) and networking opportunities, the HIS reaches out and supports law students and serves various access to justice efforts. I have to mention the 5th Annual LawTeria event set on September 24, 2024. Over the years, we have contributed over $200,000 to access to justice efforts in our state. It is a fun time and recognizes important “firsts” in our history. Thank you to co-chairs and HIS members Judge Victor Villarreal and Betty Balli Torres for the heavy lifting on putting on this year’s event.
I am committed to improving communication with members, increasing the benefits of membership, and listening to the needs of our lawyers. By serving you we can better serve our community.
Council Officers committed to serving you:
Chair-Elect: Christoper Pineda (Brownsville)
Vice-Chair: Veronica Legarreta (San Antonio)
Secretary: Isaac Faz (Dallas)
Treasurer: Augustin “Augie” Rivera (Corpus Christi)
Immediate Past-Chair: Angelica Hernandez (Houston)
On behalf of the council, thank you again for your membership and participation in our programs. Reach out to me directly or any council member with any concerns, questions or offers to serve!
Looking forward to serving you and another great year for our Section!
Maria Salas Mendoza, Chair, Hispanic Issues Section of the State Bar of Texas
Judge, 120th District Court