Page 24 - Miami Vol 8 No 1

2019 SUPERSTAR
Raquel
“Rocky”
Rodriguez
AALM: When did you rst know you want- ed to become an attorney?
Rodriguez: My mother rst planted the thought and would share articles about local law rms. My father studied law in Cuba be- fore he ran for and was elected to the Cuban House of Representatives. Serving as a juror in a mock trial and hearing Associate Dean of the Law School Alan Swan say, “If you like staying up late at night wrestling with ideas, the law is for you,” sealed it! I fell in love with the law and being a lawyer my rst day of law school.
AALM: Do you have any mentors or professors who encouraged you?
PHOTO BY CHRIS BRIDGE
I also had amazing mentors throughout my education and career. At my rst rm, Green- berg Traurig, I had the great fortune to know and work closely with the rm founders, Mel Greenberg, Bob Traurig and Larry Ho man. ey took a personal interest in the careers of the lawyers at the rm, including the as- sociates. is culture of mentorship extended throughout the rm. Alan Dimond (former Florida Bar President) and Hilarie Bass (for- mer ABA President) encouraged and support- ed me from my rst volunteer position in the Dade County Bar Association Young Lawyers
Section through to my becoming Chair of the ABA Young Lawyers Di- vision. Another Greenberg partner, Sue Cobb (later US
Rodriguez: My parents were
my rst and greatest men-
tors. ey taught me that
with hard work and vocabulary. e greatest lessons they involved me in Repub-
perseverance, I could accomplish anything. e word “can’t” was never in my vocabu- lary. e greatest les- sons they taught me
taught me stemmed from the tragedy of having lost their homeland, Cuba, to communism and having to seek exile in the United States. ...
their homeland, Cuba,
to communism and having
to seek exile in the United
States. ey always reminded
me that no one could take away your education or your reputation, even if they took all your worldly possessions. eir words of wisdom have served me in everything I have ever done.
Governor Jeb Bush. AALM: What rst drew you to your rm? Tell us
about your role there. Rodriguez: I joined McDonald
Hopkins in 2011 and founded the Miami of- ce. I am the managing member of the Miami o ce and serve on the rm’s board of direc- tors.
e word “can’t” was never in my Ambassador to Jamaica),
lican politics, which eventually led to my role as one of the lead lawyers for George W. Bush in the 2000 Presidential Election stemmed from the no one could take away your Litigation and to serve tragedy of having lost education or your reputation, as General Counsel to
ey always reminded me that
even if they took all your worldlypossessions.”
ATTORNEY AT LAW MAGAZINE · MIAMI · VOL. 8 NO. 1 24
Transforming Florida.