Page 16 - Phoenix Vol 11 No 4

Latinas
on the Rise
BY ASHLEY VILLAVERDE HALVORSON, LATINA COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR
The Los Abogados Latina Com- mittee is proud to be celebrat- ing its rst year. Los Abogados,
however, has historically been a place where Latinas in the profession have found support from one another.
It was many years ago when mem- ber, Hon. Mary Murguía, now serv- ing on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, formed a Latina book club that evolved in positive ways over the years. In 2004, the group started the Latina Brunch, which for many years was hosted by long-time Latina lawyer champion, Maricopa County Superior Court Commissioner Mina Méndez (Ret.).
More recently, the brunch has been hosted by Los Abogados board mem- bers, a Fall Reception has been added to the annual agenda, and both events have always been well-attended by law students, lawyers and judges. e brunch was my rst-ever Los Aboga- dos event as a law student. It was both comforting–as as I did not otherwise see many students or attorneys who looked like me–and inspiring to see so many accomplished and diverse women coming together as friends and mentors.
With the growth of social media, so too rose the connections amongst Latinas in the group. Commissioner Mendéz created a private Facebook group and Judge Murguía gave us an apt title: the Latina Mentoring Project. More than just a brunch or Facebook group, this network of 260 professional Latinas serves as a place to ask questions, nd and o er jobs and mentorship opportunities, and
even score a last-minute ticket to a networking event. It has been a place for Latinas to nd and encourage one another in a profession where we are statistically outnumbered by a stag- gering degree.
In 2018, it became clear that Los Abogados could do more to delib- erately serve the needs of our La- tina members. With the rise of the #MeToo movement, we re ected critically on our own policies, and made some changes that we believe are leading toward progress. One of those changes was the formation of a dedicated, standing Latina Commit- tee. e Committee convened and we identi ed areas in which we could best serve our members, and devel- oped the following mission:
“It is the mission of the Los Abo- gados Latina Committed to promote the inclusion and advancement of Latinas within Los Abogados and in the broader legal profession by: (1) providing professional and leadership development; (2) providing oppor- tunities to connect with and support one another; and (3) providing rec- ommendations to the Los Abogados board of directors as needed.”
e Committed has planned and hosted professional network- ing events, including a CLE regard- ing harassment in the workplace in the #MeToo era, and the Latina Power Hour, which will be a regu- lar networking opportunity hosted throughout the year. We will continue providing high quality and relevant programming, and will continue to supporttheLatinaMentoringProject.
In addition to forming the Com- mittee, Los Abogados amended its bylaws to include anti-harassment and anti-bullying policies. Los Aboga- dos is Committed to providing an in- clusive, open, and safe environment, and to supporting our members and any and all victims of harassment or abuse. Importantly, the Committed has made recommendations for mak- ing the complaint process more acces- sible and useful to members, and will continue to make important policy recommendations in various other contexts.
As a past president of Los Aboga- dos, I am proud to I have a circle of Latinas who have been a tremendous source of support for me professional- ly and personally. So while the Com- mittee itself is fairly new, the network of Latina lawyers has always been strong. I attribute this to the trailblaz- ers who recognized the importance of and have been generous in mentoring Latinas following in their footsteps. It is upon these incredible shoulders we stand, and the reason the commit- tee looks forward to carrying on this legacy.
A PARTNER WITH JONES, SKELTON & HOCHULI, ASH- LEY VILLAVERDE HALVOR- SON REPRESENTS INSUR- ERS IN MATTERS INVOLV- ING BAD FAITH, INSURANCE
COVERAGE, AND PERSONAL INJURY AND WRONGFUL DEATH. A PASSIONATE SUP- PORTER OF DIVERSITY IN THE LEGAL PRO- FESSION, ASHLEY SERVES ON THE FIRM’S DIVERSITY & INCLUSION COMMITTEE, CHAIRS THE JSH DIVERSITY LEGAL WRIT- ING PROGRAM, AND IS A DIRECTOR AND PASTPRESIDENTOFLOSABOGADOS.
THE LATINA FALL RECEPTION HOSTED BY JONES, SKELTON & HOCHULI
ATTORNEY AT LAW MAGAZINE · PHOENIX· VOL. 11 NO. 4 16