The Hispanic National Bar Association convened its 34th annual convention and first judicial summit in Albuquerque, New Mexico on September 2 to 6. The event gathered hundreds of Latino professionals, including judges, government and private sector attorneys, law professors, and nonprofit lawyers from across the nation to discuss the advances Latinos have made within the profession, including the historic significance of the appointment of HNBA member Judge Sonia Sotomayor as associate justice to the Supreme Court. She is the first Hispanic American and only the third woman to serve on the nation's highest court.
The convention and summit also addressed the challenges that remain within the legal profession for the Hispanic community.Amongthe prominent leaders who spoke are United States Attorney General Eric Holder, Senator Tom Udall (D-NM), Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, Thomas A. Saenz, MALDEF president and general counsel, and Edward Chavez, chief justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court.
At the closing gala dinner and dance, Còsar Perales, president and general counsel of Latino Justice (PRLDEF), received the Lifetime Achievement Award.