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CHIEF JUSTICE CONTRERAS ’90 AND JUSTICE YANEZ
DISCUSS TRAILBLAZING PATHS AT UHLC HISPANIC
HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION
s part of Hispanic Heritage Month, the University of Houston Law importance of a strong work ethic, and just sticking with it. In my
ACenter, in collaboration with the Hispanic Law Alumni, held an case being a single mother in college could have derailed me, it could
online discussion this fall with prominent Hispanic judges, attorneys, have stopped me, but I found a way.”
leaders, and students. Featuring Chief Justice Dori Contreras ’90 “It is so important to take a moment like this to truly highlight our
and Justice Linda Yanez, both of the 13th Court of Appeals, the talent and celebrate our heritage and our culture,” said co-chair of
event highlighted the challenges and opportunities they faced due the Hispanic Law Alumni Network and Court of Appeals Justice for
to ethnicity and their tenacity in pursuing a law degree and career the First District of Texas Veronica Rivas-Malloy ’01 said. “These two
success despite societal skepticism in what was a very Anglo male trailblazing justices have truly paved the way for women and Hispanic
dominated profession. attorneys of the judiciary, and I am inspired by them.”
Both mission-driven, Yanez was appointed to the Texas Court of Eric Munoz ’06, a partner with Akin Gump law firm, also serves as
Appeals in 1993 as the first Latina state appellate judge in the State co-chair of the Hispanic Law Alumni Network.
and the first woman to serve as Justice on the 13th Court of Appeals.
Contreras was the first woman to be elected Chief Justice of the Texas Led by Dean Leonard Baynes and streamed live via Zoom, speakers
13th Court of Appeals and the second Latina statewide to hold the discussed questions posed by attendees and offered tips on how
office of Chief Justice. to prepare and overcome cultural stigmas, past and present ethnic
“Being female and Latina were not barriers,” Yanez said. “They were stereotypes and how to turn the challenges of cultural differences
into strengths.
my fuel, my metal which gave me the audacity to believe that I could
change the course of the narrative.” Baynes mentioned how demographics are changing. This year alone,
Contreras added, “When I speak to young students, I share with them the Law Center boasts one of its largest student classes with the
highest median LSAT in over a decade and the highest median GPA in
that I’m no different from them and I encourage them to pursue their recorded history. It is 55.5 percent female, almost 40 percent minority
educational goals, but more importantly to not let life’s obstacles and almost 20 percent Hispanic. ^
stop them, because we all have to confront challenges… I stress the
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