HNBA Supprts Application of the Matthew Shepard to Thwart Hate Crimes

February 4, 2010 — The Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) calls upon the local authorities in Puerto Rico and United States federal authorities to continue to investigate and ultimately prosecute the murder of Jorge Steven Lopez Martinez under the recently enacted Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (“the Matthew Shepard Act”).  The Matthew Shepard Act permits the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute hate crimes in which the victim is targeted because of sexual orientation, race, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity or disability.  In late 2009, Mr. Lopez, a gay Puerto Rican teenager, was murdered, decapitated and dismembered, and his body was partially burned.  The crime, which occurred in Puerto Rico, appears to have been motivated because of the victim’s sexual orientation.  The alleged perpetrator, Juan Martinez Matos, was recently found competent to stand trial, but has not yet been charged with committing a hate crime under the Matthew Shepard Act.

HNBA Announces Recipients of the 2010 Top Lawyers Under 40 Awards

February 3, 2010  – The Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) congratulates five (5) accomplished HNBA members under the age of 40 who have distinguished themselves as young lawyers in the upper echelon of the legal profession nationwide.  The Association is proud to announce that it has selected the following attorneys to receive its prestigious Top Lawyers Under Forty Award (listed in alphabetical order):

HNBA: A Disturbing Trend in Law School Diversity Portends Serious Implications for U.S. Society

January 11, 2010–A joint project of the Society of American Law Teachers (SALT) and the Lawyering in the Digital Age Clinic at the Columbia University School of Law has resulted in data that shows a disturbing trend in law school diversity.  While the results are not surprising, the project underscores that efforts to enhance diversity in law school enrollment have not been effective.

Mid-Year Conference & 15th Annual Uvaldo Herrera National Moot Court Competition

March 4-6, 2010
San Diego, CA

OHBA’s 4th Annual Award Dinner

February 26, 2010
Portland, OR

The California Citizens Redistricting Commission-San Diego

February 4, 2010
San Diego, CA

HNBA Sponsors ABA CLE Program “Diversity on the Bench: Is the “Wise Latina a Myth?”

February 3-9, 2010
Orlando, FL

Legislative Day & Capital Awards Ceremony

May 11-13, 2010
Washington, DC

35th Annual Convention

September 8-11, 2010
Minneapolis, MN

Message from the President

(HNBA National President Román D. Hernández’s Remarks Delivered at the 2009 HNBA National Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico on September 5, 2009.) Thank you, Justice Smith for that kind introduction. It means a lot to me to have Justice Smith swear me in because he is the epitome of professionalism, and is someone who I have known for a considerable amount of time and is someone who I deeply respect.

2009-2010 Sponsors