During National Hispanic Heritage Month, it is important that we remember to take time to reflect and honor the culture and contributions of the U.S. Latino/a/x and Hispanic communities now and throughout the year.

The accomplishments of Hispanic and Latino/a/x Americans have been central to the advancement of our society, state, nation, and the University of Houston Law Center. Beginning as a weeklong observance in September 1968, the Hispanic Heritage Month expanded in 1989 to a 31-day celebration from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. This a significant timeframe reflecting that Sept. 15 is the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico celebrates its Independence Day on Sept. 16 followed by Chile on Sept. 18.

When we opened the doors of our new John M. O’Quinn Law Building for the fall semester, we were proud to announce that the entering class for 2022 is one of our most diverse and academically accomplished with the highest median undergraduate GPA of 3.7 and tied with the highest median LSAT of 161, in the Law Center’s history.

In this year’s cohort of J.D. students, about 47.3% are from underrepresented backgrounds of which 16.8% are Hispanic or Latino/a/x students. Our LL.M. class represents 20 countries including Bolivia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. The largest number of LL.M. students representing any individual country, besides the United States, is Mexico.

We have a strong diverse class at the Law Center with overall increased enrollment. Many thanks to the efforts of our Admissions and Global and Graduate Program teams. There is still much progress to be made in the legal field, especially in growing the diversity.

The 2022 American Bar Association Profile of the Legal Profession shows that over the last decade, the demographics of U.S. lawyers has slowly shifted. From 2012 to 2022, the percentage of lawyers of color rose from 12% to 19% and Hispanic lawyers increased from 3.5% to 5.8% nationwide.

Our alumni have soared to great heights whether pursuing positions in Big Law, government, nonprofit or corporate. This year I would like to highlight our Hispanic and Latino/a/x graduates who serve or have served in the highest rungs of the judiciary such as Raul A. Gonzalez Jr. ‘66, the first Hispanic member of the Texas Supreme Court, Fortunato Benavides ’72, the Law Center’s first and only 5th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge, and Juan F. Vasquez ‘77, the first Hispanic appointed to the US Tax Court.

In addition to those impressive achievements, please allow me to spotlight the strides of the next generation with five of our Law Center’s Hispanic and Latino/a/x alumnae who serve on the appellate benches in Texas.

Court of Criminal Appeals
	Judge Michelle Slaughter ‘04 Since 2019, Slaughter has served as one of nine judges on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the last resort for criminal cases in Texas and the sister court of the Texas Supreme Court. Before being elected to the appeals court, Slaughter presided over criminal cases in the 405th State District Court in Galveston County.
1st Court of Appeals
	Justice Amparo Guerra ‘02 In 2005, Guerra was appointed an Associate Municipal Judge for the City of Houston and was the youngest sitting judge on the court. With a record of professional excellence, she was elected to the Texas 1st Court of Appeals in 2020. Guerra is the daughter of Retired Senior Justice Linda Yanez who became the first Latina to serve on any Texas appellate court, and the first woman on the 13th Court of Appeals.
	Justice Veronica Rivas-Malloy ‘01 Rivas-Molloy also serves on the Texas 1st Court of Appeals. She is the third Latina to serve on the 1st Court of Appeals in 129 years. In January 2020, Rivas-Molloy was sworn in by the Honorable Linda Yanez. Rivas-Molloy is a first-generation American who dreamed of going to law school from a young age.
13th Court of Appeals
	Justice Gina Benavides ‘98 Benavides currently serves as the Senior Justice on the 13th Court of Appeals. In 2011, she became the first Hispanic woman to serve as Chair for the Texas Center for the Judiciary Board of Directors. Benavides is also a founding member of the Texas Latinx Judges, aimed to empower Latino/a/x judges in the State of Texas and promote diversity, inclusion, integrity, and excellence in the judiciary.
	Chief Justice Dori Contreras '90 Contreras is in her 20th year of serving on the 13th Court of Appeals. In 2018, she was elected Chief Justice and will serve in this position through 2024. Contreras is the first woman to serve on the court and the second Latina to be elected Chief Justice statewide.

I would also like to share information on several additional Hispanic and Latino/a/x alumni who have made admirable marks in their fields. Please take a moment to click through the slideshow.

The Law Center continually collects stories of the accomplishments of all our graduates no matter their background. If you know others who should be recognized, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Leonard M. Baynes
Dean & Professor of Law
University of Houston Law Center

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