20th Annual Hispanic Law Conference to Celebrate Perseverance and Progress of Latino/a Community

Jane Sanchez ’87, Law Librarian of Congress to Give Keynote Address at Awards Dinner

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 22, 2017 – American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL) is proud to host the 20th Annual Hispanic Law Conference (HLC), held each spring as part of the law school’s Founders’ Celebration.  The event is co-sponsored by the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), the Hispanic Bar Associations of the District of Columbia (HBA-DC), Maryland (MHBA), and Virginia (HBA-VA), the Latino/a Alumni Association of the Washington College of Law (LAAW), and AUWCL's Latino/a Law Students’ Association (LaLSA).

This year’s conference titled, “Adelante: Celebrating the Perseverance and Progress of the Latino/a Community,” will bring together inspiring and successful individuals and institutions devoted to the progress of Latino/as in the region and across the U.S. “Over the past 20 years, the Hispanic Law Conference has become an important avenue to elevate issues relevant to the Latino/a community and the roles lawyers play in promoting opportunities for all,” said Camille A. Nelson, dean, American University Washington College of Law. 

A Career and Networking Fair will kick off the conference where over 30 local and national employers will explore job opportunities with law students and attorneys. A panel discussion follows, focused on the topic of "Family, Finances, and Fear: What Motivates Latino/a Civic and Political Participation?" Confirmed panel speakers include, Marla Bilonick, Executive Director of the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) in Washington, D.C.; Pedro Pavon, Corporate Counsel for Oracle Corporation in Reston, VA; Samuel Romero Ramer, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA) in Washington, D.C.; and Thomas A. Saenz, President and General Counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) in Los Angeles, CA.

Keynote speaker Jane Sanchez ’87, law librarian of Congress, will address the attendees at the HLC Awards Dinner. Prior to her appointment, AUWCL alumna Sánchez previously led the Humanities and Social Sciences division at the Library of Congress since 2014. She has also served as a business unit managing director at the U.S. Government Publishing Office; as an associate director of justice libraries, Justice Management Division, U.S. Department of Justice; as departmental head of History & Culture Libraries at the Smithsonian Institution Libraries; and as an acquisitions manager for electronic databases at BNA, Inc., a journalistic organization, in addition to library work at Harvard and the University of New Mexico. During the dinner, the event committee will recognize and present awards to those who have significantly contributed to the progress of the Latino/a community. View the List of Awards and Nominate.

Read for more information or to register for the event.

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In 1896, American University Washington College of Law became the first law school in the country founded by women. More than 100 years since its founding, this law school community is grounded in the values of equality, diversity, and intellectual rigor. The law school's nationally and internationally recognized programs (in clinical legal education, trial advocacy, international law, and intellectual property to name a few) and dedicated faculty provide its JD, LL.M., and SJD students with the critical skills and values to have an immediate impact as students and as graduates, in Washington, DC and around the world. For more information, visit wcl.american.edu. 

 

MEDIA CONTACT: 
Franki Fitterer
Director, Public Relations
Washington College of Law
(202) 274-4279
cell: (202-321-6183
franki@wcl.american.edu