I’m a first-generation American, and I don’t come from a family of wealth or great education.  I’m the first in my family to attain a college degree, much less an advanced degree.  While I came from humble beginnings, I always had a vision of where I wanted to go with my life, and I set goals for myself.  I was able to attain my college and law degrees through the public education system.  It took hard work, tenacity, and dedication.  But it also took help – in the form of scholarships, and mentors, and positive role models who Continue reading →

After more than seven years of service as an Associate Judge to the Dallas Civil District Courts, I know how important it is to ensure we have experienced judges overseeing our civil courts.  Judges are asked each day to make decisions that have real and long-lasting implications for individuals and businesses, and those decisions should be made by individuals with a broad base of legal and real-life experience.  My life experiences and judicial experiences allow me to make fair, appropriate decisions that are reasoned and grounded in the law.  That’s why I ask for your support as I campaign for election to the 162nd District Court, which is being vacated by Judge Lorraine Raggio.  Judge Raggio will Continue reading →

DALLAS, Aug. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) is honored to bring together hundreds of lawyers, judges, and students from across the country at the 36th Annual Convention from August 31st through September 3rd, 2011, in Dallas. The Texas Senate and House of Representatives, City of Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, the Dallas Hispanic Bar Association (DHBA), and convention co-chairs Hon. Teresa Guerra Snelson and Christie M. Villarreal are thrilled to welcome HNBA guests to Texas!

This spectacular event will convene over 45 panels bringing together practitioners and leading experts to discuss the most salient issues and trends in the legal profession, with CLE accreditation in all states. Many of the programs at this convention are one of a kind, such as the Hispanic General Counsel Roundtable Luncheon, a truly elite corporate powerhouse and the first-ever group of this kind to be comprised entirely of Latinos; the HNBA Latina Commission Awards Luncheon, the only bar association specifically geared towards examining the status of Latinas in the legal profession; and the nation’s largest Career Fair for Hispanic law students and legal professionals, with opportunities to meet representatives from some of the country’s biggest-name law firms, corporations, and government agencies. Continue reading →