The University of Texas School of Law and the Chicano/Hispanic Law Students’ Association (CHLSA) will celebrate the organization’s fortieth anniversary with a banquet that includes a keynote address by former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson on Saturday, March 26, 2011, at 7:00 p.m. at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin. UT Law alumnus and prominent trial attorney Joseph D. Jamail Jr., ’52, will introduce Richardson at the sold-out event.
Richardson, a leader in the Hispanic community who has dedicated his adult life to public service, will speak about the strides that Chicanos and Hispanics have made in the legal field during the past forty years.
Richardson began his career in public office by serving fourteen years in the United States House of Representatives, serving as chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus for a time. He went on to serve as United States Ambassador to the United Nations and then United States Secretary of Energy during the Clinton Administration. Richardson served as New Mexico’s governor from 2003 to 2011.
Each year’s CHLSA banquet is a gathering of UT Law alumni and Texas leaders, including legislators and judges, as well as members of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus and Hispanic Bar Association affiliates across Texas.
The banquet is the group’s largest fundraising event. With the generous support of banquet attendees and sponsors, CHLSA is able to award scholarships for textbooks, bar exams, public interest work, and summer school stipends to CHLSA members who demonstrate financial need.
In forty years, CHLSA has become one of the oldest, largest, and most established Hispanic student organizations in the country. CHLSA strives to prepare students for successful legal careers by providing educational assistance, professional guidance, networking opportunities, and social support. This year, CHLSA has continued to meet its mission by hosting resume workshops, inviting guest speakers, providing mentor opportunities, and sponsoring a boat cruise.
For more information about CHLSA’s 40th Anniversary Cultural Celebration and Awards Banquet, contact Jennifer Ann Gillespie at chlsa.president@gmail.com or Ambrosia Ortiz y Prentice at 575-650-2632.
Contact: Laura Castro, UT Law Communications, 512-232-1229, lcastro@law.utexas.edu.