Olivarez Madruga Law Organization (OMLO) is honored to support the Mexican American Bar Association as a sponsor of the 2024 Judges’ Night & Awards Ceremony, held on October 10, 2024 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel. The event honors judges who have made significant contributions to supporting and advocating for Latino communities. Two of OMLO’s post-bar clerks, Manny Cruz, Jr. and Carolina Velsquez, had the honor of introducing the Honorable Lucy Armendariz, recipient of the Judge of the Year award. Also in attendance from OMLO were Paloma Perez-McEvoy, Jesse Jauregi, Susie Altamirano, Alejandra Cortez, and Adrian DeLeon.
The honorees of the 2024 MABA Judges’ Night Awards Ceremony were:
Hon. Lucy Armendariz
Hon. Benjamin Aranda, III Judge of the Year Award
Hon. Samantha P. Jessner
Hon. Carlos Moreno Judicial Excellence Award
Magistrado Bogar Salazar Loza
Hon. Carlos Moreno Judicial Excellence Award
MABA’s mission statement:
“Grounded in tradition. Committed to change.”
“Empowering the Latino Community through advocacy and education.”
From MABA:
“The formation of the Mexican American Bar Association of Los Angeles County (“MABA”) was first conceived in 1956 by a young, newly-barred attorney named Manuel Martinez. He believed that although the number of Mexican American attorneys was small, they needed a support group based on a shared culture and history.
In 1959, Martinez teamed with another newly admitted attorney, Antonio Bueno, to contact attorneys with Spanish surnames in the hope of forming a group of Mexican American lawyers. By 1960, a small group of attorneys, including Frank Mufioz, “Battling Bob” Baca, and Leopoldo Sanchez, Martinez, and Buenro began holding formal, regular meetings at the Farolito Restaurant in Los Angeles. By 1961, membership grew as the largest group of Mexican Americans to pass the Bar was sworn-in. They included Arthur Baldonado, Rudy Rivas, Adolfo Bustos, Carlos Borja, Joe Villareal, and Manuel Hidalgo. This group constituted the original members of the Mexican American Lawyers Club.
The Mexican American Lawyers Club quickly gained additional members, including some of the State’s first female Mexican attorneys, Anita Castellanos and Mary Virginia Orozco. Although the Club held many social events, the group’s primary focus was to see a Mexican American appointed or elected to the bench. The name of the organization was soon changed to the Mexican American Bar Association.
Through the years, MABA has encouraged Latinos of all backgrounds to join its membership. MABA continues to support its original mission of empowering the Latino community by supporting Latino/a lawyers, law students, and bench officers through philanthropic, educational, and civic endeavors.”
