OMLO was recently highlighted in Staci Zaretsky’s Above the Law article “An Admirable Law Firm Where Diversity And Inclusion Is Celebrated For Bringing Out The Best In Its Lawyers.” The piece details OMLO’s diversity and inclusion efforts – noting that the Los Angeles Business Journal recognized the firm as one of the Most Admired Firms to Work For. Zaretsky describes OMLO as “an inspirational tale of success.”
Susie Altamirano, Stephanie Arechiga, Paloma Perez-McEvoy, Norma Tabares, and Stephanie Vasquez all spoke to Above the Law about the significance of representing communities they can identify with as they watch representation in local government and law evolve firsthand.
“There’s no downplaying the legacy that the Roybal family has in breaking barriers for Latinos in politics, and in many ways that plays into our roles at OMLO. In 2022, the California State Bar reported that while Latinos comprise roughly 36% of the state’s population, they only comprise 6% of the licensed attorneys in the state,” Perez-McEvoy, the municipal practice group’s co-chair, said.
“What is unique about the role in the communities we serve is historically, it is uncommon to see a Latina as the City Attorney, let alone a Latina City Attorney who also lives in or has family in the communities we represent, shops at the same markets, votes in same elections, and are impacted by the same laws,” Altamirano told Above the Law. “We understand the implications of legal and policy decisions from a point of view that is not often acknowledged at the decision-making level.”
Vasquez echoes Altamirano’s sentiment, explaining that “While we represent public entities throughout the Southern California region, a lot of our work is in the Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) region, where I grew up. This has not only provided me first-hand knowledge of the challenges these underserved communities face, but it has also allowed me to better assist our clients with finding ways to achieve their goals of providing a better environment for their residents.” Vasquez continues, “I constantly hear and see the issues our constituencies deal with, and I feel that when I help our clients, I am not only helping the client, but I am also helping people I care for.”
“The communities that we represent constantly show us how they can rally together during tough times, whether it be coming together to show support for a good cause or uniting to request specific policies to help improve the community, our firm operates in the exact same way,” Arechiga said. “We work as a team and are all there to support each other when needed.”
“Diversity is not a committee or initiative at OMLO,” Tabares told ATL. “It is the firm ethos.”
Read the full article in Above the Law below: