Turf Valley Resort
Ellicott City, Maryland
September 15, 2022

Welcome to the Maryland Hispanic Bar Association’s Twenty-ninth Anniversary Gala!

We are very excited to have everyone here live and in person, after a three-year COVID hiatus. It has been way too so long since we have gathered as a large group – especially for this group that thrives on togetherness and personal contact. There is no “Zoom option” tonight, folks. It really is great to see everyone! We appreciate you coming tonight and have a great program for you.

It has been a busy year for the Maryland Hispanic legal community!In 2022, the Honorable Angela M. Eaves was appointed as the first Hispanic to serve on the Court of Appeals of Maryland. Judge Eaves, we can say, is the “Sonia Sotomayor of Maryland.” Also adding to the ranks of Hispanic judges in Maryland in 2022 is the Honorable Ana de la Hoz Hernandez, District Court of Maryland for Baltimore City. Both of these impressive and accomplished jurists are with us tonight to receive honors and recognitions they richly deserve.

I hereby declare 2022 to be the “Year of the Woman” at MHBA, as our two other award recipients complete tonight’s all-female ensemble of Keynote Speaker and award recipients. Also receiving well-deserved honors and recognition tonight are Rachel Micah-
Jones, Esq. of Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, and Ms. Catalina Rodriguez-Lima, of the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs.

Mentoring is a key activity of the MHBA. We continue to foster our relationship with the University of Maryland and University of Baltimore Schools of Law, especially with their Hispanic Law Student Associations. Many of these law students are here tonight. Please talk to them, encourage them, and inspire them by telling them about your own legal career. Going deeper to the grass roots, some of our Board members have spoken with high school law classes, and we have hosted high school and college interns at our
law firms to give bright young Hispanic students a glimpse into what it means to practice law.

We remain active in screening and recommending candidates for positions in the Judiciary at the District Courts, Circuit Courts, Court of Special Appeals, and Court of Appeals. We welcome new Maryland Judges at their Investitures and remind them that
Maryland Hispanic legal consumers need their protection and support.

Our organization exists to advance the interests of Hispanic attorneys and other attorneys focused on representing Hispanic clients in their legal issues. The MHBA remains dedicated to protecting the rights of the Maryland Hispanic community, voicing
our opinion on issues that challenge our community, and advocating for a legal profession and judiciary that are representative of our diverse community.

We cannot achieve that objective without the participation of our members and supporters. For this reason, we are especially grateful to MHBA’s Board members and our other active members who have helped to make 2022 a great year for MHBA.

¡Muchísimas gracias por su apoyo! Thank you for your support!

Roberto N. Allen, Esq.
MHBA President 2022