Legal Luminaries
Meet the trailblazing leaders who are reshaping the future of the legal industry with their passion for innovation, diversity, and leadership within the legal profession
Lynn Trevino-Legler Combines Passion and Purpose
By Zach Baliva
Lynn Trevino-Legler took a nontraditional approach to shaping her career. Now, she’s the VP of legal and head of litigation for one of the largest trucking companies in the nation, Yellow.
Jeffrey Mercado Banks on Education
By Natalie Kochanov
From his own schooling to supporting local scholarship programs, Jeffrey Mercado recognizes the value of education and building strong relationships
Nicolas Perez Stable Bets on Himself
By Billy Yost
Nicolas Perez Stable reflects on the choices that helped him grow into more significant roles in private equity
Rina Teran Fights for Change through Sponsorship
By Billy yost
Constellium’s Rina Teran calls for more leaders to step into a sponsorship role to open more doors for women and Latinas
Estefania Souza Adapts and Acquires New Skills
By Billy Yost
Estefania Souza reflects on her personal and professional life experiences that helped her go in-house at National Instruments—and be part of its merger with Emerson
Ann Anaya Continues to Advocate for a Fair and Just Outcome
By Natalie Kochanov
Leveraging her legal background and her passion for representation, Ann Anaya ensures that DEI is a business imperative at Cencora
“Leaders here saw me and respected me as a female and as a Latina. They respected that I brought something unique to the table through my experience, energy, and passion.”
Lynn Trevino-Legler
VP of Legal and
Head of Litigation
Yellow
Alan Cardenas Is the Newly Minted SVP and GC for Educationally Minded Coursera
By Billy yost
From immigrant roots to executive heights, Alan Cardenas is revolutionizing legal operations at Coursera with AI integration and diversity in mind
Ivelisse Clausell Shares Her Passion for Privacy at Johnson & Johnson
By Noah Johnson
Clausell shares her legal journey, her passion for privacy, and the legacy she’s leaving behind at Johnson & Johnson
Armando Javier Martinez Benitez Bridges Gaps at TelevisaUnivision
By Noah Johnson
Executive VP and Deputy GC Armando Javier Martinez Benitez shares his leadership philosophy, commitment to growth, and more
Ricardo Solano Jr.: Legal Leadership and Making an Impact
By zach baliva
Leading defense lawyer Ricardo Solano Jr. fights not only for his white-collar clients at Gibbons P.C. but also for other minority attorneys as mentor, champion, and guide
General Counsel Alex Cestero Is Leading His Team to New Heights
By Zach Baliva
General Counsel Alex Cestero is building a high-performing legal team at Virtuoso. But he’s also taking steps to ensure his new team stays both healthy and engaged.
key facts
Latinos are underrepresented in law (5% vs. 19% US population).
Latinas face an even steeper climb (2.34% of lawyers).
Progress is happening, but slowly (Latinos up from 4.5% of all law associates in 2022).
The Pipeline Problem
While Hispanic and Latino students are entering law school (15.2%), they are not graduating at the same rate (12.7% JD degrees).
Mentorship and support programs are crucial to address this gap.
The Leadership Gap
Only 3% of law firm partners are Latino, and just 1% are Latina.
Programs like the Hispanic National Bar Association’s National Task Force on Hispanic Law Faculty and Deans can help increase Latino representation in law school leadership.
Latino Leadership Matters
Latinos are the fastest-growing demographic group in the US.
By 2050, Latinos will be a significant force in the workforce, but are currently missing from leadership positions in law.
Call to Action
Law firms need to actively recruit and retain Latino talent.
Programs focused on supporting Latinas in law are essential.
CREDITS
Editorial Director
Frannie Sprouls
Editor
Nichole Shaw
Writers
Billy Yost, Natalie Kochanov, Noah Johnson, Zach Baliva
Design + Art Direction
Arturo Magallanes
Web Development
Jose Reinaldo Montoya
Photo Editors
Cass Davis, Sarah Joyce
Photos
Portraits: Allison Carenza (Trevino-Legler), Annie La (Mercado), Elizabeth Boocks (Perez), Courtesy of Rina Teran (Teran), Renata Souza (Souza), Mac McGoon Portrait Design Studio (Anaya), Picture People (Cardenas), Elbert Garcia (Clausell), Caja Májica (Martinez Benitez) Mike Peters (Solano), Courtesy of Alejandro Cestero (Cestero), HTGanzo/AdobeStock.com(Kneeling Angel, The Thinker, Winged Victory, Seated Angel, and Laocoön and His Sons), Rawf8/AdobeStock.com(Pillar) Arcady/AdobeStock.com (Cap), avaicon/AdobeStock.com (Gavel)
Sources (Infographic)
National Association for Law Placement Report on Diversity at U.S. Law Firms & Law School Admission Council
https://www.nalp.org/uploads/Research/2023NALPReportonDiversityFinal.pdf
https://report.lsac.org/View.aspx?Report=DiversityPopulationandPipeline
