New Latinx Alumni Council Supports Law Students and Connects Alumni
More than 40 alumni, students, and supporters gathered to celebrate the launch of the new Latinx Alumni Council at a kickoff event on Sept. 7.
Mar铆a D. Dom铆nguez 鈥13 and Catalina Lozano 鈥81 remember feeling like outsiders when they started law school, but both found a student organization at UC Law SF that gave them a sense of community, belonging, and support.
That organization was the La Raza Law Students Association, now known as the Latinx Law Students Association (LLSA). Since its founding in 1969, the group has connected law students who share an affinity for the diverse cultures of Latin America. It enabled Lozano and Dom铆nguez to meet students who understood where they were coming from and offered advice for navigating law school.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I would have made it without the support of the La Raza Law Students,鈥 Lozano said.
Catalina Lozano is co-chair of the new Latinx Alumni Council at UC Law SF.
Lozano, a longtime adjunct professor at UC Law SF, and Dom铆nguez, who manages privacy and compliance for the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency, recently teamed up to launch the new Latinx Alumni Council. Goals for the new group include giving back to LLSA students and helping alumni connect with each other, current law students, and their alma mater.
鈥淲e want to develop an intergenerational community of current LLSA members and alumni so we can support each other and increase our representation in the law profession,鈥 said Dom铆nguez, who co-chairs the council with Lozano.
More than 40 LLSA members, alumni, and supporters gathered to celebrate the launch of the new alumni group on the Sky Deck of the Cotchett Law Center on Sept. 7. The event was sponsored by . Among the attendees was LLSA Co-Chair Maria Clara Ribeiro Siqueira 鈥25, who said she was inspired to meet聽LLSA alumni who found success in their careers.
Latinx Alumni Council Co-Chair Mar铆a D. Dom铆nguez (center) posed with LLSA Co-Chairs Janice Esp铆ndola (left) and Maria Clara Ribeiro Siqueira (right).
鈥淗aving access to alums who paved the way and understand what we鈥檙e going through is a big help,鈥 Ribeiro said. 鈥淲e are so thankful to have these mentors who can motivate, guide, and show us what we can make possible.鈥
Lozano and Dom铆nguez said they have seen how much time LLSA members spend doing fundraisers to support LLSA events, including the annual LLSA graduation celebration. One goal for the council is to raise more alumni dollars to support those events.
鈥淲e have to open our wallets so these students can put their minds on studying,鈥 Dom铆nguez said.
LLSA Co-Chair Janice Esp铆ndola 鈥25 said she looks forward to working with the Latinx Alumni Council to promote and organize future events. 鈥淚t means so much to LLSA to have the support of alumni,鈥 she said.
The new council is the 21st chapter of the UC Law SF Alumni Association and the third affinity-based alumni group, joining the law school鈥檚 Black Alumni Council and LGBTQ+ Alumni group. The UC Law SF Alumni Association houses the new chapter and helped organize the recent launch event.
鈥淥ur office is proud to support the 21st alumni chapter, our Latinx Alumni Council,鈥 said Charles Wollin, Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement at UC Law SF. 鈥淲e are truly grateful to have volunteer alumni like Mar铆a and Catalina, who are creating incredible opportunities for Latinx alumni to engage with the school.鈥
Emeritus Chancellor & Dean and Provost & Academic Dean Leo Martinez ’78 spoke at the Latinx Alumni Council launch event.
The council will hold another event this spring for alumni in Southern California, with plans to host future gatherings in other geographic regions as well.
At the recent launch event, one of LLSA鈥檚 most beloved alumni, Emeritus Chancellor &聽Dean and Provost & Academic Dean Leo Martinez 鈥78, used a famous Bruce Springsteen line to explain how the new council will benefit UC Law SF鈥檚 Latinx-affinity community.
鈥淵ou can’t start a fire without a spark,鈥 he said. 鈥淭his law school has provided that spark, and I am proud that this newly formed council stands for the proposition that our alumni, with their time and treasure, will nurture that spark for current students, students yet to come, and graduates.鈥
Dom铆nguez emphasized that members of the Latinx Alumni Council are themselves sparks, or 鈥渃hispas.鈥 She concluded the evening with the fiery call-and-response chant coined by American labor leader Dolores Huerta during the 1972 United Farm Workers strike. 鈥驴Se puede? 隆S铆 se puede!鈥 she chanted in Spanish.
For more information on the Latinx Alumni Council or to join, email LatinxAlumni@uclawsf.edu. The Latinx Alumni Council is part of the and can also be found on , , and .