Mexican American Bar Association Of Los Angeles County

EMPOWERING THE LATINO COMMUNITY THROUGH ADVOCACY AND EDUCATION.

THE ORGANIZATION ACHIEVED ITS GOAL OF ENCOURAGING AND PROVIDING CONTINUED LEGAL EDUCATION FOR ITS MEMBERS AND LAW STUDENTS BY HOSTING AND CO SPONSORING VARIOUS LEGAL CONTINUING EDUCATION SEMINARS.

THE ORGANIZATION ACHIEVED ITS GOAL OF PROMOTING ADVANCEMENT IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION BY OFFERING ATTORNEY AND JUDICIAL MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES TO LAW STUDENTS. IN ADDITION, THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDED JUDICIAL EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM. FINALLY, THE ORGANIZATION CONDUCTED PRESENTATIONS TO STUDENTS IN ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES, TO DISCUSS THEIR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL CAREERS.ATTORNEY MENTORSHIP PROGRAM.THE MABA ATTORNEY MENTORSHIP PROGRAM (AMP) PROVIDES MABA'S STUDENT MEMBERS WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD LASTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH PROMINENT AND EXPERIENCED MABA ATTORNEYS WHO PROVIDE STUDY, CAREER, AND JOB-SEARCH ADVICE AND GUIDANCE TO LATINO LAW STUDENTS.THE GOAL OF THE PROGRAM IS SIMPLE: TO MATCH MEMBERS OF THE LOS ANGELES LEGAL COMMUNITY WITH ENERGETIC LAW STUDENTS SHARING SIMILAR PROFESSIONAL ASPIRATIONS OR ACADEMIC INTERESTS. ATTORNEYS SERVE AS ROLE MODELS, OFFER ACADEMIC AND CAREER ADVICE, AND GUIDE STUDENTS AS THEY DEVELOP IMPORTANT PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS.DURING 2023, AN ESTIMATED OF 10-15 PAIRS OF MENTORS AND STUDENTS ATTENDEND THE ATTORNEY MENTORSHIP PROGRAM. MABA JUDICIAL EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM.IN 2013, THE MEXICAN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY LAUNCHED ITS JUDICIAL EXTERNSHIP AND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR LAW STUDENTS FROM THE GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA. MABA ESTABLISHED A DONOR ADVISED FUND FOR THIS PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM'S MISSION IS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO HIGHLY SOUGHT-AFTER JUDICIAL EXTERNSHIP POSITIONS FOR QUALIFYING LAW STUDENTS INTENDING TO PRACTICE IN LOS ANGELES AFTER THEIR GRADUATION. STUDENTS ARE CHOSEN IN A RIGOROUS SELECTION PROCESS AND INTERVIEWED BY THE PARTICIPATING JUDGES WHO DECIDE WHICH STUDENT WILL BE PLACED IN THEIR CHAMBERS FOR THE SUMMER. THE PARTICIPANTS SPEND TEN WEEKS CONDUCTING RESEARCH, WRITING, AND ATTENDING FEDERAL JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS. THEY ARE ALSO AWARDED A $2,000 STIPEND UPON JOINING THE PROGRAM. THERE WERE 8 LAW STUDENTS IN THIS PROGRAM THIS YEAR. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, OVER 60 STUDENTS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM AND OVER $65,000 IN HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO THE CHOSEN STUDENTS. IMPORTANTLY, FIVE FORMER PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS HAVE OBTAINED FEDERAL OR APPELLATE CLERKSHIPS. PROGRAM ALUMNI HAVE SUCCESSFULLY SECURED ADDITIONAL FEDERAL JUDICIAL EXTERNSHIPS AND WORKED AS STUDENT LAW CLERKS WITH THE OFFICE OF THE FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDER AND THE U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA AFTER THEIR MABA PROGRAM EXTERNSHIPS.MABA'S VICE- CHAIR PROGRAM.AT EACH LOCAL LAW SCHOOL, THIS PROGRAM, NOW IN ITS THIRD YEAR, SEEKS TO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE TO LATINO LAW STUDENTS AT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LAW SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS FOSTER A CLOSER CONNECTION BETWEEN LATINO ATTENDING LAW STUDENTS AND THE GENERAL MABA MEMBERSHIP. NINE LAW STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN THIS PROGRAM IN 2023.HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMIN 2015, THE MEXICAN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY ("MABA") LAUNCHED ITS HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (HSSP) FOR LATINO/A HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS ATTENDING SCHOOLS THAT PARTICIPATE IN MABA'S STUDENT OUTREACH PROGRAM. THE SCHOLARSHIP SEEKS TO ASSIST STUDENTS WITH COLLEGE-RELATED EXPENSES. IN AWARDING THE SCHOLARSHIP, MABA CONSIDERS EACH APPLICANT'S FINANCIAL NEED, COMMUNITY SERVICE, LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE, AND ANY HARDSHIP EXPERIENCED IN PURSUING AN EDUCATION. BECAUSE MABA IS FIRMLY COMMITTED TO COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT, ALL STUDENTS, INCLUDING UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS, ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY. MABA WILL AWARD A MINIMUM OF (5) $1,000 SCHOLARSHIPS. DURING 2023, THERE WERE 5 STUDENTS AWARDED SCHOLARSHIP THIS YEAR.

THE ORGANIZATION ACHIEVED ITS GOAL OF CULTIVATING SOCIAL INTERACTION AMONG ITS MEMBERS BY HOSTING NETWORKING EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

THE ORGANIZATION ACHIEVED ITS GOAL OF PROMOTING THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE BY HOSTING AND SPONSORING ITS ANNUAL PRO BONO LEGAL FAIR. THIS EVENT OFFERS FREE LAGAL ADVICE AND INFORMATION TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.