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Building More Than a Career: Leadership and Community in Law · The Lawtino™

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_06: Welcome to the Latino Podcast, where we amplify the voices of Latino professionals, entrepreneurs, and leaders coming together to educate, inspire, and connect across one of the most dynamic binational regions in the world.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_06: Bicultural, premium, powerful.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: Hey everybody, Sean Gomez.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to our latest episode of the Latino Podcast.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: Again, in our special HMBA series from here in Washington, D.C.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: We are at the Hispanic National Bark Association Annual Conference, and we're meeting like some really incredible uh leaders and and um great people in this organization, outside of the organization, that we think really provide value to our listeners.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: So um I'm here as always with uh my co-host David Areguin.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: As you know, this podcast is sponsored by Gomez Trial Attorneys, a national law firm representing consumers.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: We are binational, that is, we have offices in both the United States and Mexico, bicultural.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: We uh offer the very highest level of legal representation, both in the English and Spanish languages, and we are best in class.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: We believe we're the best lawyers at what we do.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: And so, David Arigin, why don't you get us started?
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: We have some very esteemed, like it's like you know, uh the president walked by and jumped on our podcast, but we do have two one president, one incoming president.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: So please introduce these special guests.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_03: Super excited, and this was just by like coincidence, like a few minutes ago through Jasmine.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_03: So, shout out to Jasmine, who I just met last night.
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  SPEAKER_03: We're seeing that all the people here at the HMBA, they're super friendly.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_03: They introduce you to people, and who better than you know, president and incoming president of the ABA?
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  SPEAKER_03: So, welcome.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, generally, what we ask is please tell us like your name, your titles, your experience, your background, uh, and whoever wants to start, please.
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  SPEAKER_00: Start with the press.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
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  SPEAKER_04: Come on, Prez.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_04: All right, I'm Barbara Howard.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_04: I'm from Cincinnati.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_04: My practice is family law.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_04: And I've been involved in the ABA since I was a young lawyer.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_04: Came into the what we call the YLD Young Lawyer Division.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_04: Um, kept hanging around there till I aged out.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_04: They kick you out when you get up to be about 36.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_04: We could sue for that.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_04: I know.
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  SPEAKER_04: Um, eventually became uh, I've been in the House of Delegates, which is their governing body since 1986.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_04: And I was chair of the House.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_04: I'm the COVID chair.
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  SPEAKER_04: I was chair for two years from 2020 to 2022, and I just became president in the beginning of August.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: And so, how how big is the ABA?
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: Like how many members?
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, it's about um 250,000.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_03: Oh my goodness gracious, holy cow.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_03: That's a lot.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm learning that it's bigger and bigger.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, we were talking about this.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_03: Now I'm part of the Mexico Committee.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_03: But then the Mexico Committee has like a conference in London.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, there you guys are all over the place.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_04: We are, yeah.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_04: We've got the international law section meets in London in a couple weeks.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_04: Yep.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_04: Amazing.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: And so are you coming off?
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: This is your current year you're coming off.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: No, I just started.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, you just started?
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: I just started.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, like how much work is it gonna be?
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_04: Like a week, like a full-time job.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, I bet, yeah, I imagine.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: Well, thank you for your support.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_04: Don't tell my clients that.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: I I feel like, you know, you doing something like that is an act of service to the profession.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: So thank you for making that sacrifice.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_04: Well, it's it's it's um a labor of love.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_04: And, you know, I think we as lawyers have a whole lot to offer um our community, our nation, and especially in these times, it's really wonderful to be able to do that and to help form the next generation.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_04: So it's all good stuff.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: Amazing.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so um our next uh guest, who are you and how do you fit into this ABA thing?
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  SPEAKER_02: I'm Laura Farber, and I just like Barb, um, I have been active in the ABA actually my almost my entire career.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_02: I also came through the Young Lawyers Division, so that is a source of getting a lot of folks um involved in the ABA, but also in the leadership of the ABA.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_03: So it sounds like it seems like ABA is also very good, like HMBA at keeping its members from like a young age.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_04: We try.
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  SPEAKER_04: If we get them when they're young and keep them, they stay.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_04: That's exactly right.
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  SPEAKER_02: That's our that's our goal.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_02: So I uh I was born in Argentina, and um I came to this country uh with my parents at a difficult time.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: You like churrasco and fideos?
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_02: I ate enough meat to last my entire lifetime, and I don't eat meat anymore, but my kids say I'm a I'm a pescaturcatarian, so whatever that is.
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  SPEAKER_02: Anyway, I came at a time when things were kind of tough.
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  SPEAKER_02: Um the desaparecidos at epoca was starting.
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  SPEAKER_02: So we came to this country uh because it meant a lot, um, a lot of opportunities, um, you know, freedoms, constitutional rights, those kind of things.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_02: And I I'm from the West Coast, California, practiced in Pasadena, California.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_02: Small, relatively small firm, about 24 lawyers, so somewhat for some.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_02: This is pretty big.
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  SPEAKER_02: I do uh a lot of employment and both sides, which is a little unusual, but I enjoy it very much.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_02: And I was also very involved in this little thing called the Tournament of Roses and the Rose Bowl game before I did this gig.
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  SPEAKER_02: Um, I was the first Latina president of the Tournament of Roses and also chaired the college football, uh the Rose Bowl Committee management committee, so that I helped negotiate the entry of the Rose Bowl into college football playoffs.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_02: If you ever want to talk about football, college football, that's another one of my areas that I love.
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  SPEAKER_02: But anyway, um so my journey was through the YLD.
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  SPEAKER_02: I chaired the general practice solo small firm commission, I've done a uh division, I did a variety of other things.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_02: I was a California delegate in the House when Barbara was chair of the House of Delegates.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_02: And I, it was time, I guess, to do something else.
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  SPEAKER_02: I also chaired the Latin American and Caribbean Law Initiative, Rule of Law Initiative.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, we went to Guatemala, we went to Peru to uh work with judges and lawyers to educate them about their legal systems that were changing.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: Very cool.
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  SPEAKER_02: And to try to have some impact there as well.
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  SPEAKER_02: Anyway, uh so I decided that I was going to pursue this endeavor, and I have the honor of following this amazing person.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_02: I'm very excited about that, and very and I've been an HNBA member for quite some time.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_02: I just haven't been active in HNBA, but um I think I will be the first Latina uh president of the ABA as well.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm very much looking forward to that.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: Congratulations for that.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_02: So thank you.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so um, you know, if you let's start with you, Barb, like you you've been like um out of Ohio, very active, you know, within the legal community from it sounds like your whole career from being on the Yeah, I was Cincinnati bar president and then I was state bar president.
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  SPEAKER_04: So yeah, I've done all three levels.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_04: Wow.
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  SPEAKER_00: And so, like what has been, how has that helped you enjoy law, you know?
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: Uh how has it helped you be successful in law?
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: What advice would you give to younger lawyers thinking about whether they should get involved?
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_04: I would say bar association work is really wonderful for your career.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_04: You can't find a better network for, especially as lawyers as we've all become specialized, you can't find a better network.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_04: So you've got all these wonderful people really smart in their areas of practice, but they're not your area of practice.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_04: So when they need a family law practitioner, they call me.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_04: I get calls all the time for referrals, whether it's for me or for others in Ohio, or I have someone that emailed me yesterday who needs a um a state planning lawyer in North Carolina or in South Carolina.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_04: I've got the contact.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_04: So I can help do that with people, and it comes back for you.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_04: And so it's a really wonderful networking opportunity.
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  SPEAKER_04: You also are with the top of the profession.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_04: It's so energizing to be around lawyers who are just so brilliant and energizing.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_04: I come away from every one of these conferences feeling like we are so lucky to be practicing law when we do and to have the camaraderie that we have in our profession.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_04: It really is uplifting, frankly.
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  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: Great insights.
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  SPEAKER_00: How about you?
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I've made some lifetime friends, and same thing, you know, you it's it teaches you how to network too, because when you're a new lawyer, um, what is it that you're trying to do?
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_02: You're building relationships.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_02: And so you get to do that in a way that is different because we're a national organization, just like HNBA.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_02: So you're meeting people from all over the country with different practices, different approaches to the law, but sometimes you want someone that you can talk with that's not in your immediate network or in your law firm, and you can pick up the phone and call someone, ask them a question, or a client.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_02: You become a resource for clients that are doing business outside of your area who need that expert somewhere else.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_02: Now you're like, oh, you're a resource, which is awesome.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_02: But also you're doing something meaningful that you care about that has impact.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, some of the policies that we've adopted have actually changed the lives of others.
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  SPEAKER_02: We've lobbied Congress and we've made a difference in people's lives in the legal profession, standing up for the legal profession.
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  SPEAKER_02: Um, and also just being proud to be a lawyer.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_02: It makes me so proud to be a member of the ABA.
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  SPEAKER_02: I I just I love this, and I've given so much of my time, and I want others to get that experience, and I'm hopeful that they will.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_02: And we're gonna do everything we can to make it, and we believe it's very welcoming to law students and young lawyers.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_02: And it's a place where you can really develop in a way that is is complementary of a local bar and a state bar, but different.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but they all kind of go together.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_02: For sure.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_04: Well, and a great example of that, frankly, is our ABA Day, where we lobby in Washington for various um issues with members of Congress.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_04: One we always lobby in support of is um Legal Services Corporation.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_04: And there have been years when Congress was that there was a huge effort to zero out the dollars for legal services.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_04: We literally, with four 400 people who came from every um state, would go to our various members of our congressional delegations with the same message and the same information, and we were able to convince members of Congress to continue to vote in favor of supporting and funding legal services.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_04: So that's a and we have we have changed opinions of people who were very anti-funding legal services to people who now regularly support it.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_04: So it's taken a lot of years, but it's one of those places a young lawyer gets the opportunity to meet members of Congress again to see how the system works.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_04: It's a fabulous opportunity, and we're really doing something that's so positive for members of our society.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: That's amazing work.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I feel like you guys, you know, your your organization is so broad and so big with so many lawyers that sometimes we'll be averse to each other on a case or a matter or an issue, but all of us are in favor and support the rule of law and access to justice, you know, and so thank you for the work you've done.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_00: What do you see, Barb?
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_00: Like what's what's your big issue gonna be this year?
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: What are you gonna be focused on the most?
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_04: Well, it continues to be the rule of law and defending the our democracy.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_04: Right now, I think elections are um a concern we all have as to how they will happen, if they will happen, what restraints there will or won't be, and assuring our um fellow citizens that we do have secure voting systems and that they should exercise their right to vote uh and facilitating the ability for people to vote.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_04: So that's gonna be the next couple months, a lot of work on that.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: And do you I imagine you do um do you find yourself as a group, you know, um weighing in on defending the judiciary by way of example?
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, we are always defending the judiciary.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_04: Um we have spoken out about it, um, we've passed resolutions on it, we've lobbied in con uh to Congress on a judicial security um piece of legislation for state judges that would be akin to the federal um marshall system, and so we are always very, very focused on both the independence of the judiciary and judicial security.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: Amazing, yeah, and thank you for that.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_00: And so, President elect, um in terms of uh you know getting involved in the ABA, we've already heard a little bit, but why should all of our listeners who are uh lawyers be in the United States?
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_00: Or could they uh let me back up because we have a lot of you know Mexican lawyers, and yeah, we who's eligible for to be in the ABA?
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_02: We can be a member.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_02: Um, we have various categories of membership, but you can definitely join as an international lawyer.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_02: We have an international law section.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, but we have I think we have something for everyone.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_02: I really truly believe we truly believe that associate membership, and it it will change your life.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it we are celebrating when I'm president, we will be celebrating our 150th anniversary.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: Oh my gosh.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_00: And so we're gonna be doing a lot.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_02: We're gonna acknowledge our history, but we're gonna be focusing on the future as well.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_02: So there'll be opportunities to do some really wonderful things.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_02: But really, we are a home for everybody, and it will change your life, and it will distinguish what you're doing in your practice and sometimes complement it.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_02: And for me, it makes my practice more fulfilling.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_02: I I chaired the Youth at Risk Commission for a while, and we were working in areas that I don't practice in, but I learned so much, and I said, wow, we can really impact the lives of foster children, for example, or other children.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, some of the things that you can do in the ABA, homelessness and poverty, our commissions.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_02: We we just have a different idea of what it means to be part of this profession, and also the sections where you can hone your skills and do things like that.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_02: So I really believe this is a wonderful, unique opportunity and mentoring, mentoring those future lawyers in the pipeline, out in high school, you know, letting people know this is a place for you.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_02: And then when they become lawyers, uh it really is important to us.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_02: So I I encourage everyone to get involved in the ABA.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_02: I think it's the place to be.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_03: And you spoke and you spoke about the future.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_03: If I don't if I'm not mistaken, I have to leave us a law student.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_03: Do you get a free membership?
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_03: I I think I got a free membership when I was in law school.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, right?
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, yes, that's exactly right.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_03: What a way to bring them in, you know?
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_00: So free memberships, all you law students out there.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_00: Um, obviously um an important sort of um uh ally of law and you know, uh an organization that cares about all of us as lawyers, the rule of law and access to justice at a national level, which is something we all need to support, whether we are like us plaintiffs, law, lawyers, defense lawyers, uh prosecutors, family lawyers, you know, we all need to get behind this group and the great work they're doing.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_00: And so, um, as a final sort of thing, I know you guys are uh a little bit short on time.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_00: What advice, and you guys are have risen to the very highest level of the profession as women in the profession, you know, any kind of advice that you might give to some of our listeners who feel like maybe they have challenges to work through to get to the very top?
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_04: Don't sell yourself short ever.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_04: Ever.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_04: You can do it.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_00: I like that.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_02: Be your authentic self and don't settle.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_02: You can always achieve what you want to achieve, but you can do it with authenticity.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_02: Don't give up on that.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: All right, Prez.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um, if our listeners um want to find you, where the where can they find you?
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_04: Um President's Office at the American Bar Association.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_00: There you go.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, very good.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_00: And and you uh Yes, I'll do the same thing.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_02: We actually have one office of the president that handles, handles, helps, uh, supports both of us.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_02: So it's the same way for me.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_00: We know where to find you too.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_00: Well, thank you so much for spending time with us.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_00: It was uh a real treat and honor to have you guys pop on the podcast.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and so we'll we'll get this out in the next you know month or so before that.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um and so uh that concludes this episode of the Latino.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_00: If you like us, like us, share us, follow us, um, and uh that signs off.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.