by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
Hispanic Heritage, a new schedule of events and pro bono opportunities were some of the items discussed at the first meeting of the new term for the Hispanic Bar Association of Northeast Florida Tuesday.
The delightful aroma of arroz con pollo made it a little hard for everyone to concentrate on the meeting, but recently elected President Vanessa De Rosa guided members through the Association’s schedule of events for the 2009-2010 term, which include: its next event Nov. 3, when members will participate in a panel discussion hosted by the Hispanic American Law Students Association at Florida Coastal School of Law; and its Dec. 15 holiday party, location to be determined.
In the new year, the Association will be a cosponsor of the second annual Diversity Symposium and will also team up with the Jacksonville Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section to host a Cinco de Mayo Happy Hour May 5. De Rosa hopes the involvement will help the association grow.
“My goal is to help the association grow and bridge the gap between law students and practicing attorneys,” she said. “We plan to do that through mentoring and outreach efforts.”
The rest of the Association’s Board includes President-Elect Paola Parra Harris, Treasurer Steve Moore and Secretary Sandra Perez.
The Association welcomed special guests former Speaker of the Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio and his campaign manager, and brother, Mario Rubio.
Members and guests were also informed about the various pro bono opportunities available from Kathy Para and Nancy Hale of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid and Ericka Curran, assistant professor of Professional Skills and Immigrant Rights Clinic at Florida Coastal School of Law.
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