About Us

In 1991, a handful of trailblazing Santa Clara County La Raza Lawyers Association members endeavored to create a dinner event that embodied and celebrated the Latino community within the bar and bench. Year after year, the group practiced grassroot efforts to make the event possible and enjoyable. And year after year, the dinner grew and evolved.

Less than a decade later, the group identified a need. The need to support its pipeline of Latino lawyers. In 1998, the group began providing grants to Bay Area law students whose contributions to and activities in the community have encouraged and advanced the social, cultural, economic and legal equality of the underserved and underprivileged, especially those in the Latino community.

In 2006, the Santa Clara County La Raza Lawyers Association formally established the Santa Clara County La Raza Lawyers Charitable Foundation, a separate and independent 501(c)(3). Since then, on an annual basis, an all-volunteer board works tirelessly to plan and execute the scholarship dinner to provide thousands of dollars as well as fellowship and clerkships to Bay Area Latino law students. Why? Because Latinx lawyers still represent only 6% of the State Bar even though more than 40% of Californians are Latino. This group recognizes that our profession needs to change and supporting Latino law students in becoming successful lawyers is an important component! The financial assistance, work experience, and mentorship these students receive through the Foundation’s work emulates the goals our founders had decades ago.