Page 7 - MABA Newsletter

MABA and the Latino Bench Officer’s Association

of Los Angeles 2021 Oath Ceremony

By Hon. Sergio C. Tapia II

In 2019, the Mexican American Bar
Association and the Latino Bench Officers’
Association of Los Angeles, began the
tradition of welcoming new members from
the Latinx community to the State Bar of
California. In a ceremony open to family,

friends, and the community, the newest
members of the state bar have their
attorney oath administered by a Latinx
Judge.

The ceremony serves as an opportunity to congratulate and welcome new Latinx members
to the profession. For our newest bar members, the ceremony is the culmination of many
years of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. It honors their accomplishments and
serves as an opportunity to thank family members and friends for their tireless support.

ˮ There is substantial On January 21, 2021, MABA and the Latino Bench Officers’

Association continued the tradition by welcoming eighteen
work ahead if we new members to the state bar in a virtual ceremony. The

want the legal newest members came from law schools throughout
profession to reflect California and represented the richness of the Latinx

the population of community. More importantly, the newest Latinx members
our state ˮ to the state bar embodied the growing gender and ethnic
diversity of the legal profession in California.

Since 1959, the Mexican American Bar Association has worked to recruit new members to
the profession and support the endeavors of existing members. These efforts represent
the hope that the rule of law and the fairness of our justice system will continue to
improve and evolve by being more inclusive and representative. Our newest Latinx bar
members stand on the shoulders of Latinas and Latinos that worked hard to make inroads
into the legal profession. Our newest members now have a stake in ensuring that the
needs and interests of the Latinx community are represented in the profession.

2021Volume 17 | Issue 1 | Page 7