Associate Attorney Cristina Quinonez and the Firm Thank La Raza and the Bay Area Latina Law Leadership Academy

As a first-generation Latinx attorney, it is important to me to encourage other Latinx to join the legal profession and support one another through law school and career advancement. I decided to become an active member of the San Francisco and East Bay La Raza Lawyer’s Associations upon passing the California bar exam in 2021. Through sponsored events such as the SF La Raza Lawyer Association’s Noche de Gala, law school networking events, and my personal favorite, the Bay Area Latina Law Leadership Academy, I have connected with mentors who identified with my upbringing and culture and provided me with invaluable advice as I continue to navigate my career as a second-year attorney.

Thank you to both organizations for offering support to the Latinx legal community through educational programs such as MCLE events, coaching sessions to develop our communication and networking skills, and raising funds for scholarships to Latinx law students. I have had the opportunity to share spaces and conversations with trailblazing lawyers and pioneering judges, including recently appointed Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin and the late Honorable Cruz Reynoso, and hear their personal stories of triumph and be inspired to not be afraid of being the only Latinx attorney in the office or courtroom. These organizations have allowed me to network with mentors, build community in the legal profession, and recruit the next generation of Juris Doctorate Candidates.

Now, as a member of the Phillips, Spallas & Angstadt LLP team, I look forward to bringing what I have learned through my advocacy with La Raza Lawyer’s Association to my work, and I would like to encourage other attorneys to find the same kind of community by becoming involved with these kinds of organizations.