Award descriptions, criteria and past recipients

 

Below are descriptions, criteria, and past honorees for the Mary V. Orozco Award, the Francisca Flores Award, the Luminaria Award, and the LLBA Distinction Award.

Mary V. Orozco Award

Description: Mary V. Orozco was the first Latina admitted to the California State Bar, in 1962. Ms. Orozco’s parents taught her she could transcend poverty through education. That lesson motivated her to attend college and to graduate from Loyola Law School in 1961. Soon after being admitted to the California State Bar in 1962, but before receiving her bar card, Ms. Orozco sat in a Los Angeles courtroom. When the court recessed, Ms. Orozco stood to leave, but a bailiff stopped her and told her that she was not free to leave. When asked “Why?” the bailiff responded, “because I must handcuff all defendants before they leave the courtroom.” Without her bar card, the bailiff refused to take Ms. Orozco’s word that she was an attorney. As the bailiff moved to place handcuffs on Ms. Orozco, an attorney convinced the bailiff that Ms. Orozco was indeed a member of the California State Bar. As the bailiff let go of Ms. Orozco’s wrists, he said, “I have never seen a Mexican- American female attorney.”

Criteria:

  • Latina
  • Lawyer
  • Highly accomplished

Prominent position

    • Law
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Policy
    • Government
    • Academics
    • Non-Profit

Notable achievement in the law (including):

    • Established new legal principle
    • Published important article/study
    • Successfully represented a complex or controversial cause
    • Removed barriers for others

Contribution to profession (and/or) community

    • social justice/legal services
    • immigration
    • women’s rights
    • children’s rights
    • language rights
    • education
    • economic justice
    • housing
    • civil rights
    • labor rights
    • business
    • philanthropy
    • politics
    • academic/legal scholarship

Past Recipients:

  • 2016 – Sandra C. Munoz, Principal at the Law Offices of Sandra C. Muñoz and Laura Genao, Director of Regulatory Affairs at Southern California Edison
  • 2015 – Jennifer Trusso Salinas, Partner specializing in Intellectual Property at Troutman Sanders LLP
  • 2014 – Patricia Salas Pineda, Group Vice President, Hispanic Business Strategy North America, Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
  • 2013 – Rita Morales, Assistant General Counsel and Vice President of Business Affairs, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc./Cartoon Network

Francisca Flores Award

Description: Born in 1913 in Los Angeles and raised in San Diego during the Mexican Revolution, Francisca Flores experienced the hardships of poverty and inadequate healthcare. In 1970, she founded the Comisión Femenil Mexicana to facilitate women’s involvement in the Chicano Movement. The Comisión created the Chicana Service Action Center to serve working, low-income Latinas and develop Latina leaders. As a member of the Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee, Ms. Flores assisted in the defense of the Latino defendants denied due process in Sleepy Lagoon Murder trial. In October 1944, the California Court of Appeal reversed the 12 defendants’ convictions in People v. Zamora 66.

Criteria:

  • A Latina who epitomizes the spirit, tenacity and vision of Ms. Flores.
  • Demonstrated commitment to Latina/o community
  • Notable accomplishments in serving the community
  • Reflects well on the LLBA

Past Recipients:

  • 2016 – Honorable Yvette M. Palazuelos
  • 2015 – Cindy López, Attorney General’s Office, and active mentor in Motivating Our Students Through Experience (MOSTe); organized Lantern’s Luncheon to support MOSTe;
  • 2014 – Nancy A. Ramirez, Commissioner, Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, former MALDEF Regional Attorney; and
  • 2013 – Angelica Salas, Executive Director, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles

Luminaria Award

Description: To recognize Latinas whose courage, determination, commitment to excellence, cultural pride, and remarkable achievements opened doors for other Latinos to excel.

Criteria:

  • Ground-breaking body of work/achievements over the span of a career
  • Acknowledged membership in the Latino/a community
  • Demonstrated commitment to service
  • Recipient reflects well on the LLBA

Past Recipients:
2015 – Felicia Escobar Carrillo, Special Assistant to the President for Immigration Policy
2014 – Hon. Vilma Socorro Martínez, former United States Ambassador to Argentina, President of the Los Angeles Harbor Commission
2013 – Rita Moreno for her groundbreaking work in destroying Latino stereotyping in American film opened doors for Latinos into the entertainment industry, and other industries and professions. One of the few actors to win an Academy Award, a Grammy, a Tony and an Emmy.

NEW!  LLBA Distinction Award

Description: To celebrate Latinas who have inspired, served as role models, and given hope to LLBA’s membership by sharing their stories of struggle, perseverance, dedication, determination, and success.

Criteria:

  • Latina who has served as a speaker in the Latinas in the Legal Profession Series in the last five years. To view the list of prior speakers, click here.
  • Active LLBA members may nominate one individual who stood out to them because her story inspired them, gave them hope, or otherwise positively resonated with them, and to include a brief explanation to support the nomination