PRBA SPRING NEWSLETTER

- An Introduction From Our President - 

Dear esteemed members of the PRBA,        

I am honored to extend my warmest greetings to each and every one of you as the newly elected President of PRBA of Illinois. As we embrace the arrival of spring, I hope this newsletter finds you well and enjoying the new season.

Before I proceed, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to outgoing President Jose Padilla for his dedicated service to the PRBA during these unprecedented times. Jose has done an excellent job running the organization during the pandemic and has helped us to award over $15,000 in scholarships this past year. We are grateful for his contributions and leadership.

As we look forward to the coming months, we would like to take a moment to express our gratitude for your continued support and involvement in our organization. Your dedication to promoting diversity and excellence in the legal profession is truly admirable, and we are honored to have you as part of our community.

As I begin my tenure, I would like to share with you some moments of my life that led me to the PRBA. Growing up in Logan Square, my parents instilled in me the importance of education and community involvement. Although neither of my parents graduated from grammar school and we struggled financially they instilled from early on to not forget about who we are and where we come from. In 2009 I lost my mother to cancer and felt lost. I met Patricia Rangel in 2014 through my adjunct teaching position at Wright College. She encouraged me to join the PRBA. I went to a few events and felt immediately welcomed. I finally felt that I had found my people. Throughout the years, I have made great friends and have been involved in numerous community events.

The PRBA was established in 1994 as a not-for-profit organization to address the issues affecting Latino lawyers and the Latino community. We have been a strong voice for our community, hosting, and sponsoring hundreds of events, advocating for Latino representation in the judiciary, and awarding tens of thousands of dollars in law school student scholarships.

In this edition of our newsletter, we have highlighted some of the recent accomplishments of our members and shared information on upcoming events that we hope will be of interest to you. We have also included updates on the organization's initiatives to provide support and resources to Latino attorneys in Illinois.

As we move forward into the upcoming programs and events, we invite you to join us as we celebrate our 30th anniversary in 2024. We have an incredible line-up of events, and I hope to facilitate engagement and participation in the PRBA while promoting respect, civility, and kindness among our members and the bar as a whole.

As always, we encourage your participation and feedback in our organization. Your voices and perspectives are invaluable in shaping the future of our profession and community. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any ideas, questions, or concerns.

We thank you for your support, and we look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events.

Sincerely,

Patricia Cintron-Bastin

PRBA President

Puerto Rican Bar Association of Illinois

Highlights of Events from 2022/2023.

Follow us on Facebook to view some photos of these past events and activities.

https://www.facebook.com/prbalawil/

2022

May 2022. Sponsored Van Guard Awards where former executive board member Jaime Santana received a Van Guard award for his contribution to the Latino community.

June 2022. The PRBA participated in the Puerto Rican Parade- a yearly event held in Humboldt park Chicago to promote awareness of our organization.

August 2022.
The PRBA hosted our first Summer Fundraiser for our law student scholarship fund titled “Boriken Barrister’s Bash”. It was our most successful fundraiser to date.

September 2022. Our long-time executive board member Judge Joanne Rosado was honored with the “Hilda Frontany Community Care Award” by Rincon Family services* for her dedication to the Latino community in Chicago. In conjunction with the PRBA, Judge Rosado has provided thousands of gifts for children in need during our annual the Holiday Adopt a Family Program. She also spearheaded our Annual Thanksgiving food drive. She is a pillar in the Puerto Rican Community and has a long-standing connection with Rincon Family services.

https://www.facebook.com/RinconFamilyServices/photos/a.287557207942600/5655771784454422/?type=3

*Rincon Family Services provides mental health services and community resources for the Latino community in Chicago https://www.rinconfamilyservices.org/

October 2022.
We partnered with Puerto Rican Police Association – PRPA and Vazquez Post # 939 and RadioRitmo Mix to fundraise for Disaster Relief for Puerto Rico. We raised over $5,000 and purchased batteries, solar lights, and water filters for Proyecto Nacer, a non-profit organization that serves approximately 182 teenage parent families in Puerto Rico.   Proyecto Nacer in turn will help distribute the items to families in need.   Additionally, we donated some funds to at least two other non-profit organizations.

PRBA member Martha Soto participates in a panel discussion on Latino Voices Program on WTTW to discuss the need for increased Latino representation in the Illinois Judiciary. https://news.wttw.com/2022/10/22/advocates-push-more-latino-representation-politics?fbclid=IwAR2uE148rav5PQFFM7K48Xl_IOLLiNIXJOyaSo8fSct2Ks2yTDAH6FljyrE

November 2022.
We partnered with PRBA Member David Herrera and the Latin Police Association and RadioRitmo Mix for our Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. We were able to stock the pantry to feed immigrant Latino families housed on the Northwest Side of Chicago.

PRBA executive board member Judge Beatriz Santiago coordinated a joint effort with Mujeres Latinas en Accion to get members to donate new coats, mittens, socks, hats and scarves for survivors of domestic violence.

December 2022.
Long time PRBA member Judge Gloria Chevere joins Political Forum to explain the lack of Latino representation in the Illinois Judicial System. Political Forum is a CAN TV Signature Program. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCiGP5_8zfg

We partnered with Rincon Family Services to provide Christmas gifts to over 124 children and 40 Aldi gift cards to families in need in the Chicagoland area during our annual Adopt a Family Program.

The PRBA was a sponsor of the 42^nd Annual Puerto Rican Police Association Christmas Banquet.

2023

January 2023
Hosted our annual Three Kings Gala where we awarded over $15,000 in law student scholarships. https://www.prbalawil.com/scholarships.html.

To view program of event and 2022 highlights click here https://www.flipsnack.com/8DC8E577C6F/prba-3-kings-gala-program.html

February 2023
We completed our judicial evaluations of Associate Judge candidates as we are members of the Alliance of Bar Associations.

March 2023
PRBA Member Lucy Vazquez conducted an Estate Planning presentation for the Northern Chapter of Puerto Rican Women’s annual brunch on the Northwest Side of Chicago. We also donated funds to the women’s scholarship fund.

PRBA President Patricia Cintron-Bastin and Joanne Rosado attended the annual Felisa Rincón de Gautier Distinguished Woman Award given by the Puerto Rican Art’s Alliance

April 2023
PRBA executive board member Joanne Rosado and member David Herrera partnered with the Latin Police Association, Illinois Latino Judges Association and RadioRitmo Mix for our First Spring Pack the Pantry Event. We raised $3,000 and stocked the pantry of Onward Neighborhood House an immigrant welcoming center in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood of Chicago.

Members of the PRBA board participated in a mentoring program hosted by DePaul University. We will be serving as mentors for high school and college students interested in careers in the law.

Upcoming Events

Past Events

FUNDRAISING ANNOUNCEMENT

The Demetrios Didaskalos SAIL Donation Campaign was created with the overall aim of providing undocumented and DACA students at DePaul University College of Law with financial assistance, which includes textbook, technology, health, tuition, and overall living expenses. 

This campaign was named in honor of Demetrios Didaskalou, father of our longtime member Anastasia Didaskalou, whose passing from medical malpractice inspired Anastasia to migrate to the United States and pursue a legal education and provide justice to others in an often unjust and unfair world. All of us at SAIL have had our own unique experiences navigating the U.S. immigration system, whether personally, professionally, or both, and we have a deep passion for assisting immigrants and refugees whose American Dream also includes a legal education and desire to do good. We want to ensure that other students will not be held back by the same financial complications that we have had to endure.

DePaul University is a 501(c)(3) organization, so every gift made is a charitable contribution for tax purposes.

CLE Opportunities 

Scholarship Opportunity

The Illinois Judges Foundation is accepting applications for its Harold Sullivan Scholarship for law students. Applications are due by June 26th.  

Job Openings 

LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHILD LAW CENTER - Director of Operations

Loyola University Chicago’s Civitas Child Law Center is hiring a director of operations.  Candidates should have a J.D. degree from an accredited law school or a graduate degree in Business Management or a related field and at least 2 years of experience in organizational management.  Applicants should submit materials through the Loyola HR website.

KANOSKI BRENSEY – Workers Compensation Associate

Kanoski Bresney is a rapidly growing law firm who is seeking a highly motivated and Illinois Bar licensed Workers Compensation Attorney to handle a large and growing docket of cases.

HODGES LOIZZI EISENHAMMER RODICK & KOHN LLP - Associate Attorney in the Labor & Personnel Practice Group

Hodges Loizzi Eisenhammer Rodick & Kohn LLP is a highly respected Illinois law firm located in the Chicago metropolitan area specializing in the representation of Illinois school districts, park districts, and other government entities.

CITY OF CHICAGO - Positions Open in Several Divisions

Entry, Mid-Level and Senior-Level Attorney job openings in the areas of Collection Ownership and Administrative Litigation Division, Building and License Enforcement, Administration Public Safety Reform Division, Labor, Federal Civil Rights Litigation, Appeals, Administrative Risk Management & Compliance, Regulatory & Contracts, Constitutional and Commercial Litigation, Torts and  Regulatory & Contracts Division.