toward securing that right. Litigation is likely to
continue to be a major focus, Saenz says, because the rights of Latinos are continually being challenged. For example, the prevalence of local counties neglecting to comply with the VRA, particularly in California, is notable, he says. “We’re pretty busy with redistricting these days, as well as responding to a wave of anti-immigrant statutes and ordinances from unscrupulous leaders reacting to perceived fear of the Latino community in states such as Arizona, Alabama, and elsewhere.” Ensuring educational policy is fair to Latinos is
THOMAS A. SAENZ
another important area of focus. “Latinos represent about one in six Americans,” Saenz notes. “And if you look at public schools, it’s higher: one in fi ve. Some of this is because of the relative youth of the Latino population, but it’s also because people in the Latino community do attend public schools. And public school education has been a foundation issue for us that will provide an entrée to success in other areas such as policy making and voting rights. It’s critical over the long term.”
TENACITY OVER TIME It certainly takes a commitment to the long term, as well as a vision of how each victory will add up, to achieve the social change MALDEF is after. Saenz is confi dent the organization and its tireless attorneys have what it takes. “We have tenacity. We are champions of constitutional and civil rights,” he says, adding that MALDEF’s attorneys always have an eye on long-term impact. Although the organization faced economic cutbacks
in 2008 and 2009, which led to layoff s and the closing of two offi ces, Saenz is optimistic about the future. In the past two years, the organization has rebuilt one of its offi ces, in Sacramento, and restored positions that had
MCCA.COM
VICTOR VIRAMONTES
been eliminated. Another recent success is the addition of a litigator in its Washington, D.C., offi ce, a critical step in its long-term mission to have a widespread impact on policy making and social change. “We have placed a litigator in D.C. primarily to serve the South, which we previously served through an Atlanta regional offi ce that was unfortunately closed due to fi nancial consid-
erations in 2009,” Saenz explains. ‘We plan to eventually reopen a southern regional offi ce, but will be working to build a strong southern docket of cases before doing that through our D.C. offi ce litigation team.” Saenz is also proud of an initiative that has continued
without interruption: its Law School Scholarship Program, which has awarded scholarships to law students every year since the organization’s founding. It’s evident that MALDEF’s strengths lie in its attor-
neys and that it has been successful in supporting, training, and utilizing attorneys who are talented and creative, as well as dedicated to civil rights. “We have signifi cant expertise in our programmatic
areas such as immigrants’ rights, and are willing to put in the hard work necessary to present our cases in courtrooms throughout the country,” explains Viramontes. “We take on these cases because we deeply value Latino civil rights, and we strive to protect and further these rights every day that we go to work.” D&B
Kara Mayer Robinson is a freelance writer based near New York City. For more information, visit
maldef.org.
1 2
The VRA was passed in 1965 and has been reauthorized fi ve times, most recently in 2006.
Saenz previously served as a staff attorney for MALDEF from 1993-2005, returning in 2009 as executive director.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012 DIVERSITY & THE BAR®
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