HNBA Issues List of Hispanic American Jurists and Statement Concerning a Hispanic Appointment to the United States Supreme Court

WASHINGTON, May 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the impending retirement of Justice David H. Souter, there has been much discussion about President Obama's first appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. The HNBA has urged the President to take this opportunity to make history and to "select from among the many talented and experienced Hispanic American jurists and lawyers who are both willing and able to serve our country" on the Supreme Court. Hispanic lawyers share the interest of our fellow Americans in preserving the public's trust in the Supreme Court as the ultimate arbiter of justice in our society. We believe that the participation of an outstanding, well-prepared Latina or Latino on the Supreme Court would enhance its credibility and respect among the large and growing Hispanic community in the United States, which now numbers over 45 million people -- 15% of the population -- and is expected to triple in size by 2050 and to represent 29% of the population. Most importantly, we believe that this more inclusive participation will be in the best interest of all Americans by expanding the perspectives that inform the evolution of our country's jurisprudence.

As lawyers, the HNBA membership understands the importance of President Obama's choice and the factors that must inform it. For several decades, the HNBA has supported many non-Latino nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court and the federal bench who are sensitive to the interests, needs, and concerns of the Hispanic community, and indeed, for all Americans. Concurrently, we have advocated on a bipartisan basis for a talented Hispanic voice on the high court because we genuinely believe that a Hispanic Justice who understands the issues faced by ordinary Americans and under-served communities would help realize our country's promise of "equal justice under law" for all Americans.

The failure of past U.S. Presidents to appoint an Hispanic American to the Supreme Court has been attributed to an alleged absence of a pool of suitable candidates. HNBA National President Ramona E. Romero notes that "in renewing our call for the appointment of the first Hispanic Justice, the HNBA reminds the American people, the Administration and the U.S. Senate that there are now at least 82 Latinas and Latinos on the federal bench and on state courts of last resort, as well many other gifted and distinguished Hispanic lawyers in academia, government and the private sector. Through the work of its Supreme Court Committee, the HNBA offers the list of 82 judges, which is bipartisan, to illustrate the substantial pool of Hispanic legal talent throughout the United States." By merely publishing this list we do not purport to evaluate or endorse any of the individuals listed. The HNBA reserves the right to review the qualifications of any person actually nominated by the President, and to report to our community and to the broader public the HNBA's judgment on a nominee's qualifications. But we believe that this illustrative list makes it abundantly clear that it can no longer be asserted in good faith that the pool of Hispanic candidates is too small or inadequate.

The HNBA is an incorporated, not-for-profit, national membership organization that represents the interests of the more than 100,000 attorneys, judges, law professors, legal assistants, and law students of Hispanic descent in the United States, its territories and Puerto Rico. For more information about the HNBA and its Appointments Project, please visit www.hnba.com.

HNBA "LONG LIST" OF POTENTIAL HISPANIC AMERICAN NOMINEES

TO THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT

I.

HISPANIC AMERICAN FEDERAL JUDGES (14)

UNITED STATES CIRCUIT COURTS OF APPEAL

AS OF MAY, 2009

Arthur L. Alarcon

U.S. Court of Appeals

Ninth Circuit

Los Angeles, CA

Carlos Bea

U.S. Court of Appeals

Ninth Circuit

San Francisco, CA

Fortunato P. Benavides

U.S. Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

Austin, TX

Jose A. Cabranes

U.S. Court of Appeals

Second Circuit

New York, NY

Consuelo Maria Callahan

U.S. Court of Appeals

Ninth Circuit

Sacramento, CA

Ferdinand F. Fernandez

U.S. Court of Appeals

Ninth Circuit

Pasadena, CA

Julio M. Fuentes

U.S. Court of Appeals

Third Circuit

Newark, NJ

Emilio M. Garza

U.S. Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

San Antonio, TX

Carlos F. Lucero

U.S. Court of Appeals

Tenth Circuit

Denver, CO

Richard A. Paez

U.S. Court of Appeals

Ninth Circuit

Pasadena, CA

Edward C. Prado

U.S. Court of Appeals

Fifth Circuit

San Antonio, TX

Sonia Sotomayor

U.S. Court of Appeals

Second Circuit

New York, NY

Juan R. Torruella

U.S. Court of Appeals

First Circuit

San Juan, PR

Kim M. Wardlaw

U.S. Court of Appeals

Ninth Circuit

Pasadena, CA

II.

HISPANIC AMERICAN FEDERAL JUDGES (57)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURTS

AS OF MAY, 2009

Raymond L. Acosta

U.S. District Court

District of Puerto Rico

San Juan, PR

Cecilia M. Altonaga

U.S. District Court

Southern District of Florida

Miami, FL

Micaela Alvarez

U.S. District Court

Southern District of Texas

Laredo, TX

Christine M. Arguello

U.S. District Court

District of Colorado

Denver, CO

Christina M. Armijo

U.S. District Court

District of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM

Roger Benetiz

U.S. District Court

Southern District of California

San Diego, CA

Francisco Augusto Besosa

U.S. District Court

District of Puerto Rico

San Juan, PR

David Briones

U.S. District Court

Western District of Texas

El Paso, TX

Kathleen Cardone

U.S. District Court

Western District of Texas

El Paso, TX

Salvador E. Casellas

U.S. District Court

District of Puerto Rico

San Juan, PR

Ruben Castillo

U.S. District court

Northern District of Illinois

Chicago, IL

Carmen Consuelo Cerezo

U.S. District Court

District of Puerto Rico

San Juan, PR

Virginia M. Hernandez-Covington

U.S. District Court

Middle District of Florida

Tampa, FL

Randy Crane

U.S. District Court

Southern District of Texas

McAllen, TX

Aida M. DelGado-Colon

U.S. District Court

District of Puerto Rico

San Juan, PR

Daniel R. Dominguez

U.S. District Court

District of Puerto Rico

San Juan, PR

Jose Antonio Fuste

U.S. District Court

District of Puerto Rico

San Juan, PR

Edward J. Garcia

U.S. District Court

Eastern District of California

Sacramento, CA

Orlando L. Garcia

U.S. District Court

Western District of Texas

San Antonio, TX

Jay A. Garcia-Gregory

U.S. District Court

District of Puerto Rico

San Juan, PR

Gustavo A. Gelpi, Jr.

U.S. District Court

District of Puerto Rico

San Juan, PR

Irma E. Gonzalez

U.S. District Court

Southern District of California

San Diego, CA

Jose A. Gonzalez, Jr.

U.S. District Court

Southern District of Florida

Fort Lauderdale, Fl

Louis Guirola, Jr.

U.S. District Court

Southern District of Mississippi

Gulfport, MS

Philip S. Gutierrez

U.S. District Court

Central District of California

Los Angeles, CA

Ronald A. Guzman

U.S. District Court

Northern District of Illinois

Chicago, IL

Judith C. Herrera

U.S. District Court

District of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM

Ricardo H. Hinojosa

U.S. District Court

Southern District of Texas

McAllen, TX

Marcia Howard

U.S. District Court

Middle District of Florida

Jacksonville, FL

Dora L. Irizarry

U.S. District Court

Eastern District of New York

Brooklyn, NY

Adalberto Jordan

U.S. District Court

Southern District of Florida

Miami, FL

Jose L. Linares

U.S. District Court

District of New Jersey

Newark, NJ

Rudy Lozano

U.S. District Court

Northern District of Indiana

Hammon, IN

Alia Moses Ludlum

U.S. District Court

Western District of Texas

Rio, TX

Victor Marrero

U.S. District Court

Southern District of New York

New York, NY

Jose E. Martinez

U.S. District Court

Southern District of Florida

Miami, FL

Philip R. Martinez

U.S. District Court

Western District of Texas

El Paso, TX

Ricardo S. Martinez

U.S. District Court

Western District of Washington

Seattle, WA

John A. Mendez

U.S. District Court

Eastern District of California

Sacramento, CA

Frank Montalvo

U.S. District Court

Western District of Texas

San Antonio, TX

Federico A. Moreno

U.S. District Court

Southern District of Florida

Miami, FL

Carlos Murguia

U.S. District Court

District Court of Kansas

Kansas City, KS

Mary H. Murguia

U.S. District Court

District Court of Arizona

Phoenix, AZ

James S. Otero

U.S. District Court

Central District of California

Los Angeles, CA

Juan M. Perez-Gimenez

U.S. District Court

District of Puerto Rico

San Juan, PR

Jaime Pieras, Jr.

U.S. District Court

District of Puerto Rico

San Juan, PR

Manuel L. Real

U.S. District Court

Central District of California

Los Angeles, CA

Eduardo C. Robreno

U.S. District Court

Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

Joseph H. Rodriguez

U.S. District Court

District Court of New Jersey

Camden, NJ

Xavier Rodriguez

U.S. District Court

Western District of Texas

San Antonio, TX

Juan R. Sanchez

U.S. District Court

Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

Brian Sandoval

U.S. District Court

District Court of Nevada

Reno, NV

Jorge A. Solis

U.S. District Court

Northern District of Texas

Dallas, TX

Hilda G. Tagle

U.S. District Court

Southern District of Texas

Brownsville, TX

Ricardo M. Urbina

U.S. District Court

District of Columbia

Washington, DC

Martha Vazquez

U.S. District Court

District of New Mexico

Santa Fe, NM

Frank R. Zapata

U.S. District Court

District of Arizona

Tucson, AZ

III.

HISPANIC AMERICAN JUSTICES (11)

ON STATE COURTS OF LAST RESORT

AS OF MAY, 2009

Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick

Court of Appeals of New York

Albany, NY

Edward L. Chavez

Supreme Court of New Mexico

Santa Fe, NM

Jorge Labarga

Supreme Court of Florida

Tallahassee, FL

Petra Maes

Supreme Court of New Mexico

Santa Fe, NM

Alex J. Martinez

Supreme Court of Colorado

Denver, CO

David Medina

Supreme Court of Texas

Austin, TX

Carlos R. Moreno

Supreme Court of California

San Francisco, CA

Paul J. Demuniz

Supreme Court of Oregon

Salem, OR

Roberto A. Rivera-Soto

Supreme Court of New Jersey

Trenton, NJ

Vanessa Ruiz

Court of Appeals of Washington

Washington, DC

Patricia Serna

Supreme Court of New Mexico

Santa Fe, NM