A Message from the 2023 DHBA President, Carla Green

DHBA Familia,

We are officially off to a new year and I am truly honored to be serving as President of the DHBA in 2023!

I want to start by saying that I know I have some big shoes to fill following Elsa Manzanares, our 2022 fearless, hard-working President. Elsa’s dedication to the DHBA has been an inspiration and I hope to carry on and grow the already wonderful momentum, initiatives, and support Elsa was able to garner for the DHBA this past year. I am thankful Elsa will continue to serve on our Board as Immediate-Past President and we look forward to working with her. I also want to acknowledge and give many thanks to some of our outgoing Board members that have given their service and (for some) several years of their time—many thanks to Jake Torres, Tyrone Valdivia, Fabiola Segovia, and Javier Perez. I want our members to know that the DHBA would not be the organization that it is without you. Without your support, your time, and yes, even your donations—the DHBA would not be able to accomplish the wonderful work that it does. We are grateful for each of you and encourage you to participate, become involved, and socialize with your familia. The DHBA is only growing, getting stronger—we’re excited that we’ve seen substantial increases in our membership numbers, we’ve raised record-setting donations for our incredible initiatives, including for the DHBA’s pipeline initiative, the Dallas Latina Leadership Program, and our Judicial Externship Program.

Throughout my years of service on the DHBA Board, I’ve had the honor of meeting and having long discussions with our DHBA members. In those discussions, I often hear about how the DHBA has impacted our members, many times in different ways. For some, the DHBA has been an organization that has introduced them to other attorneys with similar backgrounds that have resulted in long-lasting, inspiring friendships/mentorships. For others, the DHBA is an organization that has rallied behind causes and initiatives that inspired our members to participate and become more involved in our Dallas-Hispanic community.

For me, the DHBA has always felt like home, like family. My first introduction to the DHBA was in law school when I attended Texas A&M University of Law. I was a single mother, juggling raising an 8-year-old son, trying to get through my law school courses, and keeping up a comfortable household for the both of us. Scholarships were game-changers. The DHBA awarded me one of my first scholarships in law school—and to this day—I remember how excited I was to receive those funds. It was a relief. I needed and the DHBA responded. That’s familia. After graduating and moving to Dallas, the DHBA became an organization of support and comfort. I’ve met so many life-long friends/colleagues through this organization that I consider familia.

It is truly inspirational to hear (and experience) how the DHBA has impacted our members’ law practice and lives. We want to continue to do so. So, join us! Come celebrate with us! We are excited about this upcoming year and look forward to working with our members to reach our goals and continue our mission.

Carla Green 

2023 DHBA President

Karnes Pro Bono Project - Volunteers Needed

Friday, October 19, 2018 8:41 PM | Matthew Phillips

HELP NEEDED FOR DETAINED IMMIGRANT KIDS
NO IMMIGRATION LAW EXPERIENCE REQUIRED!

DHBA is seeking 3-5 bilingual volunteer attorneys to volunteer at the Karnes immigration detention center the week of December 3rd-7th (with the option to stay and continue volunteering Saturday the 8th).

The Karnes Pro Bono Project provides free legal services to immigrants detained in the Karnes Detention Center - most are families fleeing violence in Central America. The detained parents and children are forced to pass a credible fear interview before they can be released from detention to pursue asylum. The failure to pass the interview can lead to deportation, which means a return to danger and even death.

At this time, the Karnes Pro Bono Project is serving fathers and their sons. These families are often traumatized and untrusting, and volunteers must be able to quickly build positive bonds. The legal environment is fast-paced and needs are always changing, but volunteers will likely assist with legal research, holding intake meetings with clients, preparing clients for credible fear interviews, providing legal advice to families regarding release from the detention center, drafting declarations for asylum cases, representing clients during their credible fear interviews (telephonically or in person), and possibly representing families in hearings before the Immigration Court.

The detention center is staffed Monday through Saturday from 10am-8pm. RAICES will hold an orientation phone call for both legal training and a discussion of the logistics of volunteering on November 28th from 3pm-6pm.  RAICES does provide support on the ground, but the volume of clients if very high and volunteers should be prepared to be flexible, patient, and work as independently as possible.

Volunteers are typically responsible for their own travel and hotel expenses. RAICES recommends that volunteers stay near their San Antonio office. However, DHBA may be able to financially assist attorneys who would not otherwise be able to volunteer with some of the expenses. 

Please contact Patricia Freshwater if you are interested in this volunteer opportunity at freshwater@dfwvisa.comDHBA must finalize the volunteer list prior to November 16, 2018.

For more information on the Karnes Pro Bono Project, please see here.

Follow Us On:

Dallas Hispanic Bar Association

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software