Officially approved in the spring of 2011, Hispanic Law Students Association (HLSA) is one of Regent University’s newest organizations. Current and prospective members recently gathered to discuss the fundamental values of this unique group that aims to raise awareness of issues affecting Hispanics from both a societal and legal perspective. On October 4th, the organization kicked off its first meeting of the academic year by offering students an opportunity to listen to Latin music, eat mini tostadas, and engage in conversation with a practicing lawyer heavily involved in Hispanic issues. Featured guest speaker and Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) Region V Deputy President, Daniel Santos, discussed his transformation from law school to his present role at HNBA.
Santos encouraged attendees to get involved. “The favorable impacts that networking, and engaging in meaningful mentee/mentor relationships, will have on the success of your career cannot be emphasized enough,” he said. “Start the process early and always be ready for the opportunities that will come your way. Active participation in an organization such as the Hispanic National Bar Association is a terrific way to practice these skills, connect with members of the bar, and make contributions on issues of importance to the Hispanic community at large.”
Known also as “la familia,” HLSA’s mission is “to encourage and support Hispanic and non-Hispanic students as they pursue their calling to serve and remain responsive to the social, political, and academic promotion of the Hispanic community; and to promote the recruitment, academic achievement, and retention of Hispanic law students at Regent University School of Law, thereby allowing the Regent community to flourish with greater diversity while fully-equipping Christian law students of every ethnicity to become leaders who will influence their communities for the glory of Jesus Christ."
Committed to the needs of the Hispanic community, the organization also sponsors a number of community outreaches throughout the year including weekly tutoring sessions for youth in a local juvenile detention center.
HLSA invites all students, regardless of their ethnicity, to participate in its programming and members have the opportunity to learn more about the Hampton Roads Hispanic community through guest speakers, community outreach events, and from monthly meetings held on campus.
The 2011-2012 Board members are:
Keila Molina - President
Christian Tran – Vice President of Academic Affairs
Nicole De La Zerda – Vice President of Community Affairs
Jillian Shierts – Finances Director
Johnnie Finch – Administrative Director
Noah Tyler - Communications Director
2L Representative - Raul Ortiz
1L Representative - Iris Becker