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“Neither your life nor the world you live in just happens. You control the quality of your lives and that of your communities, it is only in giving to others that you can find meaning and satisfaction in what you do.”
Started by the community for the community.
On August 13, 2014, the Rhode Hispanic Bar Association (RIHBA) had its first networking event. (pictured above). In attendance were members of the Rhode Island legal community, members of the Massachusetts Association of Hispanic Attorneys, law students, aspiring law students, and general members of the community.
They all came together to support the goal of a more diverse and inclusive legal profession that is reflective of the diverse community it serves. The RI Latino community has proven itself resilient, if nothing else, and RIHBA intends to emulate that tenacity.
The idea to organize RIHBA originated with then Attorney Alberto Aponte Cardona, who would subsequently serve as our first President, and Attorney Diony Garcia, currently the Interim-President, discussing the lack of representation of Latinos within the legal community after a community event in 2013. After many brainstorming sessions later with various attorneys, law students, and community leaders, the idea to formally organize RIHBA to mirror the efforts already established in neighboring states and across the country was born.
Additional founding members, serving as the first thought partners and volunteers include Attorney Elizabeth Ortiz, who would subsequently serve as Vice President, and Erlin Rogel, JD., whose continued support of this organization remains invaluable.