Students Jessica Ocampo, Vania Cebrero, Jonnsebastian Orozco and Jeremy Esparza from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago have assumed leadership positions within the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA).
Jessica Ocampo, a third-year student at John Marshall, is the current President of the HNBA Law Student Division. “I have been a member of the HNBA since my 1L year, Ocampo said.” “By becoming involved with the HNBA early in my legal career, it has provided me with the invaluable opportunity to meet diverse attorneys, whom I can relate to. Having someone you can turn to for advice and guidance because they have walked in your shoes, is something that many minority students do not have and strive to find. This is something the HNBA has consistently provided to me and the entire law student membership.”
This is not Ocampo’s first leadership position in law school; she has also served as Vice President of John Marshall’s Latino Law Students Association, Vice President of the Women’s Law Caucus and Chicago Bar Association Liaison for the Student Bar Association. She is a founding member of John Marshall’s Labor and Employment Law Group and participates in the Moot Court Honors Program.
Third-year student Vania Cebrero has been named Vice President of Communications for the HNBA Law Student Division. “I have been a student member of the HNBA LGBT Division for about a year and a half now, and I realized that a lot of the work that I had been doing for the LGBT division was also necessary for the Law Student Division,” Cebrero said. “Working with both divisions has allowed me to effectively increase our reach and exposure to ensure that students nationwide have access to all the opportunities that the HNBA has to offer.”
Cebrero also serves as Executive Justice of John Marshall’s Moot Court Honors Board, Co-President of OUTLaw, a teaching assistant in John Marshall’s Lawyering Skills Program, and member of the Multicultural Leadership Council.
Jonnsebastian Orozco, also a third-year student, has been named Vice President of Online Education and Programming of the HNBA Law Student Division. “My experience with the Hispanic National Bar Association has been incomparable and wonderful,” Orozco said. “It has provided me with immeasurable professional growth and numerous networking opportunities, allowing me to meet with fellow law students and lawyers from across the nation.”
During his time at John Marshall, Orozco has also been involved with many other organizations. He is currently a research assistant in John Marshall’s International Human Rights Clinic and has served as Secretary of John Marshall’s Latino Law Students Association, Co-President of OUTLaw and Student Liaison for the Student Bar Association.
Finally, second-year student Jeremy Esparza has been named Regional President of Region IX (IL, IN, MI, WI) of the HNBA Law Student Division. “Although this is my first board position with HNBA, I am excited to speak to others and recruit individuals to join this organization,” Esparza said.
Like his peers, Esparza is involved in many other organizations in addition to the HNBA. He is currently a member of the Latino Law Student Association, the Labor and Employment Law Student Group, the National Lawyers Guild and John Marshall’s ABA Labor and Employment Trial Advocacy team.
About the Hispanic National Bar Association
The Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) is an incorporated, not-for-profit, national membership association that represents the interests of Hispanic attorneys, judges, law professors, legal assistants, law students and legal professionals in the United States and its territories. Since 1972, the HNBA has acted as a force for positive change within the legal profession by creating opportunities for Hispanic lawyers and by helping generations of lawyers to succeed. The HNBA has also effectively advocated on issues of importance to the national Hispanic community. While they are proud of their accomplishments, they are mindful that their mission is as vital today as it was four decades ago, especially as the U.S. Hispanic population continues to grow.
