OCHBA Statement Updated June 2022
The Hispanic Bar Association of Orange County was founded in 1970 by an astonishingly small group of Orange County lawyers of Hispanic heritage. The late Honorable Judge James O. Perez was the first Latino judge to be appointed to the bench in Orange County and, naturally, became a founding member of the organization. To proudly honor his legacy, the James O. Perez Trail Blazer Award is given at the annual Judges Barbeque yearly.
The members of the OCHBA have been committed to its purpose even in the plight of these last couple of years through a pandemic. The OCHBA is committed to promoting education, unity, and excellence in the Hispanic legal community. The loyal members and sponsors of the OCHBA have given strength in areas where our community needs it. This year, members returned to the in-person 44th Annual Gala Scholarship Fundraiser and Installation Dinner, which is the organization’s biggest fundraising event. Deserving law students Andrea Valencia and Isabella Guerrero received the Wally Davis Scholarships to help in their law studies, and Nancy Bailon received a Bar Stipend to help support her studies in taking the Bar Exam. This year, we honored our past president, Associate Justice Maurice Sanchez, with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his commitment to our legal community and his devotion to our justice system. Our Guardian De La Justicia was CASA OC for providing a powerful voice and meaningful connection for children in our community as they navigate through our court system due to abuse and neglect. Our Attorney of the Year was awarded to Gilbert Paul Carreon, for his commitment to public service, especially in representing indigent defendants. Our Corporate Citizen was awarded to Chapman University for their genuine commitment to our legal community and the vital role they play in educating our future generations of legal professionals.
The success of this organization, its programs, and events and impact upon our community are a combination of the commitment of all of its members, directors, past presidents, and sponsors as they come together to promote education, unity, and excellence in the Hispanic legal community. We are deeply committed in helping our community in areas of social justice and continuing our yearly scholarships to help our law students achieve their goals and join our legal community to further the positive impact in Orange County.
We encourage you to join us, we have many events where you can network, socialize and get involved in our community. These are a few of our events:
For more information about upcoming events, visit www.ochba.org.