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To increase professional
opportunities for Dominican-American,
native Dominican and Latino
attorneys in the U.S. legal
profession;
To assist native
Dominican lawyers and attorneys
of other nationalities in meeting
the requirements for the practice
of law in the U.S., including
assisting foreign attorneys
in obtaining the Foreign Legal
Consultant License issued by
the Court of Appeals of the
State of New York and its counterpart
in other U.S. states;
To assist in
the recruitment and retention
of Dominicans and Latinos in
U.S. law schools and provide
students with mentoring, scholarships
and other assistance;
To partner
with other bar associations,
governmental agencies and community
groups to foster greater participation
in the U.S. legal system by
the Dominican and Latino communities;
To address issues of concern
to the Dominican and Latino
communities in the U.S.;
To safeguard
the civil rights of the Dominican
and Latino communities and to
empower said communities to
fully participate in American
society through public education
and outreach; and
To ensure fairness
and diversity in Judicial appointments
by serving on various judicial
screening panels and committees.
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The history of the Dominican Bar Association
begins with the large migration of
people from the Dominican Republic
to the City of New York that occurred
in the 1960's and 1970's. Many of
those migrating over that time were
lawyers, doctors, engineers, etc.,
who left professional careers in the
Dominican Republic in search of a
better life in the City of New York.
However, after their arrival in the
city they quickly found that life
would still be difficult despite their
professional credentials. Early on
most Dominican lawyers, doctors, architects,
engineers, etc., struggled because
their professional licenses obtained
in the Dominican Republic were not
recognized by the State of New York.
As a result, although professionally
trained and experienced, most people
were forced to accept employment wherever
they could find it, i.e. as laborers,
blue-collar workers, etc. Yet, they
never abandoned their desire to resume
their professional careers in the
State of New York.
With that goal in mind they gradually
began to hold informal meetings to
discuss how they could make the transition.
Initially, meetings took place at
their respective homes, in local restaurants
and in local sporting clubs. As time
went on and the number of Dominican
lawyers in the city grew, the need
to establish their own formal organization
became apparent. The first organization
of Dominican lawyers formally incorporated
in the State of New York was the Dominican
American Lawyers Association (DALA)
in 1982.
Several years later four Dominican
attorneys began to meet and discuss
the creation of an organization dedicated
solely to the interests of Dominican
lawyers, law students and the legal
interests of the Latino community
within the State of New York. The
driving force in creating that organization
was Victor M. Espinal. Along with
co-founders Nurys De Oleo, Rosa Leyda
Mateo and Aurea Vasquez, they collectively
created the American Society of Dominican
Attorneys (ASDA) in 1990. At the time,
none were admitted to practice law
in the State of New York. In fact,
given that most Dominican lawyers
living in New York at the time where
only licensed to practice law in the
Dominican Republic, most of ASDA's
initial efforts were directed towards
assisting those individuals in gaining
admission to the bar.
As the years progressed, more Dominican
lawyers became admitted in New York.
In addition, second and third generation
Dominicans, born and raised in this
state, also became admitted practicing
attorneys. That slow but steady rise
shifted ASDA's primary focus away
from easing the transition of foreign
attorneys to advancing the interests
of those attorneys already practicing
law within the State of New York.
As a result, in 1996 the organization
was renamed the “Dominican Bar
Association, Inc.” to more accurately
reflect its membership, identity and
purpose.
Since its creation the Dominican Bar
Association has demonstrated a commitment
to furthering the legal interests
of all Latinos and Dominicans in all
facets of the community. DBA's efforts
have consisted of providing pro bono
legal clinics for members of the public,
assisting law students by providing
scholarships and mentoring, facilitating
communication between the bar and
the judiciary and actively participating
in judicial screening panels to name
just a few activities. While much
has been accomplished, even more work
remains to be done. With that in mind,
DBA looks forward towards continuing
to aggressively promote the legal
interests of the latino community
both locally and nationwide.
More: Presidents
Message & Board of Directors
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