Welcome to Future of Latinos, a nation-wide, interdisciplinary research initiative of the American Bar Foundation (ABF). This project is devoted to producing innovative scholarship on the Latino population in the United States and locating the sites of intervention that promise to be most impactful in promoting opportunity and mobility through law and policy. We are committed to research that will make a difference: Our aim is to generate findings that can be utilized by organizations and individuals who work to advance justice for the Latino community.

Please navigate through our website to learn more about this project. If you would like to contact us, please fill out a contact form.

News

On November 1-2, 2019, Duke Law School hosted the American Bar Foundation (ABF)’s Southern Roundtable on “The Future of Latinos in the United States: Law, Opportunity, and Mobility.”

The roundtable brought together leading members of the Latino community from the South, including law and non-law scholars, legal advocates, community activists, politicians, media representatives, foundation representatives, and emerging leaders, to imagine the different futures for Latinos that are possible by 2050. The discussion was dedicated to exploring vitally important issues that will shape the prospects for Latinos in the region in coming years. Questions of immigration, education, economic opportunity, and civic and political engagement were central to the conversations that took place over the two days.

On October 12, 2018, Robert Nelson and Meghan Dawe presented a white paper Latinxs in the Legal Profession: A Statistical Portrait at The State of Latinos in the Law Symposium: Identifying Challenges, Defining Strategies and Impacting the Pipeline. The event was hosted by Chief Judge Ruben Castillo of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

On June 8, 2018, the Network for Justice held its Advisory Council meeting in Los Angeles.

On March 2, 2018, we collaborated with Stephen Zack and Luis Suarez of Boies, Schiller, and Flexner to hold the Miami Leadership Summit at the Miami-Dade College – Wolfson Campus. The convening brought together leading scholars, legal practitioners, and media representatives in the Miami area to explore key areas of opportunity through educational innovation, broadcasting, and a vibrant economy. Read the press release for the Miami Leadership Summit here and some local media coverage of the event here.

In February 2018, Professor Luz Herrera of Texas A & M School of Law and Dr. Pilar Hernández Escontrías, currently a law student at UC Irvine School of Law, authored an article on “The Network for Justice: Pursuing a Latinx Civil Rights Agenda” in the Harvard Latinx Law Review. The article explores the need to develop a Latinx-focused network that advances law and policy, given the rapid growth of this population and the significant challenges and opportunities that it will face in coming years. Professor Herrera and Dr. Escontrias recognize the importance of building on existing infrastructure and resources and therefore propose improved coordination to build a national network to address Latinx-related issues. That network would connect existing advocacy institutions and community organizations with law schools, academic institutions, lawyers, and policy makers. Professor Herrera currently co-directs the Network for Justice initiative as part of the American Bar Foundation’s Future of Latinos project, and both she and Dr. Escontrias serve on The Future of Latinos advisory board.

On January 6, 2018, the Network for Justice held its first Advisory Council meeting at the University of California, Irvine School of Law.