Chinh Le, Legal Director

The Hispanic Bar Association of the District of Columbia (HBA-DC) recently announcedthat Legal Aid’s Rosanne Aviles will be the 2011 recipient of the Hugh A. Johnson Memorial Award. The award goes to an individual “with visible ties to the DC Metropolitan area, especially its Hispanic community, who demonstrates unwavering commitment and achievement to public service and dedication to the principles of equality, cultural respect and social justice.” 

Rosanne Avilés, Supervising Attorney -Housing

We are delighted that Rosanne will be recognized for her amazing work serving persons living in poverty. Since joining Legal Aid in June of 2007, Rosanne has saved scores of individuals from homelessness, restored housing subsidies to the poorest members of our community, advocated for safe and sanitary housing conditions, and ensured protections for victims of domestic violence. She is an exemplary advocate for her clients and the community at large, bringing a formidable combination of tenacity and precision to everything she does. As a bilingual attorney who speaks Spanish fluently, Rosanne offers her Spanish-speaking clients the best quality representation in their primary language. Many of these clients would not be able to access the justice system but for Rosanne’s representation.  

Each year, HBA-DC recognizes three individuals and one organization with its Equal Justice Awards. In addition to Rosanne, the other awardees are: The Honorable Hiram Puig-Lugo, D.C. Superior Court Judge, who will receive the 2011 Judge Ricardo M. Urbina Lifetime Achievement Award; M. Lucero Ortiz, Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff, at the U.S. Department of Labor, who will receive the 2011 Rising Star Award; and Liberty's Promise, a non-profit organization that supports young, D.C. area immigrants in need while encouraging them to be active and conscientious citizens, which will be the organizational recipient of the 2011 Hugh A. Johnson Memorial Award. This year’s award ceremony will take place on November 10, 2011 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Washington. 

Congratulations, Rosanne!