Joaquin G. Avila
By Cristbal Joshua Alex and M. Lorena Gonzalez
Professor Joaquin Avila is undoubtedly one of the most influential leaders in the Latino civil rights movement-- the Brown movement. Joaquin has taken what is perhaps the greatest equalizer, the power to vote, and made sure that for communities of color, and Latinos in particular, it is exercised and counted.
Joaquin is not only one of the most well-respected voting rights experts in the nation, he is also a friend, a colleague, a mentor, and a new and proud grandpa. When Joaquin talks about his grandson, Elian, his whole face lights up. Those who have an informal conversation with Joaquin soon pick up on his dedication to his family and compassion for others.
The Beginnings
Joaquin grew up in Compton, California where he graduated as valedictorian from Centennial High School. As many folks may know, Compton is not an easy place to grow up. And, like many tough communities, the expectations for high school students, in general, were not high. Yet Joaquin always excelled despite any barriers. Joaquin once mentioned that, when he told his Compton-buddies that he was going to Yale, they remarked, “That’s too bad. How long are you in for?”
Such a response was an indicator of exactly how uncommon it was, during the early 1970s, to see a Latino attend an Ivy League school. True to his spirit, however, Joaquin has used the life lessons learned in Compton in the fight to achieve social equality for people of color.
After graduating from Centennial High School, Joaquin traveled to Yale to pursue his undergraduate studies. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, Joaquin went on to Harvard Law School.
Joaquin recalls that, when he arrived in Boston in 1970, there were only a handful of Latinos at Harvard. One of Joaquin’s former classmates recalls that all the Latinos in law school knew Joaquin, because Joaquin took it upon himself to ensure that the students were studying. The perception was that Joaquin always had a key to one room or another at the law school. Beyond studying, he was always there when someone’s car broke down, needed cab fare or needed help moving.
The Emergence of a Voting Rights Icon
When you speak to Joaquin, his passion for defending civil rights is evident, especially when it comes to voting rights. His passion for defending civil rights initially led him to the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (“MALDEF”)--the preeminent Latino civil rights organization--in 1974. Joaquin became MALDEF’s president in 1982 where he formulated and implemented a national Latino civil rights agenda.
During his tenure at MALDEF, Joaquin was also instrumental in defining the organization’s mission and in directing program implementation strategies and resource allocation. He also worked to formulate new advocacy issues and legal strategies that resulted in major legislative and legal victories.
Joaquin then started his own private practice focusing exclusively on voter rights--the only one of its kind in California. He now teaches constitutional law, voter rights litigation and Latinos and the law at Seattle University School of Law. When he first arrived at Seattle University, Joaquin was only one of three Latino professors in the State of Washington. In November of 2004, Joaquin earned Assistant Professor of Law status.
In addition to his notable work with MALDEF, Joaquin has been involved in major federal and state legislative efforts designed to ensure that the access to this country’s democratic process remains fair and equal.
Some of Joaquin’s current projects include an assessment of the continued viability of the federal Voting Rights Act. In particular, Joaquin is interested in analyzing the Act’s ability to eliminate discriminatory election structures as well as the impact of litigation in removing obstacles preventing minority access to the political process. Joaquin’s study will also focus on determining the impact of such cases on the election of minority governing board members, the appointments of minorities to advisory boards and commissions, the decisions to change zoning and planning, the issuance of public bonds, and the distribution of governmental resources.
On the state level, Joaquin helped draft the California State Voting Rights Act of 2001--the only state voting rights act of its kind in the country. This important piece of legislation facilitated the ability to challenge at-large elections in state court and eliminated many evidentiary burdens required by the federal Voting Rights Act.
The Respected Professor
When students talk about Professor Avila, they have a sense of excitement about his classes. They know that the person teaching them is the top voter rights expert in the nation. They know that their professor has successfully litigated over 50 major voting rights cases on all levels of state and local governments; including several cases successfully argued before the United States Supreme Court. They also realize that their professor is dedicated to teaching what he calls “the future leaders of the country.” And, the students are amazed at his openness, modesty, and sincerity.
For example, in his Latinos and the law class, Joaquin has a regular theme: that the protection of civil rights (as applied to the Latino community) is dynamic and complex. To prove his point he will frequently pose questions that are so profound the room falls silent hoping for enough time to really think
the issue through. Of course, the questions are not asked simply to stump the students but, rather, to encourage creativity with the interpretation of law and facts.
Aside from challenging his students academically, the professor is not afraid to relax. Sometimes Joaquin will reference older television shows during class discussions. When the class falls silent, for these references, he shrugs it off by saying, “well, I’m from the Howdy Doody generation.”
Then there was the arm wrestling challenge. Curious? For the past two years the students at SU Law have organized a carnival in which all the student organizations sponsor and run a carnival-like game booth. This year, Joaquin participated at the “Arm-Wrestle-A-Professor” booth where students could pay a nominal fee for an opportunity to upstage the mighty professor. All efforts, however, were futile. Joaquin held off the first student that stepped up for at least three minutes while the student exclaimed, “don’t be easy on me, Professor Avila.” Shortly thereafter, Joaquin claimed his victory with on-lookers rejoicing in his victory.
Bienvenidos Joaquin
Throughout his distinguished career, Joaquin has received numerous awards and accolades, including the California State Bar Loren Miller Legal Services Award, the MacArthur Fellowship, and the Abraham Lincoln and Benito Juarez award from the Hispanic National Bar Association.
Yet, he remains modest and has never forgotten where he comes from. Not many law students or young attorneys are fortunate enough to know what type of law they want to practice in the real world, but from day one, Joaquin knew he wanted to be a civil rights lawyer. And he has never lost sight of that. He has dedicated his life to la causa (the cause). Like Mario Obledo, Gustavo Garcia, and Loren Miller before him, he has advanced civil rights in this country and, in the process, has empowered the Latino community.
The students at Seattle University, the voters of Washington, and especially the Latino community of the Northwest are fortunate to have Joaquin in our presence. We welcome him to the community and hope that the warmth of the Northwest (as well as the birth of his first grandson) will serve as powerful incentives to remain in the area.
Crist—bal Joshua Alex is an associate with MacDonald Hoague & Bayless. His practice focuses on civil rights and employment discrimination. Joshua is honored to serve as the president of the Latina/o Bar Association of Washington.
Lorena Gonzalez is a third-year student at Seattle University School of Law scheduled to receiver her juris doctorate this May. After graduation Lorena will practice civil rights and personal injury law at Gordon, Thomas, Honeywell, Malanca, Peterson & Daheim LLP.
