Take Five with Eddie Jauregui This edition of “Take Five” is with Partner Eddie Jauregui (LAX), a first-generation American born to working-class Mexican immigrant parents. Born, raised and educated in Los Angeles, Eddie is part of a large extended family with seven brothers and sisters (“and lots of nieces and nephews”), making him a son, brother and uncle as well as a proud husband and dad.
YOU ARE THE FIRST PERSON IN YOUR FAMILY TO ATTEND AND GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE. WHAT DID THAT MEAN TO YOU? Although I am proud of my roots, I know firsthand that it is hard to be a low-income or working-class person in the United States. Neither of my parents graduated from high school and both worked extremely hard to provide for us. My dad, in particular, did not want me to live with the same economic anxiety he did. He wanted me to know a life beyond struggle and he repeatedly emphasized that the way to a better life was through school. He was right, but not just because it has allowed me to live a better life economically. Higher education has allowed me to access a fuller and richer life – it opened my mind, gave me confidence, introduced me to new experiences, and brought me in contact with people from all over the country and the world. It allowed me to view myself as fully equal to other Americans, which is no small thing for a first-generation Mexican-American kid who, on top of everything else, also happened to be a closeted gay kid until after college. It also allowed me to bring other perspectives and possibilities back to my family. While I may have been the first, I was, thankfully, not the last. My brother, a former Marine (or, more accurately, a lifelong Marine), is working on an MBA, and I also have a sister in college and a few cousins who are in college or have graduated college already.
often shoulder an incredible mental and emotional weight on top of everything else and can find the profession to be unwelcoming and isolating. And I’ve seen too many diverse lawyers leave the practice of law altogether. To me, that is not just unfortunate, it is unjust, and I want to do what I can to encourage and support other diverse lawyers to stay in the profession because our system of justice needs us, and we deserve a seat at the table. I have been fortunate in my career to have been given many opportunities and to have learned from extremely talented legal professionals, including judges, federal prosecutors, federal defenders and law firm partners. I feel like it’s my duty to pay it forward and ensure other diverse lawyers are getting opportunities to grow and develop.
WHAT AREA(S) DO YOU THINK ARE DOING WELL, AND WHICH NEED MORE ATTENTION?
WHAT EXPERIENCES LED YOU TO GET INVOLVED IN THE DEI SPACE?
I was recently on a panel for law students featuring all gay partners at large law firms. The general sentiment seemed to be that although work remains to be done, large law firms have taken great strides in creating inclusive and welcoming places for LGBTQ+ attorneys. While I’m somewhat newly returned to private practice, that appears to be true. In terms of what needs more attention, I’d say it is the recruitment, retention and promotion of lawyers of color.
I am a person of color, gay man and first-generation attorney. While I know how hard this profession is for everyone, I also know that people of diverse backgrounds
The data show that the number of African-American and Native American lawyers declined slightly over the past decade, while the increases in Hispanic and Asian-
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