PRESS RELEASE Of interest to editors and journalists covering: California Politics, Latino Interests, Social Justice, and Activism 57th Annual California LULAC Convention Honors Voting Rights Expert Joaquin Avila Avila Receives The 2004 Civil Rights Award CONCORD, CA - May 24, 2004 /Send2Press Newswire/ -- The California League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) presented the 2004 "Civil Rights Award" to Mr. Joaquin Avila, Esq., for his distinguished career in as an attorney and champion of voting rights for minorities in California and the nation. Ms. Mickie Luna, LULAC State Director, stated, "I am honored to have the opportunity of presenting this award to Joaquin on behalf of the league in California. Joaquin continues to be an inspiration and a role model for us all, who daily fight for social and political justice in California and throughout our nation." Mr. Avila received the award Saturday, May 22, 2004, at the California LULAC Convention's Gala Dinner, held at the Sheraton Concord Hotel. Joaquin Avila received his B.A. from Yale University and his J.D. from Harvard in 1973. From 1974 to 1985, he was active with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), and served as President and General Counsel, from 1982-1985. Mr. Avila has argued 50 major voting rights cases in Texas, Arizona and California, and has argued successfully, twice, before the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1996, Mr. Avila was named a MacArthur Fellow from the prestigious John D. & Catherine R. MacArthur Foundation; in 2001, he received the Loren Miller Legal Services Award the highest honor bestowed by the State Bar of California. In 2003, he authored the study, "Political Apartheid In California: Consequences of Excluding A Growing Noncitizen Population," commissioned by UCLA's Chicano Studies Research Center. Currently, Mr. Avila is a lecturer in Law at the UCLA School of Law. He teaches Voting Rights and Latinos and the Law. For more information on the 57th Annual California State LULAC Convention, and/or additional information regarding California LULAC activities, please log on the California LULAC web site at: www.californialulac.org. Founded in 1929, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization in the United States. With a national membership of 115,000, there are over 600 LULAC Councils in virtually every state in the nation and in Puerto Rico, California being one of the largest LULAC regions. In 1954, LULAC formed the first California Council in Orange County. And today, California LULAC continues its legacy of accomplishments, by advocating for equality, in order to improve the quality of life of millions of California residents. LULAC is a non-profit organization, and enjoys a rich history of advocacy in civil rights, education, economic development, immigration, voter registration, voting rights, and equal opportunity. MEDIA CONTACTS: For more information about California LULAC, contact: Mickie Solorio Luna, California LULAC State Director 831-637-1342 | 831-637-0146 Fax | 831-673-2009 Cell Toll free: 1-877-77LULAC | Email: calulac@hollinet.com | vmluna@hollinet.com Carlos Ramos, California LULAC Press Secretary 831-624-4099 | 831-309-9919 Fax | 831-224-3260 Cell Email: carlos@ramoscordova.com # # # [ source of news = California League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) ] ----------------------------------------------------------------- *IMPORTANT NOTE TO MEDIA: to reach the organization releasing this news, please contact: carlos@ramoscordova.com (media only) If used for publication, please send specimen copy. ----------------------------------------------------------------- S2P-STATE/0c/ CA / San Francisco, California / Copr. (c) 2004 Send2Press. This release was issued on behalf of the above organization, who is solely responsible for accuracy of content, by Send2Press(TM), a unit of Neotrope(R). http://www.Send2Press.com