Dallas Lawyer Marcos G. Ronquillo to Lead Julian Samora Legacy Foundation Board

Online, October 4, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Noted Dallas attorney Marcos G. Ronquillo, the Managing Shareholder and Chief Operating Officer of Godwin Ronquillo PC, has been named president of the Julian Samora Legacy Foundation Board. A longtime member of the board, Mr. Ronquillo replaces the late Joseph F. Sepeda as president.

Julian Samora, the first Mexican-American to earn a doctorate in sociology and anthropology in the United States, was a pioneering scholar of Mexican American studies who focused on immigration, civil rights, public health, and rural poverty. A co-founder of the Southwest Council of La Raza, he played a key role in the founding of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund and the Southwest Voter Registration project.

"I am blessed to be able to count Dr. Samora among the most important influences in my life, and I look forward to being able to help support the Foundation in its efforts to continue his legacy by focusing on fundraising and by recruiting committed, energetic new board members," says Mr. Ronquillo, who was mentored by Dr. Samora while a student at the University of Notre Dame.

"He taught us, through actions and words, that academic scholarship is the best vehicle for social change, and his impact on his colleagues, the Latino community and particularly his students has been immeasurable," he says. "He left us all a legacy embracing academic scholarship and advocacy as tools to serve those striving to become part of the American Dream."

Mr. Ronquillo is a graduate of the George Washington University Law School and the University of Notre Dame. He is a member of the Binational Board of Directors of the United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, and previously served as President of the Dallas Mexican American Bar Association and Chairman of the Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He has earned numerous accolades for his dedication to minority initiatives, including the American Bar Association's Spirit of Excellence Award, the Legal Diversity Award from the Texas Diversity Council, Ernst & Young's Corporate Individual Inclusiveness Champion of the Year, and the Dallas Business Journal's list of top minority business leaders in Dallas/Fort Worth. He also was named by Texas Lawyer newspaper as one of the "Extraordinary Minorities in Texas Law."

Godwin Ronquillo PC is a Dallas-based trial and appellate firm that represents Fortune 500 and middle-market industry leaders in Mission Critical Litigation® throughout the United States. To learn more, visit the firm's website at www.godwinronquillo.com.

For more information, contact Ed Sothcott at 214.939.8626 or [email protected].