UC Hastings law professor named for Latino Business Leadership Awards

Catalina R. Lozano is among North Bay Business Journal’s 2022 Latino Business Leadership Awards winners.

Here’s some information Lozano submitted:

About me

When he was a teenager my father came to this country from Mexico. My mother was a first-generation Mexican-American. My parents came from humble beginnings and everyone in our family worked very hard. My parents saw education as key to having a better life in this country. I always worked three jobs to put myself through school.

When I was in law school, apart from some students, the only brown faces I saw were pushing brooms, and emptying garbage cans. When I graduated from law school, and passed the bar exam, I resolved to change that, and I began teaching at UC Hastings very soon thereafter.

What are you most proud of regarding the achievements of the Latino business community and what are the greatest challenges faced by that community?

One of the greatest challenges is the lack of representation in every aspect of business, and especially in the legal system. Caucasian people comprise 39% of the state’s adult population yet are 66% of California’s active licensed attorneys. The figures for the judiciary are even worse. I am most proud of helping Latinx law school graduates pass the bar exam.

What qualities do you think makes a strong leader, and how do you embody these qualities?

The biggest thing is to listen without interrupting. Once the speaker has finished speaking, I tell them what I think I heard them say, and I ask some follow up questions.

What do you see as your biggest accomplishment?

Shepherding the Latinx students through law school and the successful passing of the California Bar Exam. Latinos comprise 36% of California’s population yet are only 6% of the state’s attorneys.

Quotable

“When I was in law school, apart from some students, the only brown faces I saw were pushing brooms, and emptying garbage cans. When I graduated from law school, and passed the bar exam, I resolved to change that, and I began teaching at UC Hastings very soon thereafter.”