Christa Contino Thornby mentors and counsels law students as Associate Director of Career Development, and as Regional President of the Hispanic National Bar Association, develops programming and networking opportunities for attorneys throughout the state of Carolina. increase.
The newest addition to Elon Law Office’s Career and Student Development Office also has a new leadership role in the professional association, which is now celebrating its 50th anniversary.
In September, Krista Contino Saumby was formally elected Regional President for Region VI of the Hispanic National Bar Association, the nation’s largest professional organization representing and advocating for Hispanic lawyers.
The Hispanic National Bar Association is divided into 19 regions, including the United States, Puerto Rico, and its territories. Regional presidents are also members of the association’s board of directors.
Contino’s two-year tenure to represent the state of Carolina gives her the opportunity to develop a deputy team to ensure the region can host programming, networking and mentoring events, an underrepresented position in the legal practice. Raise funds for law school scholarships on behalf of the community.
According to statistics compiled by the American Bar Association, Hispanic lawyers make up only 5% of all lawyers in the United States, yet more than 18% of the general population is Hispanic.
Through her role as Regional President, Contino said she looks forward to developing a pipeline of events that encourage Hispanic undergraduates to consider a career in the legal profession.
“My goal is to mentor and build a larger network of Hispanic lawyers and connect them with each other,” Contino said. It’s another chance to tell people how unique you are inside.”
Contino is an advocate and educator committed to simplifying the path to success for the first generation of law students through a 15-year legal career focused on patent law, including private practice. I have worked in law firms of all sizes.
Prior to his law education, he earned degrees in electrical and computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and has advised Fortune 500 companies such as Google, Apple, Adobe, Yamaha and Boeing.
She will join the Career & Student Development Office in June 2022 and in addition to mentoring students who seek her expertise for career support, she will teach the following classes each year on “Lawyer, Leadership and Professionalism”. I’m here.