April 20, 2006
HNBA President Shares Advice, Lunch With TJSL Students
SAN DIEGO -- Nelson A. Castillo accepted a lunch invitation from Thomas Jefferson School of Law Dean Rudolph Hasl this week that resulted in Castillo mesmerizing students and faculty with stories of how a two-time high school dropout beat the odds to become the current president of the 25,000-member Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA.)
HNBA President Nelson A. Castillo addresses the audience.
All it took was determination and perseverance on his part. Castillo, however, reiterated more than once that he owes his success to all of the people who have offered him support along the way, including Hasl, who was dean of St. John’s University School of Law in New York when Castillo was a student there.
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Dean Hasl and Nelson A. Castillo.
When Hasl became dean at St. John’s in 1991, he purposely set about creating an environment that encouraged diversity. Three years later Castillo started law school at St. John’s, having not only earned his GED, but graduating cum laude from St. John’s undergraduate program. While in law school, Castillo joined the HNBA as a student and served as president of the HNBA Law Student Division for Region 1. He also served as a legal intern at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the New York Stock Exchange, the New York Mercantile Exchange, and for the Honorable Deborah A. Batts of the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York.
Once Castillo decided that he didn’t want to be a high school dropout and saw that there were other paths to take, he didn’t let the grass grow. And that’s one piece of advice he had for the students at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law lunch roundtable. In today’s ever changing world, according to Castillo, law firms are looking to hire candidates of diverse backgrounds. Therefore, he says it is important that entering minority law students start early by getting involved in the legal community, doing internships and other types of pro bono work, just as he did.
Working in the legal community is a great networking tool, said Castillo, but he also advocates mentor programs, like the one that helped him academically at St. John’s University School of Law. He also said he would like to see a mentor program at Thomas Jefferson School of Law aimed at local high school students. The law school, in fact, has already taken steps in that direction by starting a Legal Education Access Program (LEAP) and bringing students from San Diego’s Crawford High School to campus to participate in the law school’s recent annual Diversity Week celebration. LEAP aims to help young students of diverse backgrounds get the most of out their legal education by offering mentoring and skills training as part of their professional preparation.
Another subject of discussion at the luncheon with Castillo was the importance of diversity among the faculty and students not only at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, but also at all law schools around the country.
“Numbers [on GPAs and LSAT scores] won’t tell the whole story,” Castillo said when referring to minority students who may score low on standardized tests, but have the tremendous drive and strong writing and analytical skills needed to succeed in law school. Castillo feels that addressing diversity starts at the helm with the dean of the law school and expressed appreciation that Hasl has made it a top priority to recruit students of diversity to Thomas Jefferson School of Law.
Mr. Castillo talks to students, staff, and faculty, including
Professor Winchester (right).
While a law student, Castillo says he appreciated the “sense of family” and the support system and hopes that Thomas Jefferson School of Law offers a similar environment to students. Moreover, he urges faculty and alumni to become more involved with diverse students. He encouraged student organizations to help recruit diverse students as well, no matter what the cost. “Don’t get discouraged,” he said to one student leader. “Just do your best.”
Castillo took advantage of working at leading national law firms and corporations before founding his own law firm, the Castillo Law Firm, PLLC, in Roslyn Heights, New York. The firm provides representation in the areas of real estate and immigration and naturalization law. He is admitted to practice in New York and the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. He became president of the HNBA in 2005.
Students can become members of the HNBA for free. More information can be found at www.hnba.com. The HNBA is an incorporated, non-profit, national association representing the interests of Hispanic American attorneys, judges, law professors and law students in the United States and Puerto Rico.
TJSL students, administrators, staff, and faculty
with Mr. Castillo (center).