AL DÍA is excited to announce Ramona Romero as the keynote speaker for the 2021 AL DÍA Top Lawyers Forum & Reception event.

She is vice president and general counsel of Princeton University. 

In her role as the University’s chief legal officer, she advises the trustees, President, and other senior administrative and academic officers on the legal implications of University policy and decision-making. She also leads the team of lawyers and administrative professionals in the Office of the General Counsel.

Romero joined the University in December 2014, after nearly four years as General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), a Senate-confirmed position to which she was appointed by then-President Barack Obama.

Throughout her career, Romero has been a prominent advocate for diversity, equal opportunity, access to justice and judicial independence. As part of her advocacy efforts, she has volunteered her time for a number of professional and community organizations. 

She is currently a member of President Biden’s Commission on White House Fellowships, a trustee of Barnard College and of Legal Services of New Jersey, as well as a member of the American Law Institute.

She’s also had a stint as chair of the Supreme Court Committee of the National Association of Women Lawyers, and is a former National President of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA).

As President of the HNBA from 2008 to 2009, Romero founded the Latina Commission and the Hispanic Appointments Projects, which advocated for and supported President Obama’s appointment of Hispanic lawyers to the Federal judiciary and Executive Branch. 

Romero has also held a variety of legal roles at major multinational corporation DuPont, and began her career as a white collar, government contracts and commercial litigator at Washington, DC-based law firm, DuPont. 

Romero is originally from the Dominican Republic, and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Barnard College, before going on to obtain a juris doctorate from Harvard Law School.

She will provide the keynote address at the fifth annual AL DÍA Top Lawyers Forum & Reception event. 

Established in 2017, the annual event aims to recognize lawyers of Hispanic origin who exemplify the highest standards of professionalism and ethics; and who have demonstrated professional excellence and achievement, leadership, commitment to legal and community service, recognition among their peers, and dedication to improving the legal profession within the Greater Philadelphia Region and beyond. 

This year, six legal professionals with those qualities will be selected as the 2021 AL DÍA Top Lawyers honorees. 

The event’s advisory board is co-chaired by Jennifer Gomez Hardy, founder of Gomez Law Group; and JP Faunes, attorney at Feldman Shepherd. The advisory board members are Renee Garcia, Chair of the Litigation Group at the City of Philadelphia; and Frank La Fontaine, vice president and senior deputy general counsel & deputy compliance officer at Comcast. 

The 2021 AL DÍA Top Lawyers event will take place Wednesday, December 15 at 5:30 p.m. at the Pyramid Club. For registration information, click here.