Juan Baez is the Deputy Managing Attorney at the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, a nonprofit, public-interest law firm that provides free legal assistance to people living with HIV and AIDS in Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey. And now, after Friday, Nov. 18, AL DÍA’s 2022 nonprofit Top Lawyer.

Where he works, the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, is the nation’s only independent public-interest law firm dedicated to people living with HIV and educating the public about AIDS-related legal issues. The nonprofit also trains case management professionals to become better advocates for their clients.

In the U.S., there are approximately 1.2 million people living with HIV, 13% are unaware they are HIV positive and need testing — with at least 34,800 new HIV infections reported in 2019.

Baez first joined the AIDS Law project as a law student at the Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Drexel University, when he was part of the 2009-2010 Civil Practice Field Clinic. He’s since dedicated his career to aiding those the firm serves, often from intersecting communities across the state. Some of those individuals are also from the Latinx community.

During his acceptance speech, Baez thanked AL DÍA “for creating a space for Latinos to learn, to be recognized and to be represented,” adding that representation is important and it allows us to see beyond the world we are used to.

There were also subsequent words of appreciation were to his partner, William Lee, for his love and support and an extra special acknowledgement to Romy Diaz, for his kindness, mentorship, and for being a role model.

Lastly, Baez thanked the leaders of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) “for creating a space where Latino lawyers can be supportive of each other and for creating opportunities and opening doors for all of us.”

He is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, and a graduate of St. Lawrence University with a Bachelor in Arts, and Temple University’s James E. Beasley School of Law with a Masters of law in Trial Advocacy in 2014; later earning his Juris Doctor from Drexel.

Baez advises clients in matters related to social security disability, consumer protection, estate planning, immigration, family law, and private disability.

His efforts also haven’t gone unnoticed before his Top Lawyer recognition. Earlier in his career, Baez received a Rising Star award in 2017, a peer designation only given to select number of accomplished attorneys in each state that takes into account peer recognition, professional achievement in legal practice, among other factors.

Baez was also the former president of HNBPA, serving from 2017-2018 and in 2019, Latino Leaders included him in its Winter 2019 “Top Latino Lawyers” edition. He was also nominated and appointed to the Pennsylvania State Advisor Committee to the U.S Commission on Civil Rights.

In addition to his current role as Deputy Managing Attorney, Baez is a Commissioner at the Philadelphia Fair Housing Commission, where he helps ensure that renters have safe places to live and that landlords follow housing laws.

In 2020, Baez was also awarded the “HNBA Top Lawyer under 40.”