The inaugural AL DÍA 40 Under Forty event will be a showcase of the most diverse and impactful young professionals in various fields of work across the Philadelphia region.

At the virtual event, taking place August 20, 2020, Diana Cortes, 39, will be one of the 40 honorees. Currently, she is Chair of the Litigation Group at The City of Philadelphia Law Department. 

As part of the lead-up to the event, AL DÍA asked each of the 40 honorees the same three questions and collected their responses. 

Here are Diana Cortes’ responses:

The biggest challenge has been realizing that the ethnic discrimination I encountered growing up in Northern NJ still exists and continues to be part of my professional journey.  Instead of high school kids from neighboring towns yelling ethnic slurs, the discrimination manifests itself in microagressions (e.g., dirty looks, being mistaken for the court reporter or interpreter instead of counsel of record, etc.).  Like with other challenges, I continue to work individually and collaboratively in overcoming these challenges.

To date, the proudest achievement has been being selected as the first Latina Chair of the Litigation Group for the City of Philadelphia Law Department.  It has been a true honor and privilege to serve in this leadership role overseeing all of the litigation that takes place in Philadelphia.  I am also privileged to work with my colleagues on the City of Philadelphia Law Department Executive Team, where we strive to make the Law Department a diverse and inclusive environment.

In most of my places of employment, I was the only one or one of a miniscule number of Latinx employees.  This experience has made me strive to improve inclusivity wherever I work.     True inclusivity will happen when society values it to the same level as profitability, status, and compensation.  We need to ensure our children and young people are learning and embracing inclusivity, so that it will be like second nature to them when they lead.

To register for the upcoming AL DÍA 40 Under Forty event, click here. 

For more information about the event, reach out to [email protected].

For sponsorship opportunities, contact [email protected].