Sharon López’s career in law is filled with significant distinctions. Currently a partner and managing attorney at Triquetra Law, a law firm which she helped start, López was the 123rd president of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, as well as the first Latina to hold that position. In addition, she was the first ex-legal services attorney and the first mother to serve as president of the association since it was founded in 1895.

The fact that the Association was more than 100 years old before having a president who held any of these distinctions highlighted a bigger fact, in the process.

“Our community, the Latino community, is growing and it’s become more and more clear to me that we are not adequately representing our population ⁠— either as judges, as lawyers, or as legislators,” López said during a phone call. 

For that reason, she believes it is crucially important to amplify the voices of Latino lawyers and future Latino lawyers. 

This is what makes the annual AL DÍA Lawyers Forum & Reception event such an important one.

“We can market the message that there is a place at the table for Latino lawyers, but also so that we can make sure to market our own legal community,” said López.

During last year’s event, López had the opportunity to have a sit-down conversation with Pennsylvania’s Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Kevin Doughtery, on diversity and inclusion in the courts.

Having been founded in 1722, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is the oldest in the nation, yet has never had a Latino or Latina on the bench. 

“I think it was [an] important feeling... and it was so significant to have one of our Supreme Court justices there to answer direct questions regarding the role of the court in promoting diversity, inclusion in the legal field,” said López.

This year, the goal is to build on that conversation and continue to give Latinos in law a voice.

When asked what advice she would give to the next generation of Latinx lawyers,  López said: “Be excellent, [it’s] incredibly important to develop your mentoring network… market yourself, and know who you are.”