Jesse F. Blancarte is the Managing Partner of Blancarte Law, APC, along with his brother, James E. Blancarte. Jesse primarily focuses on immigration law, representing clients before the Executive Office for Immigration Review, the Department of Homeland Security, and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. He is also the Supervising Attorney at El Rescate, a non-profit that has represented individuals in immigration proceedings in Los Angeles for over 40 years.

Jesse attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he earned a B.A. in Sociology and English. Jesse subsequently attended Loyola Law School and graduated in 2015. While in law school, Jesse externed for the Honorable Philip S. Gutierrez, who currently serves as the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California. He later externed for the Honorable Steven J. Kleifield of the Los Angeles Superior Court. Jesse was also a Board Member of the Scott Moot Court at Loyola Law School.

Jesse has also volunteered at non-profits that represent individuals in immigration proceedings for little or no cost. He has dedicated his career to advocating on behalf of immigrant communities that face increasingly difficult challenges and hostility. Jesse credits his father, Judge Jim Blancarte, and mother, Cynthia, for always being there to support and guide him.

Juan J. Redín is a Senior Deputy General Counsel with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Juan was born in Ixtapan de la Sal, Mexico. At the age of 10 he immigrated to the U.S. with his Mom and younger sister. Juan was raised in a single parent household and is the first in his family to graduate from college. As an undocumented student, Juan endured many challenges on his journey to achieve his Dream of higher education. Juan attended Mt. San Jacinto Community College and Mt. San Antonio College before being able to take advantage of California’s pioneering law, AB 540 and transfer to UCLA. Juan received his bachelor’s in political science, magna cum laude, from UCLA in 2003.

Juan obtained his Juris Doctor from the UCLA School of Law. During law school, Juan served as the Co-Editor in Chief of the Chicano Latino Law Review and the External Co-Chair of the La Raza Law Student Association. Juan also completed a judicial externship with the Honorable Fernando Olguin at the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Prior to joining Metropolitan, Juan represented school districts, cities, and various public agencies, in securing funds to finance critical infrastructure projects.

Juan is passionate and deeply committed to expanding educational access to those who are less fortunate, especially for Dreamers. Through his work with Dreamers, Juan was honored to join First Lady Michelle Obama during the 2012 State of the Union address in Washington DC. Juan is an avid cyclist, striving baker, and enjoys coaching youth soccer.

Eric Roberto Canton is the Managing Attorney for the Litigation Department at Sepulveda Sanchez Law, PC. Since 2017, he has dedicated his practice to representing individuals catastrophically injured by the wrongful and negligent acts of others. Through his advocacy, Eric has helped secure more than $15 million dollars in settlements for clients across California. As a trial attorney, he has actively participated in at least six jury trials since 2018.

Eric earned his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2009, majoring in Law and Society with double minors in Music and Spanish. While at UCSB, he remained deeply engaged in community work—performing in a non-profit community-based Mariachi ensemble, working with children with learning disabilities through a local non-profit, and interning with the Santa Barbara Public Defender’s Office.

He went on to earn his Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School in 2016, completing the Civil Litigation and Advocacy Concentration with honors. During law school, Eric served as Vice President of La Raza de Loyola, mentored students through Loyola’s Young Lawyers Program, and competed in the 21st Annual Uvaldo Herrera Moot Court Competition. His passion for trial advocacy then earned him a fellowship with the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).

Eric continues to remain deeply committed to service beyond the courtroom. Since 2018, he has been an active board member of the Mexican American Bar Association (MABA), where he continues to advance the organization’s mission of promoting diversity, equity, and justice in the legal profession.

Ronald Gomez, a native of Inglewood, CA, serves as Deputy Public Defender for the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office. Prior to joining the Public Defender's Office, he practiced Employment Law as an Associate Attorney at prominent law firms in Los Angeles.

Ronald is a graduate of UCLA, Loyola Marymount University, and most recently, of USC Gould School of Law. As a proud first-generation American, he is passionate about serving the needs of underrepresented communities. Before law school, he was a member of Teach for America and was also a Fulbright Scholarship recipient. Today, as a newer attorney, he intends to use his legal education to advocate for racial and social justice.

As a new member on the MABA Board of Trustees, Ronald intends to continue advocating for the rights of the Latino community through his participation with the Association.

James Blancarte, Jr. has served as a Trustee on multiple MABA Boards. On his first MABA Board, he served as the MABA Golf Tournament Chairman and has been on the committee for every golf tournament since then, including the 2023 tournament at the Brookside Golf Course. He has also served on numerous committees over the years and is honored to serve as a Trustee for the 2024 MABA Board. 

James comes from a family with an extensive background in the legal field. His father was an attorney for many years and is now a Judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court. His brother, Jesse Blancarte, is an attorney and fellow MABA Board Member. They are the Managing Partners of their law firm, Blancarte Law, APC. James's sister, Marisa Blancarte-Cuevas, is a contract procurement specialist for SCAG, the Southern California Association of Governments. James credits the guidance of his father, past MABA president judge James Blancarte, Sr., who helped him become the attorney he is today. 

James manages a general practice including a variety of state court matters. He also represents minors in custody and guardianship cases to assist in their eventual application for a juvenile visa, a critical step in acquiring legal status in the United States. James also represents many individuals, unable to afford legal services, on a low-bono and pro bono basis. Through his work at Blancarte Law, APC and MABA, James dedicates his time and energy to give back to the community.

Selene Estrada-Villela is an Associate Attorney at Gastélum Law, APC. Her practice primarily focuses on civil rights and police misconduct cases in federal courts throughout California. Selene received a B.A. in 2013 and MSW in 2015 from the University of California, Los Angeles.

In 2023, Selene received a J.D. from Loyola Law School, where she was an editor of the International and Comparative Law Review and board member of the Latinx Law Students Association. During law school, Selene was a certified law student in Loyola’s Juvenile Justice Clinic where she represented children impacted by the delinquency system. Selene externed at several public interest organizations while in law school including the Western Center on Law & Poverty, Public Counsel and the ACLU of Southern California. Selene also served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong.

Prior to law school, Selene was a children’s social worker for nearly a decade. As a social worker, Selene worked primarily with Spanish-speaking families navigating the dependency system.

Alma D. Puente is the founder of the Law Office of Alma D. Puente, a boutique, immigration law firm. Her practice focuses on family-based immigration, political asylum and removal defense.  She has practiced immigration law since April 2005 when she left her position with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Alma was a member of the El Monte City Council from November 2020 to December 2024.  She served as Mayor Pro Tem from August 11, 2021 to December 2022. She has also served on the Immigration Resource Center of San Gabriel Valley (IRC) board and currently provides pro bono services to the IRC. Alma has been married to her husband for 24 years and together they have three sons and a giant schnauzer who thinks he is her favorite child.

Alfonso Estrada is a partner at Hanson Bridgett LLP. He is an experienced labor and employment attorney who is well-versed in all stages of the litigation process. He represents both public and private sector clients in matters involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, First Amendment violations, and more. He has a wealth of trial experience and previously worked with law enforcement as a criminal prosecutor.

In addition to the litigation side of his practice, Alfonso also focuses part of his practice in investigations related to employee misconduct and harassment, as well as regulatory enforcement and white-collar defense matters. Throughout his career, Alfonso has worked extensively with law enforcement agencies and unions across California in a variety of matters. He has successfully conducted complex internal investigations for several notable agencies, including the City of Beverly Hills Police and Fire Departments, City of Anaheim, City of Alhambra Police Department, among others.

Prior to joining the firm, Alfonso worked as a Deputy District Attorney for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Alfonso is affiliated with several professional organizations and regularly presents his expertise at conferences. Outside of his practice, he volunteers as a Certified Instructor for the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.

Mildred Segura is a litigation partner in the Los Angeles office of Reed Smith LLP. She is a nationally recognized litigator with over two decades of experience defending complex product litigation matters. Her extensive portfolio includes mass torts, class actions, and coordinated actions involving a diverse array of products. She also is a thought leader in emerging technologies, providing strategic counsel to companies in the artificial intelligence and life sciences sectors. She excels at helping clients identify and mitigate product liability risks associated with AI-driven innovations. Her practice combines a deep understanding of cutting-edge technologies with the ability to guide clients through the complexities of the legal landscape.

Beyond her litigation practice, Mildred is a champion of diversity and community engagement. She has served as the firmwide chair of Reed Smith's Hispanic/Latino Business Inclusion Group and currently co-chairs the Hispanic National Bar Association's Health & Life Sciences Section. As a first-generation attorney of Guatemalan heritage, Mildred is deeply committed to not only increasing but also maintaining diverse talent in the legal profession. In recognition of her commitment to promoting diversity in the legal profession, she was honored with the 2023 Luminaria Award by the Latina Lawyers Bar Association.

Additionally, Mildred dedicates her time to pro bono initiatives, including representing indigent U-Visa applicants, and has held board roles with the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Counsel for Justice, the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, and the UCLA School of Law Alumni Board of Directors.  Mildred has a deep love for nature and the outdoors, where she cherishes spending quality time with her family, exploring and creating lasting memories.

Mr. Carlos Cruz has successfully represented thousands of immigrants from all around the world in cases before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, numerous Immigration Courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and U.S. District Court and various Federal Circuit Courts of Appeal. Mr. Cruz has an impressive successful track record in particularly complex cases involving novel issues in immigration law. Founded by Carlos A. Cruz in 2000, the Law Offices of Carlos A. Cruz & Associates has grown and enjoyed tremendous success and now has two offices in Alhambra and Brea, California. The firm was founded on the principle that every client deserves the highest-quality representation. The firm prides itself in hiring talented lawyers with a passion for representing immigrants. The firm's non-attorney staff is dedicated to providing a high level of professionalism and client satisfaction. Every member of the firm's staff is fluent in both Spanish and English.