2025
NEVADA LATINO BAR ASSOCIATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
Melissa corral
Melissa Corral is a staff attorney at the Community Advocacy Office (CAO) since June 2022 where she focuses on Immigration Removal Defense. Prior to working at the CAO, she worked at Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada for four years, where she developed expertise in immigration and family law. She was a law clerk to the Honorable Linda Marquis in the Family Division of the Clark County Eighth Judicial District Court and a student attorney at the UNLV Immigration Clinic. Raised in Durango, Mexico, and a native Spanish speaker, she earned her undergraduate and law degrees from UNLV.
President-Elect
steve jimenez
Steve is an attorney at Gonzalez Law Firm practicing civil litigation, family law, and estate planning. He graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and then earned a Juris Doctor degree from the William S. Boyd School of Law. During his tenure in law school, Steve served as the Vice-President for La Voz and also Vice-President of the Student Bar Association, representing part-time students. Steve also served as the Legislative Extern for the Nevada Hispanic Legislative Caucus during the 79th (2017) Legislative Session. Also as an active member of the Hispanic National Bar Association, Steve has attended and volunteered at multiple Corporate Counsel Conferences.
Immediate Past-President
ellsie lucero
Ellsie is an attorney at Kaempfer Crowell where she focuses her practice on commercial litigation matters, including contract disputes, real-estate disputes, and business torts. She also practices in the area of water law, specifically appeals of administrative decisions concerning water rights. Ellsie has been on the Nevada Latino Bar Association board for the past five years. She also serves on the executive committee for the Litigation Section of the State Bar of Nevada and as a deputy regional president for Region XIV of the Hispanic National Bar Association. Outside of work, Ellsie enjoys traveling and spending time with her friends and family.
VP of Communications
brianna chapa
Brianna is an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Nevada. Brianna moved to Las Vegas in 2023 to clerk for the Honorable Cristina D. Silva in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, and has called Nevada home ever since. Brianna attended St. Mary’s University School of law, where she received the Presidential Law Scholarship, Dean’s Award, Alma L. Lopez Women in Law Leadership Award, and Educating for Justice Award. While in law school, Brianna served as the Founder and President of the Lawtina Network, Editor in Chief of The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race & Social Justice, member of the National Advocacy Team, legal research and writing teaching assistant, and was on the board of other student associations. Before law school, Brianna worked as a legal and policy assistant at MALDEF in Washington, DC.
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VP of Membership
priscila venzor
Priscila is an Immigrant Justice Corps Fellow with the UNLV Immigration Clinic, representing unaccompanied children in deportation proceedings. Priscila graduated from Boyd with dual-degrees in law and social work. Her family immigrated to the United States from Chihuahua, Mexico. The combination of her personal and professional experiences has strengthened her passion for breaking down barriers in access to justice. She has worked with immigrant communities both as a legal advocate and as a social service provider. Through her leadership as president of Boyd's Immigrant Rights Coalition during her time in law school, she facilitated hundreds of hours of community-service for immigrant communities in the Las Vegas valley. She also spearheaded the effort to change policies to ensure that legal aid nonprofits across the state of Nevada are guaranteed interpreters for their pro bono cases.
VP of Finance
heron vazquez III
As a Las Vegas native for 18 years, Heron has made the Mojave Desert his home. He earned his B.A. in Political Science at UNLV and J.D. from the William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV. In his second year of law school, he served as the treasurer of La Voz, Boyd’s Latino Law Student Association. He began serving clients in the areas of real property and personal injury after starting his solo practice in 2021
VP of Outreach
Martha menendez
Martha is a human rights and immigration attorney with over a decade of experience in asylum and refugee law. Her work on various aspects of immigration legal assistance, public advocacy, and community empowerment have solidified her faith in the influence that education and committed advocacy can wield in eradicating discrimination and changing people’s lives.
As a daughter of immigrants and a first generation American, Martha has devoted her career to promoting the rights of everyone to live and work across borders without fear and with the dignity and respect that all human beings deserve. The pursuit of justice shouldn’t stop at the border, and for those reasons, Martha currently works with JiM’s Defender Network to ensure that Justice Across Borders is a reality for all.
Andale 5K Director
ryan samano
Ryan is a personal injury attorney at De Castroverde Law Group, and a life long native of Las Vegas. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and his Juris Doctor from the William S. Boyd School of Law in 2021. Ryan first became involved with the Nevada Latino Bar Association while in Law School, and has been involved in the ¡Ándale! 5K charity race since its inception. From 2022-24, Ryan served has the Sponsorship Chair for the ¡Ándale! race and helped raise several hundred thousand dollars to award scholarships to Latino and Hispanic students aspiring to attend law school. In 2025, he became President of the ¡Ándale! Foundation.
Director at Large
africa sanchez
Attorney Africa A. Sanchez has been a resident of Las Vegas for over 30 years. In 2000, Africa received her J.D. degree, Cum Laude. One of her proudest achievements is being admitted to the Nevada State Bar in October 2000. Upon obtaining her law degree, Africa served as a judicial law clerk in the Eighth Judicial District Court. In 2001, she began practicing law with the CCSD as a Deputy Assistant General Counsel and gained a lot of insight into the complexities of managing one of the largest school districts in the country. The teachers union, the Clark County Education Association, recruited Africa to become its first General Counsel in 2005 allowing her to continue to work for two of her passions, education and employee rights. Africa also worked in private practice, to broaden her legal experience and fulfill her desire to work with Spanish-speaking clients handling family law, criminal law, and immigration matters. Africa opened up her own office committed to provide quality representation at a reasonable price.
Director at Large
miguel delgado
Born in Cuba and arriving in the US in 2004, Miguel Delgado wasn’t just chasing the American dream; he was building it. Fueled by a deep passion for education and helping others, Miguel saw the legal field as the perfect bridge between these two passions. While in law school, Miguel served as President of the Nevada Justice Association, championed the voice of Latino students as Vice President of La Voz, and even volunteered in a human rights project with the Culinary Union. Graduating with pro bono honors wasn’t just a mark of academic excellence; it was a testament to his commitment to using his legal skills for good.
After graduation, Miguel opened his own firm, Delgado Injury Law, in 2021. Delgado Injury is not just another firm; it is a culmination of Miguel’s passion, perseverance, and unwavering commitment to making a difference. When he’s not fighting for the rights of injured workers, you can find Miguel exploring the world with his wife and two daughters.
Director at Large
david chavez
Coming soon
Director at Large
silvia villanueva
Coming soon