2024 NEVADA LATINO BAR ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ellsie Lucero
President
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.
Melissa Corral
President - Elect
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.
Briana Martinez
Immediate Past President
Briana was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and her Juris Doctor from William S. Boyd School of Law in 2018. While in law school, Briana served as the President and Treasurer of La Voz and on the board of other student associations. She also was the business editor for the Nevada Law Journal. In addition, Briana was a student attorney at the UNLV Immigration Clinic. After law school, Briana clerked for the Honorable Joseph Hardy Jr., Eighth Judicial District Court in Nevada. Briana Martinez is an associate attorney at Kaempfer Crowell practicing in the areas of privileged licensing, business transactions, real estate transactions and estate planning. She is the President of the Nevada Latino Bar Association and the Co-Chair of Kaempfer Crowell’s DEI Committee.
Steve Jimenez
Vice President of Membership
Steve is an attorney at Gonzalez & Flores 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.
Jorge "Coco" Padilla,
Vice President of Communications
Coco currently serves as a term judicial law clerk at the Nevada Court of Appeals where he prepares bench memoranda and draft dispositions on civil, criminal, administrative, and family law matters. Coco obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and went on to earn his Juris Doctor from the William S. Boyd School of Law. While in law school, Coco was the President and Founder of the Immigrant Rights Coalition, Nevada Law Editor for the Nevada Law Journal, a State Bar of Nevada Professional Development Fellow, and Boyd Public Interest Fellow. In addition, Coco was a judicial extern to the Hon. Cristina D. Silva (Eighth Jud.) and was one of thirty students selected to participate in the Sonia & Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program wherein he interned for the Hon. Edgardo Ramos (S.D.N.Y.) and met U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Coco was born and raised in Las Vegas and is of Mexican and Peruvian heritage. Coco enjoys international solo backpacking, caring for his little brother with autism, and vinyl record collecting.
Elva Castañeda
Vice President of Finance
More soon!
Leonardo Benavides
Vice President of Communications
More soon!
David Lopez Negrete Andale 5k Director
Since 2010, David has been defending everyday people’s constitutional rights as a trial attorney at the Clark County Public Defender’s Office. In 2020, he began volunteering with the Nevada Latino Bar Association as a director at large. In 2022, he formed part of the Hispanic National Bar Association’s Top Attorneys under Forty. From 2021-23, he also served as co-director of the ¡Ándale! 5K charity race. Since its inception, ¡Ándale! has raised over $400,000 and awarded over 170 scholarships to Latinos aspiring to attend law school. In 2024, he became President of the newly incorporated ¡Ándale! Foundation.
Sophie Salcedo
Director at Large
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David Chavez,
Director at Large
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Sihomara Graves
Director at Large
Sihomara is an attorney at Kaempfer Crowell where she practices primarily in the areas of general and commercial litigation and estate planning. She represents individuals and businesses in litigation matters and represents manufacturers and distributors in MDLs for various product or medical device litigation. Sihomara also assists clients in the areas of estate planning, trusts, wills and probate. Sihomara earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of Nevada, Reno and went on to receive her Juris Doctor from the William S. Boyd School of Law. Sihomara served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Jennifer Togliatti, Eighth Judicial District Court for the District of Nevada. In addition, Sihomara was a student attorney at the UNLV Immigration Clinic. Prior to joining Kaempfer Crowell, Sihomara handled a high volume of immigration matters in front of both District Court and Immigration Court as a staff attorney for the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada
Heron Vasquez III
Director at Large
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
