Sal Macias

President

Born in Aguascalientes, Mexico and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. He attended Arizona State University and graduated with a B.A. in Political Science, a B.A. in Transborder Chicano/a Latino/a Studies and a minor in Spanish. After graduation he began to work with AGUILA Youth Leadership Institute, a non-profit that aids high school students pursue their college education. After being inspired by the students he worked with, he attended Arizona State where he obtained his Juris Doctor. Mr. Macias handles criminal defense and immigration matters.



Kristian Garibay

Vice-President

Kristian serves as Vice President and is a managing associate in the White Collar and Government Investigations practice, focusing on compliance, government, internal investigations, and white collar criminal defense. Her experience includes clerking for the Hon. Stephen M. McNamee and roles in both the US Attorney’s and Pima County Public Defender’s Offices. Kristian's background spans a wide range of legal challenges, from defamation suits to federal and state law violations, showcasing her comprehensive legal expertise and dedication to justice.



Daniel Salgado

Treasurer

Board Treasurer and Associate at Womble Bond Dickinson LLP, Daniel Salgado enriches our organization with his deep intellectual property expertise. With experience in patent drafting, IP litigation, and providing clearance opinions, Daniel's role in supporting and advancing our mission is invaluable. His diverse background, including judicial externships and education through Teach for America, exemplifies our commitment to leveraging diverse perspectives for the betterment of the communities we serve.



Alejandra Curiel

Communications Director

Alejandra Curiel Molina is an associate attorney at Husch Blackwell, where she focuses her practice on commercial litigation. She represents clients in complex business disputes providing strategic guidance and strong advocacy from pre-litigation through resolution. A proud first-generation professional, Alejandra earned her J.D. from Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and her B.S. from the University of Arizona. Alejandra is dedicated to supporting the Hispanic and Latinx communities, and she actively participates in community organizations that promote diversity and inclusion within the legal field. Alejandra values mentorship and strives to empower others through education and advocacy. She is honored to serve on the board of Los Abogados.



Arturo Gonzalez

Secretary

As Los Abogados Secretary Arturo leverages his legal acumen in wrongful death, catastrophic injury, and products liability at Chapa Law Group, P.C. to serve our community. His dedication extends beyond his professional work to advocating for education, engaging in local politics, and supporting the Latino community's upliftment, embodying our mission to empower through effective outreach and advocacy. 



 Adriana Genco

Immediate Past President

Immediate Past President Adriana thrives on the complexity of prosecution, championing fair and equal justice. Her passion lies in upholding the law, giving voice to crime victims, and serving the community. With a commitment to mentorship and a deep understanding of the community's needs, Adriana's work extends beyond the courtroom. As a first-generation Latina immigrant, she emphasizes the importance of representation and accessibility in the legal system, making a significant impact on those she serves.

Suzanne Diaz

Board Member

Suzanne Diaz, with her legal practice at Diaz Law Offices, PLLC, specializes in areas crucial for personal and business stability, such as estate planning and probate. As an at-large board member, her legal expertise significantly contributes to Los Abogados' mission, enhancing our capacity to support the community we represent. Suzanne's Arizona roots and commitment to clients' goals reflect our values of local engagement and empowerment, enriching our collective efforts to advocate for and uplift the Latino community through comprehensive legal support and community service.



Whitney Larson

Board Member

Whitney is a Senior Associate at Amara & Associates, where she represents personal injury clients in both pre-litigation and litigation matters. She currently serves as the Chair of the Los Abogados Golf Committee, which brings the community together while raising critical funds for scholarships and pipeline programs that support the next generation of Latino lawyers. Whitney also serves in leadership roles with the State Bar’s Council on Minorities and Women in the Law and sits on the Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Advisory Committee. In addition, she is a board member of the Arizona Chapter of the American Constitution Society and the Phoenix Legal Action Network, reflecting her commitment to community, mentorship, and access to justice.



Elizabeth Gonzalez

Board Member

Elizabeth “Liz” Gonzalez, Esq., a Partner at AJ Law, serves as an at-large board member. Her expertise as a trial attorney, with extensive experience in serious injury law, enriches Los Abogados’ commitment to justice. Liz's strategic case preparation and client counseling skills, honed through numerous jury and bench trials, provide invaluable insights into effective advocacy strategies. Her background as a public defender and in private practice underscores a deep dedication to defending those facing significant challenges, aligning with our mission to advocate for and support the Latino community.



Hector Arevalo

Board Member

Héctor was raised in Nogales, Arizona—a place where the border quietly shapes language, culture, and outlook. He still returns often—for the tacos de cabeza, the menudo, and the reminder to stay grounded in the people and places that shaped him. Bilingual and bicultural, he moves between worlds with ease and purpose. He works in the area of immigration, a notoriously complex and rapidly changing field, where staying current on legal shifts and understanding evolving country conditions is part of the day-to-day. As Chair of the Historical Committee, he sees the archive as a battleground—because without deliberate preservation, those who broke barriers get reduced to footnotes. He also serves on the board of New Pathways for Youth, where he sees mentorship as part of the responsibility that comes with opportunity—one generation looking out for the next.



Michael Alvarez

Board Member

Michael is an attorney practicing in the areas of family and juvenile law. Michael has represented persons and families in a variety of different legal matters in juvenile and family court litigation. Michael is currently a partner at Barreda Law, PLLC, where he oversees new attorney development and training. Prior to entering private practice, he was an Assistant Attorney General with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. As a dedicated board member, Michael leverages his network and experience to mentor law students and create new opportunities for young attorneys. 

Julieta Carrillo

Board Member

Julieta Carrillo joined CDQ in 2024. Before CDQ, Julieta practiced insurance defense and commercial litigation for three years in Arizona. She serves as Co-chair of our Pipeline Committee and the Bar Stipend Program. A 2021 graduate of Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Julieta served as the editor-in-chief of the Law Journal for Social Justice. During law school, she also received a Dean’s Award and the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Employment Law. Julieta’s practice is focused on commercial litigation.

Hugo Polanco

Board Member

Hugo Polanco is a criminal defense and immigration attorney. He was born and raised in the West Valley of Phoenix and is the proud son of immigrants from Guatemala and El Salvador. Hugo first graduated from the University of Arizona with a B.S. in Applied Political Economy, a B.A. in political science, and a minor in Chinese. After undergrad, Hugo worked as a High School Literature teacher in Shanghai, China through the Princeton in Asia Fellowship. Hugo felt compelled to leave China to pursue a law degree back home after an unprecedented surge in unaccompanied minors started arriving in the US from Central America. He attended law school at the Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. At law school he was active in the Chicano/Latino Law Student Association, the International Law Association, and the Immigration Clinic. Since law school, he’s worked at the Florence Project and for two Public Defender Offices. Apart from the law, Hugo enjoys finding and trying new global cuisine in Phoenix and reading about history. He also owns two cats.



Juliana Manzanares

Board Member

Juliana Manzanarez is the founder and Principal Attorney of Via Law Group, leading a community-centered practice specializing in immigration law. She handles complex deportation defense cases ranging from political asylum to Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals litigation. As a 2025 Flinn-Brown Fellow, Juliana leverages her legal acumen to address systemic challenges facing Arizona. A past recipient of the Los Abogados Community Service Award, she also serves as a Senior Policy and Legal Fellow for the ASU Center for Latina/os and American Politics Research, where she leads the State of Latinos (SoL) initiative to bridge the gap between policy and civic participation. Juliana ensures that legal advocacy and community empowerment always go hand-in-hand.



Javier Grajeda

Board Member

Javier Grajeda is a State Bar of Arizona Board Certified Workers’ Compensation Specialist who represents injured workers. He publishes and presents nationally on workers’ rights with a specific focus on the issues impacting workers in the Latino community. He is a bilingual Spanish-speaker and a member of Arizona’s Hispanic Bar Association-Los Abogados and the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA). Javier is a board member of the Workers’ Injury Law and Advocacy Group (WILG) and Kids’ Chance of Arizona; treasurer of the Arizona Association of Lawyers for Injured Workers (AALIW); and committee member of the Arizona State Bar Workers & Compensation Law Advisory Commission. He is a graduate of University of California Berkeley and Arizona State University Sandra Day O’ Connor College of Law. He is the founder of Grajeda Weinstein, a boutique law firm in central Phoenix specializing in workers’ compensation.



Alejandro Perez

Board Member

Bio coming soon.