Susie Altamirano, Stephanie Vasquez, Rick Olivarez, Stephanie Arechiga, and Paloma Perez-McEvoy of OMLO (courtesy photo)
For some law firms, diversity, equity, and inclusion is merely a buzzword; but for other firms, diversity, equity, and inclusion is their lifeblood.
Olivarez Madruga Law Organization (OMLO), a certified minority-owned California firm that was recently recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of the Most Admired Firms to Work For, is a leader in its efforts to promote diversity, and its municipal law group stands out as an inspirational tale of success.
Powered by five Latina women — Susie Altamirano, Stephanie Arechiga, Paloma Perez-McEvoy, Norma Tabares, and Stephanie Vasquez — the members of OMLO’s municipal practice now serve as city attorneys for El Monte, Cudahy, Bell Gardens, and La Puente in Los Angeles County, some of the very communities in which they were born and raised, helping to shape their residents’ futures for the better. These intelligent women not only represent the cities where they grew up, but also the changing face of what city attorney’s offices and local governments look like, growing more diverse over time.
“What is unique about the role in the communities we serve is historically, it is uncommon to see a Latina as the City Attorney, let alone a Latina City Attorney who also lives in or has family in the communities we represent, shops at the same markets, votes in same elections, and are impacted by the same laws,” Altamirano told Above the Law. “We understand the implications of legal and policy decisions from a point of view that is not often acknowledged at the decision-making level.”
Altamirano, Arechiga, Perez-McEvoy, Tabares, and Vasquez are a team of seasoned public officials, and running OMLO’s powerhouse municipal practice allows them to uplift and empower local leaders, help cities advance to meet challenges such as California’s housing crisis, and support underserved populations.
“While we represent public entities throughout the Southern California region, a lot of our work is in the Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) region, where I grew up. This has not only provided me first-hand knowledge of the challenges these underserved communities face, but it has also allowed me to better assist our clients with finding ways to achieve their goals of providing a better environment for their residents,” Vasquez said. “I constantly hear and see the issues our constituencies deal with, and I feel that when I help our clients, I am not only helping the client, but I am also helping people I care for.”
Founded by Rick Olivarez, OMLO’s backbone is built on public service and diversity within government. Oliverez’s grandfather, Edward R. Roybal, was a five-term member of the L.A. City Council — the first Latino elected since 1881 — and a 15-term Congressman in California. His mother is former Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, who served in the U.S. House for 30 years and was the first democratic Mexican-American woman elected to Congress, the first Latina to serve as one of the 12 chairs of a House Appropriations Subcommittee, and the first Latina to serve on the House Appropriations Committee.
“There’s no downplaying the legacy that the Roybal family has in breaking barriers for Latinos in politics, and in many ways that plays into our roles at OMLO. In 2022, the California State Bar reported that while Latinos comprise roughly 36% of the state’s population, they only comprise 6% of the licensed attorneys in the state,” Perez-McEvoy, the municipal practice group’s co-chair, said. “But representation matters; when I enter into public hearing I realize there may be a monolingual mother who might be too timid to ask a question or a young child sitting in the audience wondering what the spectacle is all about. When you see people in those positions of influence, whether it’s a member of Congress, a school superintendent, or a City Attorney, people begin to realize that these accomplishments can be met.”
“We embrace the Roybal public service tradition in the way we mentor and cultivate intelligent and powerful LAWtina leaders; from law clerks and young lawyers in the firm to the next generation of Latinas serving on various city councils, school boards and other public agencies we service,” Altamarino told ATL. “We are part of the Roybal legacy and we do not take lightly the responsibility handed over to us.”
Part of what makes OMLO such a great place to work is that its attorneys get to zealously represent local public agencies by using their own life experiences as a guidepost. “OMLO is a very unique and special place because our attorneys understand the struggles our clients face, and at times have experienced these same struggles firsthand,” Vasquez said. “As a Latina attorney working in a minority-owned firm, I feel lucky to have several Latina attorney colleagues who I can lean on and learn from.”
As noted by Arechiga, OMLO is often on the same wavelength as the cities the municipal group assists each and every day. “The communities that we represent constantly show us how they can rally together during tough times, whether it be coming together to show support for a good cause or uniting to request specific policies to help improve the community, our firm operates in the exact same way,” she said. “We work as a team and are all there to support each other when needed.”
Diversity and inclusion is of great importance for OMLO, specifically because sensitivity to cultural issues allows its attorneys to rise to the challenge of serving a diverse clientele. “Diversity is not a committee or initiative at OMLO,” Tabares told ATL. “It is the firm ethos.” Arechiga echoed those thoughts, saying, “The makeup of our firm reflects the makeup of many of the communities we serve. At OMLO diversity is celebrated, which makes every employee feel supported and included.”
Congratulations to Olivarez Madruga Law Organization for putting its best foot forward and using diversity and inclusion as a strength in the practice of law. Working at a firm like this makes it a lot easier for employees to feel truly valued for who they are.
What does the culture at your law firm look like? We’d love to profile what life looks like at your firm. Please get in touch with us — via text (646-820-8477) or email (subject line: “[Firm Name] Culture”) — and let us know.
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.
