Joaquin Avila (lawyer) facts for kids

Joaquin Guadalupe Avila (born June 23, 1948 – died March 9, 2018) was an American lawyer and activist. He worked hard to make sure voting was fair for all people, especially those from minority groups. For over 20 years, Joaquin Avila used a special law called the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to help people vote. When this federal law became weaker, he came up with a new idea: state voting rights acts. He helped create the California Voting Rights Act, which became law in 2001.

Joaquin Avila won important court cases that changed how voting worked. He also led the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), a group that helps Mexican Americans with legal issues. Later, he directed a voting rights program at Seattle University School of Law. Many people recognized his amazing work. In 1996, he received a special award called the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, sometimes called a "Genius Grant."

Early Life and Education

Joaquin Guadalupe Avila was born in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in a city nearby called Compton. His father worked in a factory that made metal parts.

Joaquin Avila went to Yale University and studied political science. He earned his first degree there in 1970. Later, he went to Harvard University Law School and became a lawyer in 1973. While at Harvard, he helped edit a law magazine called the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review.

Career Highlights

After finishing law school, Joaquin Avila started working on voting rights cases in California. Soon after, he moved to Texas. There, he joined the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF). He quickly became a leader in the organization.

From 1982 to 1985, Joaquin Avila was the president and general counsel of MALDEF. During this time, he worked on more than 70 important voting rights cases.

Fighting for Fair Elections

After leaving MALDEF, Joaquin Avila moved to Fremont, California. He continued to win important voting rights cases. One famous case was Gomez v. the City of Watsonville. In this case, the city's election system made it harder for Latino residents to elect their chosen leaders. Joaquin Avila successfully argued that this system was unfair. He won two voting rights cases at the highest court in the country, the United States Supreme Court.

California Voting Rights Act

In 2001, Joaquin Avila wrote a new law for California called the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA). This law made it easier for people to challenge unfair election systems. It also said that if someone won a case challenging an election system, the government had to pay their legal fees. This helped more people fight for fair elections.

In 2003, he wrote a report for the UCLA law school. This report suggested changing the state's rules to let adults who were not citizens vote in local elections.

Later in his career, Joaquin Avila worked at the Seattle University School of Law. He was a special expert there and led a program focused on voting rights.

Awards and Honors

Joaquin Avila received many awards for his important work. Some of these include:

• MacArthur Foundation Fellowship "Genius Grant" (1996)
• State Bar of California Loren Miller Legal Services Award (2001)
• League of United Latin American Citizens President's Award (2012)
• Mexican government Ohtli Award (2011)
• Harvard Law School Association Award (2012)
• Seattle University School of Law Latino Amicus Award (2012)

Personal Life

Joaquin Avila was married to Sally Cabaruvias. They lived in Compton, California, and had three children: Joaquin Jr., Salvador, and Angelique. He passed away from cancer at his home in Shoreline, Washington.