To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month 2022, the CBA’s YLS D&I committee is shining a spotlight on local Hispanic/Latinx attorneys in the Greater Cincinnati legal community. CBA members nominated Hispanic/Latinx attorneys for recognition, and members of the YLS D&I committee conducted interviews to learn more about them.
Meet Jose Palacio, a sales manager with Pepsi and part-time fourth-year law student at Northern Kentucky University’s Salmon P. Chase College of Law.
1. What is the best way in your opinion to enhance diversity and inclusion in the Cincinnati legal community?
I think the biggest obstacle is that we’re one of the biggest minority groups in the country but we’re not getting [included]. I recommend that you incorporate the Spanish community into your practice. They are an integral part of our business.
2. Why did you decide to go to law school after a career in law enforcement and business, and how does being Hispanic/Latinx contribute to your future practice?
I get a lot of, why are you going to law school at your age, and I’m like, why not? I’ve always wanted to challenge myself. If you’re passionate about something, my biggest thing here is that I don’t’ want to have a bunch of regrets. There’s a lot of people that I feel are directly connected to my success, so that drives me and pushes me. The other thing that drives me is I came from nothing and I’ve always wanted to be able to be in a position to help my family and more importantly, do something with myself. I find that to be bilingual, it’s going to help me a ton in the long run.
3. Why do you believe it’s important to celebrate Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month?
My mom never let me forget my Spanish culture. I’m really passionate about engaging with Hispanic people. I’m really passionate about that and I’m proud to be Hispanic. I was the first Hispanic officer at both departments I worked at – at the sheriff’s office and in West Chester. Being able to change how they look at Hispanics. Once they got to know me, they got to know, hey, there are professional Hispanics. I think I was able to change that perspective.
4. What has been your biggest professional accomplishment so far?
I work for Pepsi as a sales manager and I am the co-chair for the Southern Ohio Employee Resource Group. We have different affinity groups and I am affiliated with Adelante, for our Hispanic employees. What I like doing with Adelante is bringing some of these people who’ve never left Ohio, never seen the world, bringing them into our facilities and getting them to try something different and talking to them about our culture.