ABA Midyear Meeting 2016: The Future of Latinos in the U.S.

In this Special Report, Future of Latinos in the United States Project Manager Pilar Escontrias and Director Emeritus and MacCrate Research Chair in the Legal Profession Robert Nelson stop by to discuss their panel on the legal future of Latinos in America. As the Latino population in the U.S. continues to rise, so, too, do the legal issues surrounding that demographic shift. Professor Nelson sheds some light on the research that he and the American Bar Foundation are doing to pinpoint exactly what these growing legal issues are. Pilar Escontrias touches on important issues facing the Latino community such as access to university level education and the criminalization of Latinos in the legal system. Together, with Legal Talk Network producer Laurence Colletti, these guests delve into the legal opportunities and obstacles surrounding the future of Latinos in America.

Pilar M. Escontrias is project manager for the Future of Latinos in the United States project of the American Bar Foundation. She graduated with an artium baccalaureus in art and archaeology and Spanish and Portuguese from Princeton University. She also received her Master of Philosophy in archaeology from the University of Cambridge and is currently seeking her Ph.D in anthropology from Northwestern University.

Robert L. Nelson is a professor of sociology and law at Northwestern University and director emeritus of the American Bar Foundation. He is also MacCrate Research Chair in the Legal Profession and received his Ph.D. in sociology from Northwestern University. Robert received his J.D. from the Northwestern University School of Law.