Expanding support and representation for Latina lawyers in Arizona

Cristina Perez Hesano, a Glendale-based attorney, entrepreneur and community advocate, joined “Horizonte” to talk about expanding the pool of Latina lawyers. Despite only about 2% of lawyers in the U.S. being Latina, she has established one of Arizona’s most impactful mentorship networks for women in law.

“If you’re considering a career in law, go for it,” Hesano said. “If you really want to be a lawyer, go for it. You can do it because we need more Latina lawyers.”

In 2010, Cristina founded her law firm and has since grown it into a highly respected practice handling serious personal injury and wrongful death cases. However, she noticed a glaring gap: female trial lawyers, particularly women of color, often lacked access to mentorship and support.

“Oftentimes, I was the only Latina in the room, to this day, the only Latina in the room,” Hesano said.

This realization inspired her to create Women in Law, a mentorship and leadership community that has grown into a sisterhood of more than 100 women attorneys statewide.

Hesano said representation remains one of the biggest challenges in the legal profession, particularly in leadership roles.

“We have a gap. It’s one of the largest demographic gaps in the profession,” Hesano said. “Where we see the discrepancy is in leadership roles, partnership roles and executive roles.”

What began as informal conversations has evolved into Women of the Arizona Trial Lawyers Association (WAZTLA). In December 2024, WAZTLA was officially recognized as a committee within the Arizona Association for Justice, further solidifying its impact and influence in the legal community.

“Think about every little girl who learns that where she’s sitting in this leadership role and the impact that she can make, and she can say, ‘I can do that, too,’” Hesano said.