Maribel Medina is a prominent attorney, motivational speaker, and an advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion. Coming from an agricultural community where students did not receive the quality education offered in more affluent college prep high schools, Maribel excelled academically. She earned a bachelors degree at UC Berkeley, and attended Boalt Hall School of Law and Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government where she earned a JD and MPA, respectively.
Maribel was the first MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund), Fried Frank Fellow. This Fellowship entails a unique alliance between the nation’s leading Latino civil rights and advocacy organization and a prominent international law firm. Her activities and work experience span the gamut from grass roots local organizing and education to policy and enforcement of the law on the national level, including: the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division enforcing federal labor laws; the U.S. Department of Justice enforcing the Voting Rights Act; Meyer Nave, where she chaired the Firm’s Education Law practice group; General Counsel of the San Francisco Unified School District where she oversaw all aspects of the Santa Clara County Office of Education’s legal matters and chief legal advisor to the Board of Education and the Superintendent of Schools; President of the Mexican-American Bar Association; Assistant City Attorney for Pasadena; and Special Counsel to the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Board of Education.
Maribel ranks among the top super lawyers, and was named the “Latina Lawyer of the Year” from the Hispanic National Bar Association and the “Benito Juarez Lawyer of the Year” from the Mexican American Bar Association. GOALS is honored to have Maribel Medina as one of its life members.
