Q&A with Michael Rodriguez
Each year we have released the feature of Latinos in Law and this year is no exception. Lawyers have been one of the most interactive industries. In this edition, once again we include our 2019 list of the Top Latinos in Law. We also include a Q&A interview with Michael Rodriguez from Munck, Wilson, Mandala. These are the leaders that are fighting for justice and fair trail from within the courtrooms.
Latino Leaders: What drives you in your profession?
Michael Rodriguez: One of the aspects I enjoy most about my practice area is the positive energy. In many areas of law, people approach lawyers after a negative experience: somebody has wronged them or has filed suit and they’re in a bad place. But often times with patent law, I meet clients for the first time and they have hope and ambition; there’s happiness on the horizon. And I love that I can help them upward, instead of traversing a really bad situation.
LL: What are you thoughts on Latino talent specifically in law? What can be done to help those that are under-represented?
MR: I’m forever grateful that my father was adamant about me pursuing my college education and getting a degree. I believe this is one reason why I’m so passionate about being involved in Austin’s Hispanic community with agencies like Con Mi Madre, which empowers young Latinas and their mothers through education. Education is the best ticket out of a low-income area – it allows you to be highly successful. I believe in giving back to the community, but more important, in helping the community to lift itself up. I’m proud of MWM’s involvement in S.H.E. Summit, an event focused on diversity and inclusion and empowering those under-represented across industries. I’m fully engaged, alongside the firm, on developing our future leaders specifically in part by making concentrated efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in our hiring, recruiting and retention. These efforts have built new alliances in the community as a result of the firm’s advocacy in addressing societal and cultural issues around diversity and inclusion.
LL: How do you balance your work in the firm and the work you do in the community?
MR: Like many clients I work with daily, I know firsthand what it means to nurture hope and ambition – even when things don’t work out as planned. I take this same mindset and hopeful approach from the office to the community. As a 2017 graduate of the Hispanic Austin Leadership program – which educates Hispanic professionals about issues plaguing their local communities and marshals their abilities toward problem-solving – I served on the education team, specifically working with homeless youth and focusing on getting their parents employed. I now maintain my devotion to giving back to the community by serving as a mentor to subsequent classes of the HAL leadership program and Startup Superstars, a high school entrepreneurship competition sponsored by the GAHCC. As an officer in the United States Navy Reserves, a husband and a parent of three adopted children, giving back to my community is engrained in who I am and strive to be for my family, friends, clients and community.
