Hispanic National Bar Association Commends President Barack Obama for Nomination of Sarah Saldana as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas

WASHINGTON, June 29, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) applauds President Barack H. Obama's decision to nominate Sarah Saldana to the post of U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. She has not only been the top choice of Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) for this U.S. Attorney position, but her candidacy enjoys bipartisan support and the vocal support of legal and Latino organizations across the country. Highly merited, the HNBA has engaged in extensive and consistent advocacy efforts in support of her nomination for over a year.  Ms. Saldana would be the first Latina chief prosecutor in Texas, and has demonstrated that her skills and experience will also make her one of the best U.S. Attorneys in the country.

Diana S. Sen, HNBA President, stated, "Ms. Saldana is the epitome of what a U.S. Attorney should be:  she not only possesses stellar qualifications and is well-respected in her profession, but she has the incredible judgment, commitment to the community and sense of justice necessary to serve the Northern District of Texas well.  We are particularly proud that Ms. Saldana will soon serve as a U.S. Attorney, one of only a few Latino U.S. Attorneys who have ever served throughout the country."

Ms. Saldana is a career prosecutor who has demonstrated a commitment to public service and justice. For the last 25 years, Ms. Saldana has distinguished herself as an exceptional litigator and prosecutor in the private and government sectors. She began her legal career in 1984 as a law clerk to the Honorable Barefoot Sanders of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Thereafter, Ms. Saldana joined the law firm of Haynes and Boone, LLP in Dallas, Texas as an associate, working in the firm's commercial and employment litigation practice groups.  Subsequently, she was a Partner with the law firm of Baker Botts, LLP, where she formed and managed the labor and employment practice group in the Dallas office.  Ms. Saldana's experience in the public sector is also noteworthy.  In 2004, she joined the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas, where she currently serves as the Assistant U.S. Attorney in charge of public corruption for the Northern District of Texas. She has prosecuted a variety of criminal cases on behalf of the United States. She was also appointed as the District Election Officer for the 2008 general elections, overseeing the handling of election fraud and voting rights abuses, prosecuting those offenses when they occurred. As a result of her exemplary service, she has been the recipient of performance-based awards every year since joining the United States Attorney's Office in 2004.  

Ms. Saldana has also been deeply dedicated to community service for many years.  She is a member of the Dallas Bar Association where she has served on the Judiciary Committee, Federal Judiciary Complaint Committee, and the Civil Justice Reform Act Advisory Committee.  She is a member of the William Mac Taylor Inn of Court, the Dallas and Texas Bar Foundations, and a past member of the Southern Methodist University Law Alumni Association Council.  From 1989 to 1991 she was appointed to the City of Dallas Zoning Board of Adjustment by Mayor Annette Straus.  In addition, she has taught legal research and writing methods at Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law.

Sarah Saldana has been uniformly praised as a very able lawyer and as a very respectful and fair prosecutor.  It is clear that she has a strong reputation for integrity and fairness as well as strong professional skills, and that her appointment as United States Attorney is well-received by members of the defense bar as well as other prosecutors and judges. Diana Sen noted, "President Obama's nomination of Sarah Saldana is another example of his commitment to have exceptional legal professionals in his administration, as well as of his commitment to ensure that the composition of his administration reflects that of the United States of America."

The HNBA is an incorporated, not-for-profit, non-partisan, national membership organization that represents the interests of the more than 100,000 attorneys, judges, law professors, legal professionals, and law students of Hispanic descent in the United States and, its territories.  For more information about the HNBA, please visit www.hnba.com.

SOURCE Hispanic National Bar Association