Marking the end of his term as President of the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey, Lowenstein partner Reynold Lambert of the firm’s Business Litigation and Class Action Litigation will be installed as the organization’s Immediate Past President on November 11 at its 42nd Annual Installation and Swearing-In Ceremony. Lambert will continue to serve in an advisory role for the upcoming bar year and as co-chair of the association’s Judicial and Prosecutorial Appointments Committee (JPAC).

“It has been a great privilege to serve the HBA-NJ as President this past year,” says Lambert. “The opportunity to positively impact the Latinx community in a multitude of different ways through my role as President has been one of my greatest accomplishments in my career.” 

Lambert’s theme for his 2020-2021 term was: ¡Respira! Break Barriers & Rebuild Our Future; respira (Spanish for “breathe”) served as a stark reminder of the social and racial injustices of 2020, and as a call for action. During his swearing in as President in December, 2021, Lambert set the stage for an ambitious agenda dedicated to advancing the interests of the Latinx community in New Jersey. “While we take aim at helping others, it is important that we pause for a moment and take a breath,” he said. “We need to do a better job of taking care of ourselves.” 

As HBA-NJ President, Lambert organized and led initiatives, programs, and public advocacy activities aimed at fostering a more diverse legal landscape and addressing issues affecting the Latinx community. Under his leadership, the HBA-NJ successfully put forth professional growth and networking initiatives, as well as educational opportunities for its membership and the legal community; it led social activism and community initiatives, fostered the pipeline to the legal profession for underrepresented lawyers, advocated for diversity in the judicial and executive branches, and supported young Latinx lawyers.

“We are so proud of Rey’s incredible efforts over the past year—not only as the leader of the HBA-NJ but also for all that he brings to the firm” says Gary M. Wingens, Chair and Managing Partner of Lowenstein, which was the sole Underwriter Sponsor for the Association’s 2020-2021 programming. Wingens continues: “We are equally proud that Rey is the third Lowenstein partner to have served as president of HBA-NJ, continuing our firm’s multi-generational legacy commitment to the organization and the community it serves.”

Lambert spent considerable effort during his term to establish the HBA-NJ as a leader in the fight to make mental health and wellness a priority in the legal profession. He launched the Respira campaign to tackle mental health struggles silently plaguing the legal profession, which disproportionately affect the Latinx community. As part of that campaign, the HBA-NJ held its inaugural Mental Education & Nurturing Through Engagement (M.E.N.T.E.) Conference, where expert panelists shared personal stories and advice, addressing such mental health issues as imposter syndrome and its impact on attorneys from underrepresented groups, attorneys’ ethical obligation to seek help when facing mental health issues, and coping and recovery strategies. This year’s HBA-NJ’s Women’s Empowerment Leadership & Law Conference also addressed unique struggles faced by Latinas in the legal profession.

Lambert also created the inaugural HBA-NJ “Invest in You” series: informal seminars that featured expert panelists sharing their knowledge about how to succeed in different legal roles.  In-house counsel, owners of a small law firm, and associates and partners at law firms all provided the membership with insight into their specific practice settings, as well as practical keys to success. 

As part of HBA-NJ’s efforts to build a strong pipeline of future Latinx leaders, Lambert led the association in initiatives to mentor and educated law school, college, and high school students.  The HBA-NJ awarded an astounding $111,000 in scholarships and contributions to the HBA-NJ scholarship endowment fund, the most ever awarded by the organization. 

In addition, the HBA-NJ’s Judicial and Prosecutorial Appointments Committee (JPAC) solicited, met, and vetted potential candidates for the federal and state judiciary succeeding in the nomination of two of its endorsed candidates to the federal judiciary, and the appointment of three of its endorsed candidates to the state bench (Judges Paul Nieves, Michael Jimenez, and Veronica Allende). The HBA-NJ and the Hispanic National Bar Association also issued a joint statement supporting the appointment of Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes as U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey.

In recognition for his dedication and leadership over the past year, Lambert has been named by two prominent New Jersey publications: the 2021 ROI Influencers: People of Color, an annual list of “difference makers” in the state; and the New Jersey Law Journal’s list of the 2021 Diverse Attorneys of the Year.

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Lowenstein Sandler LLP
 (973) 597-2592
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