Contact US
Call Us! (915) 503-1290
Contact US

About Us

About our Organization

About our Organization

The El Paso Women's Bar Association was founded in 1971. Its mission is to advance the professional interests of women licensed to practice law, advance the cause of justice and the cause of women, and nurture and improve the relations among women attorneys, the judiciary, the entire legal profession, and the community.

Although we are experiencing unprecedented times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the El Paso Women's Bar Association remains committed to bringing CLE and networking opportunities to all members, via online conferencing or in a manner that ensures safe social distancing.

We are also committed to continuing to serve our community as best we can. Please view our Calendar for upcoming events. Contact any Executive Board Member to inquire about membership and participation in upcoming events.

Become a Member

Our Board of Directors

Adriana Leal

Adriana Leal

President

Adriana Leal was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Texas El Paso, where she graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Sociology. She was a recipient of the El Paso Federal Bar Association scholarship, awarded to students pursuing a career in law for their dedication. Since coming to El Paso in 2002, she fell in love with the city’s rich culture and beautiful mountain views. Ms. Leal knew El Paso would be the best place to raise her family and has called El Paso home since then.

Ms. Leal obtained her law degree from St. Mary’s University, School of Law, in 2016. As a law student, she obtained invaluable experience through legal internships. Ms. Leal had the opportunity to work with attorneys specializing in immigration, probate, criminal defense, family, corporate, and employment law. She interned at the Executive Office of Immigration Review and various civil and criminal law firms throughout law school.

A first generation American, Ms. Leal is fluent in Spanish. In addition to her work through legal internships, Ms. Leal sought volunteer opportunities where her skills would be most useful. She volunteered with organizations such as The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) helping monolingual Spanish-speaking persons prepare U.S. Citizenship applications. She volunteered with private firms offering pro bono legal services to immigrant detainees at the Karnes County Detention facility. Ms. Leal also helped clients with immigration matters at the St. Mary’s Center for Legal & Social Justice as part of her law school curriculum. Ms. Leal obtained the Pro Bono and Public Service Certificate for her pro bono work as a law student.

As an attorney, Ms. Leal practiced law at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) from 2016 through 2018. TRLA is one of the largest nonprofit organizations in the nation and offers free legal services to qualified individuals across sixty-eight Texas counties. At TRLA, Ms. Leal was assigned to the Pro Bono team and was a Staff Attorney on the Family team, practicing family law.

Since becoming an attorney, Ms. Leal has always strived to remain involved with the legal community. Ms. Leal is a member of the American Bar Association, American Inn of Courts, State Bar of Texas, the El Paso Bar Association, and the El Paso Women’s Bar Association. Ms. Leal is also a committee member for the Local Bar Leaders section of the State Bar of Texas. Ms. Leal was the EPWBA's President from 2020-2021 and now returns as President-Elect of the El Paso Women’s Bar Association for the 2022-2023 bar year. Ms. Leal also co-directs the Mentors in Law and Equality Program of the EPWBA.

Ms. Leal joined The Law Office of Diana Macias Valdez as an Associate Attorney in 2018.Since joining the firm, she has practiced exclusively labor and employment law, catering to businesses of all sizes and industries in the El Paso/ Chihuahua area. Ms. Leal consults in English and Spanish on all employment related matters.

In her free time, Ms. Leal enjoys spending time with her family and traveling. She enjoys taking road trips with her husband and two sons. Ms. Leal’s favorite place to visit is Mexico, and she maintains close ties with her family there. Having grown up in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, Ms. Leal has experienced the life and culture of two border cities. Her experience as a Mexican American and border resident gives her a unique perspective on the legal needs of border communities.

Ms. Leal has served on the Board of the El Paso Women's Bar Association as past Secretary, Vice President, President Elect, and President. This is Ms. Leal's second term as President of the EPWBA.

Kate Godinez

President Elect

Kate Godinez is a recently licensed attorney. During law school, Ms. Godinez completed externships with the Maricopa County Public Defender's Office, Federal Public Defender's Office, and U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Mary H. Murguia. Additionally, Ms. Godinez worked as a student attorney in the Public Defender Clinic, representing indigent defendants. As a student attorney, Ms. Godinez represented clients charged with felonies and misdemeanors, including drug offenses and DUI's.

Kate Godinez
Talisa Gutierrez

Talisa Gutierrez

Vice-President

Talisa Gutierrez is a Senior Trial Attorney with the El Paso County Attorney Office. She works in the Child Protective Services unit, and represents the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services in all their litigation matters. Ms. Gutierrez started her career in 2016 as an Assistant District Attorney for the El Paso District Attorney Office, where she prosecuted misdemeanor and felony cases for four years. In 2021 she continued her career in Odessa to be an Assistant District Attorney for the Ector County District Attorney Office. Before moving back to El Paso in 2022, Ms. Gutierrez worked in the Human Trafficking unit of the Texas Attorney General Office where she prosecuted labor and sex trafficking cases.

Ms. Gutierrez graduated with a bachelor degree in general management and a minor in legal reason from The University of Texas at El Paso. She participated in the UTEP Law School Preparation Institute and went on to graduate from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law with her law degree.

In her free time Ms. Gutierrez is a coach for high school mock trial students. Ms. Gutierrez enjoys hiking, reading, learning about DIY home renovations, and spending time with her family and friends.

Esther Alarcon

Secretary

Ms. Alarcon joined Delgado, Acosta, Spencer, Linebarger & Perez, LLP., in 2019 as a delinquent tax attorney and handles delinquent property tax litigation and foreclosures for clients served by the firm’s El Paso office. She prepares cases for litigation, reviews all documents prior to filing suit, and attends court to obtain speedy judgments and protect our clients’ interests. Ms. Alarcon also manages all aspects of the property tax foreclosure process, including tax sales. While her clients’ interests are paramount, she makes every effort to work with delinquent taxpayers, affording them every opportunity to work out payment arrangements acceptable to her clients.
Ms. Alarcon attended the University of Texas at El Paso, receiving her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science in December 2012. She pursued her law degree at Texas Tech University School of Law, graduating in 2016 with a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree. During her second year of law school she worked as a qualified Texas mediator at the Alternative Dispute Resolution Clinic in Lubbock, handling various contract and domestic disputes. She also worked as a law clerk At Mounce, Green, Myers, Safi, Paxon & Galatzan in El Paso, drafting memos on a wide variety of consumer law, damages for a wrongful conviction, and worker’s compensation cases.
In her final year at law school, she was a full-time extern working in Houston for a non-profit, Kids in Need of Defense (KIND). She conducted intake meetings with unaccompanied minors in need of representation at immigration and family court.


Prior to joining Linebarger, she was an attorney at Reyes & Reyes, PLLC, handling Social Security Disability cases. Ms. Alarcon read medical records for each case presented before Administrative Law Judges, cross-examined medical experts, and organized the litigation caseload from intake through to disposition. She made regular court appearances to represent her clients’ claims, researched case law and regulations, and wrote on average six appeals each month. She also supervised a full-time extern from the University of Arizona E. Rogers College of Law.

Esther Alarcon
Jenee Duran

Jenee Duran

Treasurer

Jenée Duran was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. She is a 2008 graduate of Eastwood High School and a National Hispanic Scholar. Ms. Duran earned a Bachelor’s of Criminal Justice with a minor in Forensic Psychology and a concentration in Law and Society from New Mexico State University in May of 2012, where she was an active member of the Alpha Xi Delta Women’s Fraternity.

Ms. Duran graduated from Texas Tech University School of Law with the degree of Doctor of Jurisprudence in May of 2017. While at Tech Law, Ms. Duran served as both President and Vice President of the Hispanic Law Students Association and was a member and Comment Editor for the Texas Tech Law Review. In her last year of law school, Ms. Duran was selected as a student attorney in the Civil Practice Clinical Program where she managed cases in estate planning, family law, Social Security, and commercial law.

Ms. Duran is a member of the El Paso Bar Association, the El Paso Young Lawyers Association, the El Paso Women's Bar Association, the El Paso Probate Bar Association, and the George A. McAlmon American Inn of Court. She is also an active member of the Junior League of El Paso, an ambassador for local nonprofit, Mija, Yes You Can, and a volunteer for a local animal rescue, MuttLove Dog Rescue.

Ms. Duran joined the Firm in 2017 where she practices in the areas of civil, commercial, international, and probate litigation in the Civil, Commercial and Probate Litigation Groups.

Melissa Baeza

Immediate Past President

The Hon. Melissa Baeza is Judge of the County Court of Law No. 3 in El Paso County, Texas.

In the area of commercial litigation, Ms. Baeza has experience with various types of disputes, including breach of fiduciary duty claims, professional liability claims, and breach of contract claims, fraud claims, and violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Ms. Baeza has also handled insurance defense litigation.

Ms. Baeza has advised and represented owners, general contractors, subcontractors, and engineers in all phases of public and private construction.

Ms. Baeza was voted El Paso’s Outstanding Young Lawyer for 2011-2012. Ms. Baeza is a member of the State Bar of Texas, El Paso Bar Association, Texas Young Lawyers Association, El Paso Young Lawyers Association, El Paso Women’s Bar Association, Texas Association of Defense Counsel, and American Bar Association. She is also a member of the American Bar Association’s Forum on the Construction Industry and the Texas State Bar’s Construction Law Section.

With respect to Ms. Baeza’s activities in the community, she was a participant in the Leadership El Paso Class XXXIII, sponsored by the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce and is an active member in the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), El Paso Chapter 248. In 2015 and 2017, she was awarded the President’s Award from the NAWIC of the El Paso Chapter 248.

Ms. Baeza received her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Texas Tech University School of Law, where she was Articles Editor of Volume 41 of the Texas Tech Law Review and a Teaching Fellow for the first-year Legal Practice course. While in law school, Ms. Baeza received the CALI Award for Legal Practice I and Jurisprudence Awards for Superior Academic Achievement in Legal Practice II, Business Entities, and Advanced Advocacy Skills in Moot Court. She attended St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology.

Melissa Baeza
El Paso Women's Bar Association

Join Today!

Become a Member
El Paso Women's Bar Association