Eighteenth Annual Color of Justice Program

The eighteenth annual Color of Justice program was held on April 1, 2025, at the University of Texas School of Law. The event was sponsored by the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ), in partnership with the Travis County Women Lawyers Association (TCWLA). The event was attended by students from Navarro High School, Bertha Sadler Means Young Women’s Leadership Academy, and Lively Middle School, who heard from attorneys and judges and learned about the importance of the legal profession in our society.

After a warm welcome by Justice Gisela Triana, Third Court of Appeals, on behalf of NAWJ, the event featured a game of Legal Jeopardy, moderated by Kim Hidrogo, Assistant Travis County Attorney, and Katherine Wyatt, Attorney, Skelton & Woody. It was followed by two panel discussions with speakers sharing their individual experiences and backgrounds while discussing the importance of personal commitment and perseverance in their roles as lawyers and judges in our community.

The first panel was moderated by Beth Payán, Assistant Travis County Attorney, and featured the following lawyers: Alejandra Salas, Associate, McGinnis Lochridge; Destinee Williams, Assistant Travis County District Attorney; Rudy Metayer, Pflugerville Councilmember and Of Counsel, Graves Dougherty Hearon & Moody; and Chris Mugica, Partner, Jackson Walker.

The second panel was moderated by Justice Gisela Triana, and featured the following judges: Judge Selena Alvarenga, 460th Criminal District Court, Judge Sandra Avila Ramirez, 98th Civi District Court, Judge Eric Sheppard, Travis County Court at Law #2, and Raúl González, Justice of the Peace, Precinct #4. After the program, the lawyers and judges were joined by UT Law students in sharing lunch with the young students and in answering their questions one on one.

Every year NAWJ awards a $1,000 Access to Justice Scholarship to a student who has demonstrated a commitment to public interest law. Justice Triana presented Carolina Quiroga, a third-year law student at the University of Texas, with the scholarship based on Quiroga’s demonstrated and passionate commitment to public interest law.

Thank you to the sponsors: NAWJ, TCWLA, William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law, Jackson Walker, McGinnis Lochridge, Graves Dougherty Hearon & Moody, and to H.E.B. and Pinthouse Pizza for sponsoring the luncheon.