Bien Hecho: First Latina NJ District Court Judge

Judge Esther Salas has become the first Latina appointed to be a U.S. District Court judge in Newark, New Jersey. She’s of Cuban heritage and, according to a story from NJ.com, she’s been concerned with social justice since a fire destroyed everything her family owned when she was a child. Although she’s the first Latina in New Jersey to be a U.S. District Court judge, Salas likes to spend time her free time with her family on the weekends watching her son play baseball.

A little bit more about her life from NJ.com:

Salas, the youngest of five, says her mother always instilled the importance of education in her children. She earned her bachelor’s and law degrees from Rutgers University and then worked for nearly 10 years as a federal public defender. Salas became head of the Hispanic Bar Association in 2001 and was selected from a candidate pool of 99 to become New Jersey’s first Latina magistrate in 2006…

Salas attributes much of her success to her role model, her mother, who has kept her safe and sane since that early fire in Union City. Her mother celebrated Salas’ ascent to magistrate five years ago, but was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and is less aware of what Tuesday’s confirmation means.

Our weekly segment, “Bien Hecho,” highlights the good deeds and achievements of Latinos across the U.S. If you feel that someone you know is deserving of recognition, let us know at tips@newstaco.com.

Follow Sara Inés Calderón on Twitter @SaraChicaD