The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law Latinx Law Students Association (LLSA) on Oct. 14 held its annual Dean José Bahamonde-Gonzáles IMPACTO Awards ceremony celebrating Latinidad pride and the accomplishments of the Latinx legal community.
The theme for the evening was Embers that Blaze Forever, inspired by Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor’s famous quote, “The Latina in me is an ember that blazes forever.” In honor of that sentiment, LLSA introduced the new Ember Award to shine a spotlight on someone who has worked diligently to keep the Latinx community alive. The inaugural recipient is Daniella Prieshoff, senior managing attorney at Tahirih Justice Center, who advocates for immigrant survivors of gender-based violence on their journeys to asylum.
The 2025 IMPACTO Award recipient is Rudy N. Brioché ’95, vice president and policy counsel for global media and technology company Comcast Corporation. For this year’s Young Luminary Award, LLSA named Francisco Flores ’21, a senior attorney at the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, who leads Amica’s Children's Program.
Introduced by LLSA Vice President and Banquet Representative Zhanele Chavez ’27, Maryland Carey Law Dean Renée H. Laurent offered introductory remarks expressing the law school’s solidarity with the Latinx community. “As we call attention to the particular challenges facing Latinx communities at this moment in our county’s history,” she concluded, “we also note the importance of celebrating their incredible contributions and accomplishments. I am so glad we get to do that this evening.”
Professor Maureen Sweeney, director, Chacón Center for Immigrant Justice, presented the Young Luminary Award to her former student Flores after being Introduced by LLSA’s Director of Public Relations Renzo Fano ’27. With deep emotion, Sweeney praised Flores for making “people feel seen and valued.”
Flores, whose parents emigrated from El Salvador, participated in the Immigration Clinic and served as a senior paralegal at Maryland Carey Law during law school. After accepting the award, the young attorney addressed the crowd, reflecting on the four years since graduation. Flores’s advice to students is to always, “remember your community and be there for them.”
LLSA Secretary Gabriela Larios ’27 then presented the Ember Award to Daniella Prieshoff and accepted it on her behalf as Prieshoff was unable to attend.
Finally, LLSA President Madeline Alvarenga ’27 presented Brioché with the Dean José Bahamonde-Gonzáles IMPACTO Award.
Brioché began his remarks with recollections from his law school days, naming some of his favorite faculty, including Professor Richard Boldt, Professor Emeritus Larry Gibson, and Professor Emeritus Taunya Banks. He also called out classmates Board of Visitors Chair and Secretariat Managing Director Tamika Tremaglio ’95, Chairman of the Maryland Stadium Authority Craig Thompson ’95, U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks ’96, former Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake ’95, Professor and Associate Dean Russell McClain ’95, and others, for their leadership both in law school and in their careers.
Born to Haitian immigrants, Brioché went on to describe how translating for his parents when he was a kid as they navigated the United States Social Security system planted the seed in him of purpose-driven leadership, which has been central to his career. As well as VP and policy counsel at Comcast, Brioché is a founding co-chair of the Federal Communications Bar Association’s TMT Pipeline Program, which seeks to foster representation and inclusion in the legal profession. Addressing students directly, he advised, “You have more power than you know…to stand for truth, to stand for justice, to stand for human dignity.”
Additionally, Brioché acknowledged the presence at the awards ceremony of legendary Judge Robert M. Bell, for whom he clerked after law school.
The IMPACTO Award is named for José Bahamonde-González, LLSA's longtime faculty advisor until his passing in 2022. In his more than 20 years at Maryland Carey Law, Bahamonde-González mentored hundreds of students in various roles, including 16 years as associate dean for administrative affairs and student services, and seven as associate dean for professional education.
Former students, colleagues, and friends also honored Bahamonde-González in 2022 by establishing a scholarship at Maryland Carey Law in his memory.
In his remarks, Brioché called Bahamonde-González a “force of nature,” describing his big heart and impact on the people around him. “He always led with love,” said the award recipient. “He saw people and believed in them and inspired people to believe in themselves.”
Offering closing remarks was Assistant Professor Cori Alonso-Yoder, the new director of Maryland Carey Law’s Immigration Clinic. Alonso-Yoder took a solemn moment to remind the assemblage about the importance of Latinx representation in the legal profession and exhorted everyone in the room to “please, keep showing up for one another and for your clients.”
The following firms sponsored the event:
Gold Level Sponsors:
Gallagher LLP
Silver Level Sponsors:
Miles & Stockbridge P.C.
Saul Ewing LLP
Bronze Level Sponsors:
Gordon Feinblatt LLC
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP
Semmes Bowen & Semmes
Venable LLP
Womble Bond Dickinson LLP
Supporters:
Ballard Spahr LLP
Offit Kurman