Joaquin Avila (lawyer)

Joaquin Avila (born 1948, died 2018) was a prominent American civil rights lawyer and voting rights expert. He dedicated his career to fighting for equal access to the ballot box for minority communities, particularly Latino voters. Avila's work spanned both litigation and academic pursuits.

Avila received his law degree from Harvard Law School and subsequently became a staff attorney for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF). He later served as President and General Counsel of MALDEF from 1982 to 1985. During his tenure, he led landmark voting rights cases that challenged discriminatory electoral practices and redrawing of district lines to dilute the voting power of Latino communities.

Following his leadership role at MALDEF, Avila continued his work as a voting rights consultant and expert witness in numerous cases across the United States. He also taught law at several universities, including the University of Washington School of Law and Seattle University School of Law, where he shared his expertise with future generations of lawyers. Avila’s scholarship focused on the Voting Rights Act and related constitutional issues. He was widely recognized as a leading authority on minority voting rights and his contributions significantly shaped the legal landscape surrounding electoral access.