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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Mary Elizabeth Cedillo-Pereira of Dallas is being |
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honored with a 2015 Maura Women Helping Women Award at the Dallas |
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Women's Foundation Leadership Forum and Awards Dinner on April 30, |
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2015; and |
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WHEREAS, The Maura Women Helping Women Award has been |
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presented for the past 36 years to those individuals who are working |
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to improve the lives of women and girls in North Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Liz Cedillo-Pereira is the managing attorney of |
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Cedillo-Pereira and Associates, an immigration and nationality law |
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firm, and she teaches immigration law for The University of Texas |
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School of Law Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law and for |
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a course on the subject presented by the State Bar of Texas; in |
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2007, she cofounded the Dallas "Know Your Rights" project for the |
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American Immigration Lawyers Association, and she works with the |
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AILA's DREAM Defenders and Military Assistance programs; she has |
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also served on the American Bar Association National Commission on |
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Immigration; and |
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WHEREAS, A native of Dallas, Ms. Cedillo-Pereira attended |
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the University of Pennsylvania and earned her law degree at the |
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Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law; she has served |
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as a member of the City of Dallas Charter Review Commission and the |
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boards of the Dallas Foundation and the Dallas Hispanic Bar |
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Foundation, and as a trustee with the Callejo-Botello Foundation; |
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moreover, she has been the community philanthropy chair of the |
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Hispanic 100 organization, an advisor to the SMU Latino Leadership |
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Initiative, and a member of the advisory committees for the Irma |
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Lerma Rangel Young Women's Leadership School and University |
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Crossroads; in 2014, she helped lead the Texas DACA Day Initiative |
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on behalf of the Texas Access to Justice Foundation; and |
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WHEREAS, This dynamic individual's many honors include the |
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Ohtli Award from the Republic of Mexico, the Groundbreaker Award |
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from the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Young |
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Entrepreneur Award from the Consulate General of Mexico, the Emerge |
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Leadership Award from PODER Hispanic Magazine, and the 2010 |
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Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Service Award; in |
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addition, she has been recognized as a Best Lawyer in America for |
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three years in a row and has twice been named a Best Lawyer in Dallas |
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by D Magazine; and |
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WHEREAS, Liz Cedillo-Pereira's vision and ability have |
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enabled her to excel in her work as an attorney, an immigration |
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advocate, and a civic leader, and she may indeed take great pride in |
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her efforts to assist those who wish to take part in the American |
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dream; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Mary Elizabeth Cedillo-Pereira of |
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Dallas for receiving a 2015 Maura Women Helping Women Award and |
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extend to her sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Ms. Cedillo-Pereira as an expression of high regard by |
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the Texas House of Representatives. |