Mary V. Orozco

June 5, 2019 Mary Virginia Orozco, who in 1962 became the first Latina admitted to the California Bar, passed away on June 5, 2019, due to vascular dementia and Alzheimer's. Mary, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, was born in Whittier, California on September 24, 1928 to Pablo Orozco and Maria Figueroa Orozco. As a top student in Whittier High School's class of 1946, Mary was selected to train as a legal secretary at a law firm while still a high school student. Her law firm experience inspired Mary to become a lawyer. While working to support her parents, Mary graduated from Los Angeles State College in 1958 with degrees in psychology and sociology. Mary was one of five women in her first year Loyola Law School class. She graduated in 1961 as the only woman in her class and its first Latina graduate. After she was admitted to the State Bar of California in the spring of 1962, she was surprised to learn that she was the first Latina licensed to practice law in California. In 1962, Mary opened her own law office in Montebello serving the Spanish-speaking community, later moving her law office to Atlantic Boulevard in East Los Angeles. In 1969, her twin brother Hector joined her practice. Mary developed an expertise in family law and trial work. Mary was a co-founder and officer of the Mexican American Bar Association, the Latina Lawyers Bar Association and the Montebello East Los Angeles Bar Association. She served on Governor Pat Brown's re-election committee and served on a number of Los Angeles City and County commissions over her career. She retired from practicing law in 1995.Despite her considerable abilities, she also faced discrimination both as a woman and as a Mexican-American. As a young attorney, while Mary was waiting in criminal court, the court bailiff attempted to take Mary to the courthouse jail; the bailiff could not comprehend she was there as an attorney. Mary venerated her parents and attributed her success to them. Her father encouraged his children to pursue their education. When the Whittier library only issued library cards to property owners, Mary's father asked their landlord to obtain library cards for his children so they could borrow books. Mary took this lesson to heart and always said that education is the one thing no one can take away from you. She is preceded in death by her parents, and her brothers, Paul and Hector, and her infant child, Jude. Mary is survived by her sister Emma, her brother William, her eight nieces, four nephews and seven great-nephews and great-nieces. On Friday, June 21, 2019, a viewing will be held from 5 to 8 pm and rosary services will be held at 6:30 pm at the Calvary Mortuary Chapel. A mass and graveside burial will be held on Saturday, June 22 at 10:30 am at the Calvary Cemetery Mausoleum. Calvary Cemetery is located at 4201 Whittier Blvd., Los Angeles, California 90023. Mary was a devoted alumnus of Loyola Law School – Los Angeles, and donations may be made in her name at https://apps.lls.edu/giving/