Puerto Rico’s Colegio de Abogados, the Puerto Rican bar association, voted in its 170th General Assembly to extend honorary membership to the members of the National Lawyers Guild, an act taken in recognition of the Guild’s solidarity for the Colegio. The full text of the resolution follows: Resolution No. 19 Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico
Annual General Assembly 170

TO EXTEND THE TITLE OF HONORARY MEMBERS OF THE COLEGIO DE ABOGADOS DE PUERTO RICO TO ATTORNEYS OF THE NATIONAL LAWYERS GUILD AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS OF ATTORNEYS FROM OTHER NATIONS:

WHEREFORE: The Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico has among its duties and obligations that of promoting fraternal relations among its members;

WHEREFORE: The Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico has directed its institutional efforts to other countries and attorney organizations, based on its understanding that this enriches the institution;

WHEREFORE: The Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico, consistent with this purpose and its desire to broaden its experiences as an organism which brings together Puerto Rican attorneys, is a member of international professional organism and organizations, as well as those of the United States, including the International Bar Association, the Iberomerican Union of Bar Associations and Attorney Groups, the American Bar Association, the International Criminal Bar Association and the International Union of Attorneys, among others;

WHEREFORE: The Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico has confirmed the title of honorary member to distinguished attorneys who comply with institutional requirements, recognizing their solidarity with
our Colegio;

WHEREFORE: The National Lawyers Guild was founded in 1937, as an association of progressive attorneys and jurists who understood that they had an important role to play in the reconstruction of legal values with emphasis on human rights, rather than property rights. This Association is the oldest and represents the most extensive network of public interest and activity on human rights which currently exists within the legal system in the United States;

WHEREFORE: Several members of the National Lawyers Guild visited us and expressed clearly and most forcefully their support of our Colegio in the face of the attack on mandatory bar membership;

WHEREFORE: These jurists have expressed their unequivocal intention to be considered honorary members of our Colegio.

THEREFORE, it is resolved by this Board of Directors:

FIRST: To thank this group of attorneys of the National Lawyers Guild for their generous expression of commitment and support to the Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico at this crossroad which the Colegio finds itself due to the elimination of compulsory membership;

SECOND: To recognize the merits of those compañeros and compañeras of
the National Lawyers Guild who have expressed their solidarity with our Colegio and grant them the Title of Honorary member of the Illustrious Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico

THIRD: Consider the possibility of extending the Title of honorary member of our Illustrious Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico to members of other organizations of jurists and attorneys who have assumed positions of solidarity with our institution and comply with institutional requirements;

FOURTH: To notify copy of this resolution to the National Lawyers Guild and to any other institution which deserves it in agreement with the record of the Colegio de Abogados

I HEREBY CERTIFY: That this Resolutions was approved unanimously by the Board of Directors in its regular meeting held on August 21, 2010, at the Colegio de Abogados building in Miramar, Puerto Rico

José Montalvo Trías
Executive Director