Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15. It’s a time to recognize Hispanic achievements and contributions, celebrate diversity, and educate others about what it means to be Latino. With Hispanics forming the second-largest ethnic group in the U.S. and making up 20% of its population, their role in the development of our country’s legal history is undeniable. By taking the time to understand the cultural, historical, and institutional contexts that impact members of our communities, we can promote a more holistic and fair law practice and greater society.

This month, we’re featuring books that find themselves at the intersection of law and Hispanic identity, so you can be better prepared to serve your clients or patrons, conduct research, or simply brush up on your legal Spanish skills.

Hispanic legal history

Hispanic legal history spans across centuries and continents, from colonial intervention in the Americas to contemporary legal trailblazers in the United States. These books provide some necessary context for the historical development of law in Latin America and the U.S.

• The Cambridge history of Latin American law in global perspective (2024) (Open access also available electronically through CambridgeCore)
  A comprehensive overview of Latin American law as a social practice. Covers a wide range of topics such as indigenous history, Latin American independence, and dictatorship.
• Latin American lawyers: a historical introduction (2006) by Rogelio Pérez-Perdomo
  This book traces the development of legal education and practice throughout Latin American history, discussing lawyers’ relationship with power, their social positioning, and their role in building nations.
• The illustrious impact of Luminarias on the law: the legal handicraft of the first Latina Article III judges, state supreme court justices, and public interest litigators (2025) by Dolores S. Atencio
  This work explores the history of the Luminarias, the first generation of Latina lawyers, from 1880 onwards. As the most underrepresented ethnic group in legal practice, their challenges and contributions are finally brought to light here.

Cultural influences on the law

South America is one of the most biologically, ethnically, and culturally diverse regions in the world. This diversity directly impacts how governing bodies approach the law (both in the U.S. and abroad) and what considerations must be made to remain culturally sensitive.

• Culture as judicial evidence: expert testimony in Latin America (2021) (Available online through UNC Libraries for students and faculty)
  Anthropologists act as expert witnesses for cultural evidence in Latin America. This book lays out the importance and challenges serves as an interesting inspiration for the application of similar programs in our multicultural United States.
• Protection of traditional cultural expressions in Latin America : a legal and anthropological study (2015) by Anna Friederike Busch (Available online through UNC Libraries for students and faculty)
  An analysis of the protection of TCEs in Latin America, based on in-country fieldwork.
• Latin-Anglo bargaining : culture, structure, and choice in court mediation (2006) by Christine Rack
  This book examines the cultural differences that affect how differing cultural groups approach mediated negotiation and defies dominant assumptions about their respective goals.

Combatting stereotypes and ensuring access to justice

Stereotypes and misconceptions about group behavior and beliefs can be incredibly harmful, especially within the justice system. Latinos have a long-standing, complex relationship with criminal justice in the U.S that is now being critically examined to ensure equal treatment.

• Latinos and criminal justice : an encyclopedia (2016)
  A compilation of essays on the Latino experience with the U.S. criminal justice system; this book seeks to dispel stereotypes about their relationship to crime.
• Latino/a rights and justice in the United States : perspectives and approaches (2009) by José Luis Morín
  This second edition expands on the racial and ethnic biases against Latinos within the U.S. justice and law enforcement systems.
• Greasers and gringos : Latinos, law, and the American imagination (2003) by Steven W. Bender
  This book reveals how overarching societal misconceptions about Latinos has influenced their treatment by police, voters, and educational and legal systems.
  

Immigration law

Migration is a difficult, multi-faceted experience that defines the Latino experience for many individuals and families. Immigration law is arguably even more complicated, but these works can help shed some light on the immigrant and legal perspectives.

• Disappearing rooms : the hidden theaters of immigration law (2023) by Michelle Castaneda
  A courtroom interpreter conducts a scenographic analysis of the physical settings of immigration courts, detention centers, and the emotional and ritualistic tactics employed in these spaces.
• Practicing asylum : a handbook for expert witnesses in Latin American gender-and-sexuality-based asylum cases (2023) (Open access also available electronically through Luminosoa)
  Expert witnesses and immigration attorneys come together to detail best practices for testimony in Latin American asylum cases, especially those of women and LGBTQ+ individuals.
• Understanding immigration law (2026) by Kevin R. Johnson, Raquel Aldana, Bill Ong Hing, Leticia M. Saucedo, and Enid Trucios-Hayes
  A recently-updated, broad survey of U.S. immigration law through historical, cultural, and institutional contexts.

Spanish-English legal dictionaries

Having working knowledge of the Spanish language can transform how you are able to support Hispanic clients or patrons.

• English/Spanish and Spanish/English legal dictionary (2008) by Steven M. Kaplan
  With over 100,000 entries, this dictionary is a great resource for any legal translation need in either target language.
• Dahl’s law dictionary : Spanish-English/English-Spanish, 6th ed. (2015) by Henry Dahl
  The newest edition of this annotated legal dictionary includes additional topics and an index organized by subject matter, featuring Spanish and Latin American law.
• Critical terms in criminal proceedings in Spanish and English (2006) by Katy Strait Chavez
  This reference guide focuses on terms related to criminal proceedings, so you can be prepared before stepping into the courtroom.
• Deposition questions: English and Spanish (1995) by Gloria L. Allen
  During deposition, the kinds of questions asked and the way they are formatted can impact your outcomes. Use this guide to find out how to effectively take a deposition in Spanish.

Constitutionalism and human rights

The past hundred years have seen significant shifts in how Latin American countries approach their constitutions, with frequent revisions and additions occurring in light of changing leadership and a trend towards the protection of human rights.

• Women, gender, and constitutionalism in Latin America (2024) (Available online through UNC Libraries for students and faculty)
  A survey of the ways that constitutional redesign in 11 Latin American jurisdictions has aided in combatting the subordination of women and LGBTQ+ individuals.
• Constitutional change and transformation in Latin America (2019)
  This work studies the last 30 years of constitutional change in Latin America and the reforms’ impact on democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.
• The impact of the Inter-American human rights system : transformations on the ground (2024) by Armin von Bogdandy, Flávia Piovesan, Eduardo Ferrer Mac-Gregor, and Mariela Morales Antoniazzi
  A critical examination of the Inter-American System of Human Rights, tracing its history and current initiatives.

Want more?

If you’re interested in learning more about these topics or any other area of law, check out the Library’s list of Research Guides. Additionally, any of our reference librarians can assist you from 10am-4pm Monday through Friday. Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!