Denied Then Determined: A Journey to NCAJ Leadership, with Rosa Antunez Boatwright

Rosa Antunez Boatwright, an immigrant from Honduras, was excited to attend community college in her new Florida home – until the college rescinded its acceptance because of her immigration status. Fast forward years later. Today, she is a personal injury attorney at the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin and the incoming chair of NCAJ's Hispanic/Latino Legal Issues Division. In this conversation with host Amber Nimocks, Rosa explains how national and local legislation affecting the Hispanic community means that all lawyers need to be “on our toes.” “If we need to get together next week because of something that happened this week, we need to be able to do that and have those open discussions,” she says. Tune in to learn about Rosa’s journey from Honduras, her path from paralegal to lawyer, and her experience as an NCAJ NEXT Leadership Program fellow.

🎙️ Featured Guest 🎙️

Name: Rosa Antunez Boatwright

Connect: LinkedIn

💡 Episode Highlights 💡

[01:38] Idyllic Childhood: Rosa describes growing up in Honduras' capital surrounded by mountains, with her father owning a candy factory and her mother was a psychologist.

[03:06] Hurricane Mitch: In 1998, Hurricane Mitch devastated Rosa’s family's candy factory and forced them to move to the United States.

[06:33] “We Can’t Enroll You”: She was accepted to community college, made the cheerleading team, and then came the letter. “Nevermind. We can’t enroll you.” Why? Because of her immigration status.

[09:02] The Ad Said “Paralegal”: Her first job was as a medical secretary for a chiropractor. It came in handy when she wanted to pivot to law: a firm sought someone with medical experience to join them as a paralegal.

[12:49] Breakthrough Case: Rosa convinced a judge that an unmarried couple was common law married under South Carolina law, securing recovery for the surviving partner and children.

[15:04] NEXT Leadership Program: Rosa describes the transformative experience of the NCAJ NEXT program that prepared her for introspective leadership both personally and professionally.

[17:26] Leadership Goals: Rosa outlines her plans for multiple roundtables and responsive meetings to help attorneys navigate challenging legislation and government changes affecting Hispanic clients.

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Voices of NCAJ features members of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice talking about what it means to be a trial lawyer, what it takes to be great at the practice of law and how being a part of NCAJ enriches their lives and their careers.

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