Personal Best: Formal Civil Rights Attorney Finds Success as Smithsonian GC
In the late 1950s, John E. Huerta, general counsel at the Smithsonian Institution, remembers being so outraged by discrimination in the Little Rock, Arkansas, school district, that he was convinced he could help better society by defending the rights of minorities. Today, after holding numerous public-interest posts, Huerta is placing a different spin on an undoubtedly rewarding career.
As chief legal eagle at the Smithsonian, Huerta’s responsibilities are vast and varied. Appointed in November 1995, he directs an office of 13 attorneys, assuming responsibility for legal activities of all areas of the institution, including its nine research centers. The Smithsonian’s law department provides legal advice in commercial activities, real estate, employment, entertainment, intellectual property, nonprofit, civil rights, and federal regulatory matters, as well as representation in administrative proceedings and litigation. Huerta is also legal advisor to the Board of Regents and secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.
A graduate of the University of California’s Law School at Berkeley, where he finished in the top 10 percent of his class, Huerta was active in the student movement, and served as editor of the California Law Review. He was also a founding member of the Mexican American Student Confederation (MASC), the campus’ Latino student organization.
Not bad for a man who was advised against both college and law school because it was believed that he would never succeed. And, as Huerta recalls, based on his law school admission test scores, he really shouldn’t have. But those scores only motivated him to pursue his goals harder.
After graduation, Huerta worked in Peru, specializing in agrarian reform and water law. On his return, he joined California Rural Legal Assistance, providing legal services to farm workers. He then worked for the Defender’s Program in San Diego, and was later named deputy assistant attorney general for civil rights during the Carter administration. He also headed the Latino Civil Rights Task Force and served on the Department of Justice’s Personnel Policy Committee. Confident yet unassuming, Huerta sets high standards for himself and expects nothing less of his team. However, he is reasonable, trusting and readily available.
“I try to keep an open door and like to consult with my staff prior to taking major steps. I think the most important impact I have on the institution is the lawyers whom I hire, because they are authorized to work frontline and make decisions without consulting me,” he says.
A former law professor at the University of California at Davis, Huerta has lectured extensively on civil and human rights, both domestically and internationally. This general counsel feels blessed and extremely lucky to have had a remarkable career, and credits unwavering determination for sustaining his success.
Huerta encourages his protégés to believe in themselves and remain dedicated to their goals. “Once I started believing in me and not what others said, everything worked out,” he states. “Back then, I didn’t know if I was going to succeed in law school, but I knew that I was going to do my very best. At least if I didn’t make it, I’d given it my all.”
Today, Huerta’s persistence and dedication have helped him become a role model to others, demonstrating what is possible when one believes in oneself.
Donna Dick is a freelance writer who works in the corporate communications department at BLACK ENTERPRISE magazine.
From the September 2002 issue of Diversity & The Bar®