Not from Here, Not from There/No Soy de Aqui ni de Alla

Nelson A. Díaz, who graduated from St. John’s University in 1969 and from Temple University Law School in 1972, was the first Puerto Rican lawyer to pass the Pennsylvania Bar Examination and the first Latino judge, administrative judge, and partner in a top-100 law firm in the state. Appointed by President Jimmy Carter to a White House Fellowship and by President Bill Clinton as General Counsel to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, he has had a legendary career serving as a public defender, as Philadelphia City Solicitor, and as a member of several corporate boards, including Exelon Corporation, a Fortune 100 company. His fight for civil and human rights and his promotion of neighborhood economic development and housing reform have blazed a trail for other Latinos. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife Sara Manzano.