HOME > Back to More 35 Under 35 Award Winners

Juan Carlos Linares

What would you like to accomplish within the next 5 years?

In the next five years, I fully expect the ranks of professionals within our community to increase as a direct result of the work I do and examples I try to set. Whether doctor, lawyer, teacher or professor, I live to help our youth gain the confidence to become what they should know they can be.

What do you think are the biggest issues facing your generation?

The biggest issue of my generation is overcoming the general sense of apathy that is displayed toward matters of community, social and political well-being, and of harnessing the educational resources that would address this apathy.

What do you hope to learn from more established leaders?

Established leaders pass down the knowledge base of a community that is necessary to move the community forward socially, politically and economically. Without respecting that past, we cannot move forward towards encouraging an enlightened, productive and just community.

What do you think established leaders can learn from your work?

The value of building work relationships in the community is that partners are always learning from each other, whether it’s from the mentor to the protŽgŽe or vice-versa. I like to think that I inspire leaders with the efficient use of my time, always working on finding new ways to reach the community on issues of justice, law and education.

What is the most gratifying aspect of your work?

Being able to both practice law and teach at the university level allows me to reach so many more people that require the immediate access to economic development, legal assistance and/or a higher education that our community lacks than by pursuing one profession alone.

What is the biggest challenge in your work?

Time is as valuable an asset as one has available to him; that said, maximizing my time to achieve the greatest amount of contact with the community at a professional level, while both working and raising a family, is always a challenge.

What tools or resources do you need to help you continue your work?

The tools I look for in working to educate and promote justice in our community are partners- individuals and organizations that share the same interest, passion and motivation to benefit the community at-large.

What advice would you give to people under the age of 35 who are interested in social justice and social change?

Social change is driven by people who are proactive. Get out there finish your studies, be a mentor to the younger generation, learn and develop new skills, get your voice heard Ðdo these things today, not tomorrow. This is the key to changing our community for the better.


Define leadership.

To me, leadership is the persistent struggle to do good work and advance the community without the need for self-promotion, but rather with the intent to improve the condition of others.

Please discuss the importance of coalition/partnership building across racial, ethnic and generational divides in your work.

Coalition building amongst lawyers and professors is imperative in that, although the individuals and organizations involved might be drawn from different ethnic groups or from different segments of the community, the concentration of the common interests we share in promoting justice and education strengthens our efforts and broadens the base from which our messages can be carried.