Career Norma V. Cantu

1 career

1.1 significant cases cantú served lead or co-counsel
1.2 public service
1.3 professor

career

cantú started career english teacher in brownsville, texas, in 1974. after graduating harvard law school, worked nursing home task force of texas attorney general s office , english teacher in san antonio, texas.

she joined maldef in 1979, serving trial , appellate lawyer in federal , state courts in class action impact civil rights cases. in 1983, named national director of carnegie endowment-funded education, litigation , advocacy project @ maldef , worked staff attorney on chicana rights project. in 1985, became regional counsel , education director of maldef, overseeing offices in texas, colorado, , new mexico. same year, named 1 of 100 influential hispanics in u.s. hispanic business magazine. while @ maldef litigated scores of important cases affecting educational funding, disability rights, student disciplinary policies, access special services english-language learners, , racially hostile environments.

significant cases cantú served lead or co-counsel

public service

on march 5, 1993, president clinton nominated cantú serve assistant secretary civil rights @ u.s. department of education. sworn in on may 24, 1993.

she served nation 8 years in capacity, oversaw staff of approximately 850 in implementing governmental policy civil rights in american education. within first 2 years, office increased number of illegal discrimination complaints resolved 20%; more third of cases disposed of without adversarial proceedings based on voluntary corrective action. final year in office, number of cases resolved each year had risen 20%.

in 1996, cantú reshaped environment women athletes @ educational institutions. interpreted title ix of education amendments of 1972, federal statute created prohibit sex discrimination in education programs receive federal financial assistance, requiring schools offer proportional opportunity female , male athletes. led effort redefine opportunity mean number of women playing sports, not number of spots available on school s teams. reinterpretation, while opening doors number of women athletes, not without criticism. have argued approach has resulted in cut in male sports programs, wrestling , gymnastics. according critics, universities have had drop these less lucrative , less popular male sports programs make way women sports programs. work on title ix resulted in being named women’s institute on sports , education hall of fame on september 27, 1996 , 1 of 50 influential people in college sports college sports magazine.

professor

since 2001, cantú has served visiting professor of law , education @ university of texas @ austin. while @ ut, has developed , taught courses on disability law, school reform, performance management in education, politics , policy in education, , intersection of law , policy in education.

in 2002, cantú co-founded mexican-american legislative leadership foundation, not-for-profit organization encourage students gain experience on staff texas legislature. serves on board.

in 2004, american bar association s commission on racial , ethnic diversity in profession honored cantú spirit of excellence award opening doors many , preventing other doors closing. award given each year celebrate efforts , accomplishments of lawyers work promote more racially , ethnically diverse legal profession.