SMRLS Attorney Lisa Salazar Honored with Access to Justice Award

Lisa Salazar, supervising attorney of the immigration unit at Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS) was recently honored with the Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association’s (MHBA) Access to Justice Award. The award was given in recognition of her unwavering commitment to expanding access to legal services and strengthening the justice system for Latinos in Minnesota and beyond.

The MHBA’s 21st annual gala, held on March 27, 2026, at the McNamara Alumni Center in Minneapolis, recognizes outstanding achievement, spotlights MHBA’s impact, and raises critical support for its programs. This year’s Access to Justice award was especially significant because of the unprecedented challenges facing Minnesota’s immigrant communities. In view of Operation Metro Surge and rapidly changing federal policies, the MHBA chose to recognize the collective power of the Minnesota Immigration Legal Collaborative, also known as The Hub. For their shared dedication to justice, Hub representatives from the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM), Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, The Advocates for Human Rights and Volunteer Lawyers Network (VLN) were also honored. Monica Dooner Lindgren, SMRLS’ family law lead attorney and MHBA member helped ensure that the collaborative efforts of the Hub were seen and celebrated.