Executive Board – Duke LALSA

PRESIDENT

Maria Echeverry Montaño (she/her) is from Charlotte, North Carolina and went to NC State in Raleigh. She graduated with a degree in Political Science and dual minors in International Studies and Criminology in 2024. She was a member of the NC State Student Government as the Chair of the Board of Elections. Outside of LALSA, Maria is also involved in Texas Club, Business Law Society, Women of Color Collective, and First Class.

Maria is so excited to be able to work with Liz and the rest of the EBoard to grow the incredible LALSA community!

E-mail: maria.echeverrymontano@duke.edu

PRESIDENT

Liz Carrasco (she/her) is from the greater Los Angeles area and graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in Political Science and minor in Chicana/o Studies in 2024. She was an active member of her school’s Model United Nations travel team and volunteered at a legal self-help center in her free time. Outside of LALSA, she is involved with the California Club and Viticultural Society at Duke Law. She is a dual degree student pursuing a JD/LLM in Law & Entrepreneurship and plans to do transactional work after graduation. The LALSA community gives her a sense of home away from home, which she strives to share with the members of our growing familia.

E-mail: elizabeth.carrasco@duke.edu

VICE PRESIDENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Matias Litewka (he/him) is originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, but grew up in South Florida. He graduated from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in 2022 and worked as a consultant in DC following graduation. At the law school, he is involved with the Duke Immigrant and Refugee Project and wants to pursue an internationally oriented career in transactional law. Matias looks forward to expanding LALSA’s fantastic social and professional support structure.

E-mail: matias.litewka@duke.edu

VICE PRESIDENT OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Renata Martinez (she/her) is originally from Brownsville, TX, and earned her degree in International Relations from Boston College in 2021. During her time in college, she served as the president of the Mexican Association of Students. After graduating, Renata worked as a 2021 TFA Corps Member in Miami-Dade and later became the Program Manager for a grassroots nonprofit focused on addressing the teacher shortage. Currently, at Duke, she is involved in several initiatives, including the DACA Renewal project through DIRP, the Fair Chance Project, as well as WLSA and WoCC.

E-mail: sofiarenata.martinez@duke.edu

VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE

Lucas Henrique (he/him) is from Somerville, MA, and graduated from UMass Boston in 2018 with degrees in Political Science, Economics, and Philosophy. He also has an MA in Public Policy & Public Administration from UMass Amherst. In between college and graduate school, he worked at the Boston University Admissions Office. In graduate school, he worked for the Faculty Senate of UMass Amherst until he decided to pursue a career in law. At Duke, he serves as the VP of Finance for LALSA and the VP of Communications for OutLaw. He believes that LALSA’s community has been the most welcoming of all at Duke Law!

E-mail: lucas.henrique@duke.edu

VICE PRESIDENT OF EDUCATION AND SERVICE

Carolyn Vaca (she/her) is from Princeton Junction, NJ and graduated from NYU in 2022 with a degree in Global Studies concentrating in Latine Studies and Gender & Sexuality Studies. In undergrad she worked at the NYU LGBTQ+ center and interned with RFK Human Rights. She also interned with the NYLAG’s LGBT Project working primarily on LGBTQ+ asylum cases for Spanish speaking clients. After law school she was a litigation paralegal at Wachtell, Lipton. At Duke she is involved in OUTLaw, the Duke Immigrant and Refugee Project, LGBTQ+ clinics, and Tricky Dick (comedy group). LALSA mentors provided a huge support system for her that she hopes to continue for new students.

Email: carolyn.vaca@duke.edu

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Cassandra Silva Salas (she/her) is a 1L from Dallas, Texas. She graduated from Austin College in 2023 where she double majored in Political Science and Gender Studies. There, she was an active member of her school’s Service Station and grant writing for an immigration nonprofit. After college, she worked as an office administrator and volunteered at RAICES. At Duke, she is also the VP of External Affairs of First Class! At the law school, she is a 1L Representative for Texas Club, OUTLaw, and NLG. She is also involved in the Women of Color Collective, Street Law, the Fair Chance Expungement Clinic.

E-mail: cassandra.silvasalas@duke.edu

3L REPRESENTATIVE

Lorenzo Lamo (he/him) is a 2L in the JD/LLM program in International and Comparative Law. Originally from Miami, Florida, Lorenzo earned his B.A. in Economics from Sciences Po Paris and B.A. in Human Rights from Columbia University. Prior to law school, Lorenzo spent two years working as a Legal Analyst at a plaintiff-side firm in Los Angeles. Last summer, he worked as an intern in the São Paulo office of Pinheiro Neto Advogados. Lorenzo looks forward to growing the Latinx community at Duke Law and helping 1Ls navigate the job search process!

E-mail: lorenzo.lamo@duke.edu