Callejo, Adelfa Botello
1923 -

Details
Alias: Adelfa Botello
Born: 6/10/1923 in Millett, Texas
Ethnicity: Latin American Mexican American/Chicano
Professional Facts
Practice Area:
Corporations
Criminal Law
Family Law
International Law
Personal Injury
Labor Law
Profession:
General practice
Criminal law (Most of her early clients were indigent criminal defendants)
Family law
Personal injury law
Labor law (Worker's Compensation)
Immigration law
Corporate law
Regions and States of Practice:
TX, South
Legal Education:
Southern Methodist University School of Law, 1961
Positions During Her Career:
Formed a law firm with her husband, Callejo and Callejo (1966)
President & founder of the Dallas County Criminal Bar Association (1972-1973)
Founder of the Mexican American Democrats of Texas (MAD) (1974)
Dallas County Mental Health and Retardation Board Member (1967-1968)
President of Dallas County Criminal Bar Association (1972-1973)
Founder & delegate of the 16th Senatorial District Conventions (1972-1973)
State Bar of Texas, Committee on Selection, Compensation and Tenure of State Judges (1976)
Member, Commission on Hispanic Affairs, U.S. Department of Justice (1978)
Delegate, Texas State Conventions (1978-1992)
Presidential Commission on White House Fellowships (1980)
Delegate to Democratic National Convention (1980)
Long-time participant in campaigns & electioneering in support of all Democratic candidates in the National, State, and Dallas County races which required active support (1982-?)
Loyd Bentsen Campaign Steering Committee (1982, 1988)
Dallas Area Rapid Transit Board Member (1988)
Dallas County Juvenile Needs and Activities Committee Member (1988)
Participated in Michael Dukakis Campaign (1988)
Co-founder & Regional President, Hispanic National Bar Association (1989-1993)
Participated in Ann Richards and Dan Morales’ Texas campaigns (1990)
Vice President, board member, and Leadership Skill Steering Committee member of Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) (1991-1992)
Actively participated in Supreme Court of Texas Justices’ Campaigns
Democratic National Committee member (1992-1996)
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Board Member (Instrumental in awarding 72% of $75 million for concessions at the airport to women and ethnic minority-owned businesses) (1993-1997)
Firsts:
Vice President of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (1991-1992)
Hispanic to receive the Martin Luther King Jr. - Justice Award (1994)
Accomplishments:
Recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. - Justice Award (1994)
Recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mexican American Bar Association of Texas (1995)
Recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from SMU law school (1996)
Recipient of the Justinian Award from Dallas Lawyers Auxiliary (1997)
Recipient of the Spirit of Excellence Award (1998)
Named Woman of the Year by Today's Dallas Woman (1999)
Further Research Materials

Student Papers:
Adelfa B. Callejo
Tabares, Norma D., 1999
Potential Paper Topics:
Analyses of her important cases, including Venable v. State of Texas, Brooks v. State of Texas, Ex parte John Junior Marez, Lipscomb, et al. v. Wise et al. v. Adelfa B. Calleio et al., Wise et al. v. Lipscomb et al., William and Adelfa B. Callejo v. Bancomer, S.A. (note that several articles have been written about this case, addressing international law issues), Williams and Ledbetter Neighborhood Association v. City of Dallas, and the Hopwood case, in which Callejo rebuked a University of Texas law professor’s comments attacking Hispanic culture and affirmative action in higher education.
An analysis of her work on dropout prevention programs and legislation. Callejo lobbied for dropout prevention programs in DPSD and urged President Clinton to support a national initiative on dropout prevention and intervention.
Research into her work as a civic leader.
Analyses of her early criminal cases.
An analysis of her participation in voting rights cases.