Maggie Castinado is a senior assistant public defender practicing criminal defense at the Superior Court in New Haven, where she has worked for over 27 years. As a public defender, Attorney Castinado served as a volunteer attorney for the Supreme Court On-Circuit Program. She has also served as a volunteer attorney for the CBA’s annual Stand Down event for almost a decade and volunteers for the CBA’s Civics Academy, which is hosted in collaboration with the Connecticut Judicial Branch. Attorney Castinado serves as a mentor to many young lawyers, law students, college and high school students and coaches Quinnipiac University School of Law students for the Hispanic National Bar Association’s Annual Moot Court competition. She has also participated in the CBA’s Law Camp and serves as a judge for many mock trial competitions locally and nationally.
Attorney Castinado is a past president of the CBA, having served as the association’s 100th President and first latine leader during the 2023-2024 bar year. She is also a longtime board member and past president of the Connecticut Hispanic Bar Association (CHBA) and has served on several boards and committees for the Connecticut Bar Foundation, Statewide Legal Services, and New Haven Legal Assistance. She previously served on the CBA’s Board of Governors, House of Delegates, DEI Committee, Legislative Proposal Review Committee, Nominating Committee, and Awards Committee as well as the Connecticut Bar Foundation’s James W. Cooper Fellow’s Education Committee and Nominating Committee. Attorney Castinado also served two years on the Hispanic National Bar Association’s Latina Commission.
In honor of Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month, we asked Attorney Castinado to reflect on her heritage, how she celebrates it, and the advice she would share with younger professionals:
How has your heritage shaped your personal and professional journeys?
It was the first real hurdle I had to tackle and navigate on my own. At the time, women were raised to be wives and raise a family. My father was the only person who graduated high school and had any sort of education, but he had passed away before I decided to go to college. However, he had always told me that I should reach for the stars and know that I could accomplish anything I wanted to in life and to not let anyone tell me different.
How do you celebrate or honor your heritage during this month?
CHBA recently celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with a dominoes/salsa night where we recognized this beautiful culture by eating Hispanic food, playing dominoes, and dancing to our special music. It was a wonderful event. I love to focus this time on remembering my past and those that came before and how I can help build a future for our younger latinos to ensure their journey is a success.
What advice would you give to younger professionals from the Hispanic/Latinx community?
My advice would be the same as what my father said to me, “Reach for the stars! You can accomplish anything you set you mind to and don’t let anyone tell you differently."