Rivera-Rogers, Mariteresa, 1943-

In 1965, Chilean-born Mariteresa Rivera-Rogers (b. 1943) and husband Enrique Rivera set out on their adventurous leap and moved to the United States. Sponsored by an aunt living in Las Vegas, their resident visas took only three months to process—a task that would take years in today’s world she explains. Their first home was on Convention Center Drive, though they and their four children would experience several different neighborhoods over the years.

Mariteresa is a Chilean of English ancestral heritage. Coming to the United States would be a provocative transition at times. Nonetheless, after raising her children and pursing a real estate career, her mastery of English and Spanish were key to being hired into the certified court interpreter in the program created by Judge John Mendoza. She also found time to earn a degree from William S. Boyd School of Law in 2003.

Over the course of her careers, Mariteresa established herself as highly regarded criminal defense lawyer. She served as Deputy Public Defender, formed her own firm, Evans & Rivera-Rogers, and later joined the Wright Stanish & Winckler firm in 2011.

She has served on the Clark County Bar Association board, Latino Bar Association board, the Southern Nevada Association of Women Attorneys board, is a member of the Clark County Law Foundation and Community Service Committee, and the Nevada Supreme Court Task Force on Racial and Economic Bias.