About Rafael
Rafael Hurtado built his academic foundation in Southern California. He earned a B.A. from the University of California, San Diego and later took his law degree from California Western School of Law. Those years set the stage for a career split between practice, teaching and organizational leadership.
His early work included time as a volunteer and contract lawyer with the Legal Aid Society of San Diego in 2013. There he represented clients who otherwise might not have had access to counsel. The experience shaped his view of law as a tool for everyday problems and community stability.
In 2017 he moved into an in-house role as general counsel for MANA de San Diego, a Latina organization. In that post he provided legal guidance to a nonprofit focused on advocacy and community programs. The position required translating legal risks into practical steps for staff and board members, and it deepened his experience advising nonprofit leaders.
Hurtado has also spent substantial time in the classroom. He has served as an adjunct professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, where he taught and mentored law students while balancing practice responsibilities. His teaching work has kept him connected to emerging lawyers and current debates in legal education.
On the organizational side, he holds a leadership post in the local bar community. Hurtado is the current president of the San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association. In that capacity he oversees programs, convenes colleagues and works on initiatives aimed at supporting Latino attorneys and legal issues affecting local communities.
Over the years he has moved between client work, nonprofit counsel and academic roles. That combination gives him a practical perspective on how law intersects with community organizations and public-interest practice. He divides his time among teaching, association leadership and legal work in San Diego. His current practice centers on nonprofit counsel and community legal services.
