Mary Rojas was born and raised in Miami, Florida. She is fluent in English and Spanish and attended St. Thomas University in Miami, Florida where she received a B.A. in Criminology and Sociology. During her undergraduate years, she was active in numerous community organizations such as Students Working for Equal Rights, and the Free-Trade Haitian Artisan Committee. After graduation, Mary was a Graduate Assistant to St. Thomas University’s School of Theology & Ministry, where she received a M.A. in Pastoral Ministry and graduated cum laude in 2012.
After finishing her Masters, Mary went on to teach high school. Working with her students is one of Mary’s proudest accomplishments. She taught Theological Social Justice and Legal Studies, which prepared students to compete for High School Mock Trial competitions.
Mary credits her students’ determination and grit for inspiring her to go after her own dreams – and in 2018 she enrolled at St. Thomas University School of Law, where she obtained her Juris Doctorate, cum laude, and a Certificate in Intercultural Human Rights in 2021. Mary served as the Editor-in-Chief for the Intercultural Human Rights Law Review, President of the nationally ranked St. Thomas Trial Team, Distinguished Member of the Honorable Peter R. Palermo Mentorship Program, President of the Public Interest Law Society, Secretary of the LAMBDA Law Society, and active member of the Black Law Student Association.
While in law school Mary interned for the Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics & Public Trust and the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office. In her last semester in law school, Mary was a Certified Legal Intern in the school’s Appellate Litigation Clinic and successfully argued in front of the Third District Court of Appeal of Florida on behalf of the Appellee.
Prior to joining the Criminal Defense Clinics, Mary proudly served as an Assistant Public Defender in Miami Dade County.
AWARDS:
- The Order of Barristers Award (2021)
- AAJ Women for Justice Education Fund’s 2020 Mike Eidson Scholarship (2020)
- Honorable Peter R. Palermo Scholarship (2019 & 2020)
- James “Jamie” Harkins Scholarship (2021)
- CALI Book Award, Race & the Law Seminar (Fall 2019)
- Educator of the Year (2018)
