Ariel Fernandez
Founder & Editor
[email protected]
On Saturday, February 5th, the Cuban American Bar Association held its 48th annual gala “Volver A Vivir” at the Loews in Miami Beach, where it installed its new Board of Directors.
This year’s board will be headed by Coral Gables City Attorney, Miriam Soler Ramos, who was sworn in as president of the prestigious organization.
Cuban American Bar Association
The Cuban American Bar Association (CABA), was founded by Cuban-American lawyers in Miami in 1974. The organization has continued to grow over the years and has become one of the most influential bar associations in the State of Florida.
In addition to being an association for lawyers within their trade, CABA started the CABA Foundation to provide scholarships for law students and the CABA Pro Bono project in 1984. As explained on its website, the “CABA Pro Bono has provided indispensable relief to individuals in their cases ranging from sex trafficking to domestic violence to foster children to immigration and much more. CABA Pro Bono has expanded its services for veterans in family law matters and to children who are victims of neglect and abuse by focusing on delivering quality representation.”
Board of Directors
Miriam Soler Ramos
Miriam Soler Ramos was appointed as Coral Gables City Attorney in 2017, following the departure of Craig E. Leen due to his appointment as Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs at the Department of Labor.
According to her official biography, “prior to her appointment as City Attorney, Ramos served as the Deputy City Attorney and City Prosecutor beginning in March 2015. Before joining the City, she served as Deputy General Counsel and Deputy Advocate for the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust (COE).”
“As the daughter of Cuban immigrants, it is a special honor to lead CABA into its 48th year. Our gala was a wonderful opportunity for attorneys and community leaders of all backgrounds to come together and help raise money for the CABA Pro Bono Program and the CABA Foundation. These programs help provide representation to those who can not afford legal services and to provide scholarships to deserving law students. This year, I look forward to continuing to provide value to our members, to amplify the voices of the Cuban people, and to ensuring diversity continues to be a priority in the legal profession,” said Soler Ramos in a statement to Gables Insider.
Mayor Vince Lago
“As Mayor, I want to congratulate our City Attorney, Miriam Soler Ramos, for becoming president of the Cuban American Bar Association. CABA is an incredible organization that has shown leadership on numerous issues affecting the South Florida community over the years. This is a great honor for our City Beautiful and is another example of how Coral Gables is always ready to lead,” said Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago.
Distinguished Leaders
Soler Ramos is the second sitting City Attorney to hold the role of president. The other was former Coral Gables City Attorney Elizabeth Hernandez (2007), who was City Attorney from 1995 to 2010.
Other notable names on the list of past presidents include State Attorney Katherine Fernandez-Rundle (1991) and current City of Miami Attorney Victoria Mendez (2011).
Pictures courtesy of Miami Elite Photography and CABA.
A “prestigious” organization???? With another past president identified as Miami Attorney Victoria Mendez (2011)???? Scary! Maybe the folks at that organization need to know the truth? And if they don’t react/care, then they need to be called out on it for honoring someone who is NOT exemplary of her profession. And more so as in light of comments below who clearly show that the residents she serves do NOT agree she is doing a good job at all! VERY concerning that this “prestigious” association thinks differently.
What a great honor bestowed upon the one person that has single-handedly funneled hundreds of thousands of our city dollars to the very same attorneys in that organization to do the cities dirty work against our own citizens and first responders. It’s not a conflict of interest, it’s a flat out slap in our faces. Clorox wipes are on sale, lets clean up the scum!!!!!
There was a typo, it’s CABAL not CABA as in the Cuban Cabal that took over Dade County years ago
The National Association of City Attorneys have just announced the City attorney who mis-managed the most this month. The award goes to Miriam Ramos, City attorney for Coral Gables, Fl.
No other City attorney came close.
Miriam Ramos didn’t know the Biltmore Hotel was illegally charging fees to park. She apparently hasn’t done anything to refund the fees.
The award committee also was very impressed with her past conduct. The Mobility Hub, where 5 commissioners prevailed over a petition signed by 600 residents. She didn’t provide basic legal advice to the 5 commissioners: the City government is a democracy, not a dictatorship. You can’t
over-rule the majority.
The award committee also took into account she took no action against the City employees (Ramon Arias, etc) who perpetrated an enormous deception to upzone on Biltmore Way. She looked the other way when “insider influence” appeared in the continuation of Burger Bob’s. She allowed a big corporation, Wawa, to proceed with her “blatantly illegal” contract, to build a busy, drive-in store on public property, across from an elementary school.
The list is too long to recite in this short space.
In conclusion, Miriam Ramos mis-managed more than any other City Attorney to win the award for mis-management this month .
Since she already has photos of her, accepting the award for president of the Cuban American Bar Association, no more photos of her are needed, receiving this award.
Shame shame shame… so this is the face behind the notorious name… no respectability, no integrity!
I can’t believe what I’m reading. City attorney Miriam Ramos is the new president of the prestigious Cuban American Bar Association!
Didn’t they know, as the City attorney, she made a contract with Wawa for a store on public property, across from an elementary school? The Judge ruled her contract was “blatantly illegal”. Then, she abandoned the kids and parents by not stopping the Wawa store. She also stood by, silently, when all 5 city commissioners voted to build the “mobility hub”, even though over SIX Hundred residents signed a petition against it and not ONE resident signed a petition for it. She didn’t raise her voice and take action against the massive deception in upzoning scandal on Biltmore Way. She allowed insider influence and didn’t come out for fair dealing in Burger Bob’s, with Rita the clear choice of the neighborhood residents.
As the City attorney, she is a disgrace.
As the new president of the Cuban American Bar Association, she has disgraced its long, honorable tradition.
Good morning,
Who is elegible to be a member of CABA? Is this association strictly for Attorneys?
Best,
Monica Bisbal
Real Estate Professional
Coldwell Banker Realty
[email protected]
C: 305-796-8663
Yes, it’s true. The comedy show “City Hall at Coral Gables” has been renewed for another season. The star of the new season is Miriam Ramos.
You may be asking yourself, “Who renewed it?” Ans: the big over-developers!
This City has had a recent string of corrupt, incompetent City Attorneys.
The last two have been in the pockets of developers working against the best interests of the citizens of Coral Gables.
This is unfortunate that Ms Ramos has this new outside obligation to impinge upon her City Attorney duties.
This position should go to someone in the private sector. Taxpayers will be subsidizing her CABA activities, obviously.