Young Lawyers Division

Candidates for Contested 2011 YLD Elections

Director-at-Large, Position 3

Spencer Edelman is a 2009 graduate of the University of Arizona Law School, and an associate in the litigation department of the Modrall Sperling, with my practice focused in the areas of creditors’ rights. He would very much appreciate the opportunity to serve as the Director-at-Large, Position 3 on the Young lawyers Division Board of Directors. The following are some points that speak to his credentials:

- Committed and dedicated to the YLD through participation in service programs such as: Wills for Heroes and the Mentorship program with UNM, where he has helped give back to first responders and helped law students learn from my own path.
- Connected to the State Bar of New Mexico through the HVP Inn of Court as well as the Bankruptcy Law Section of the State Bar, as well as active participation with his peers within Modrall Sperling.
- Knowledgeable about community service through development of new programs while at law school, as well as contributing to the 2nd Judicial District’s Volunteer Attorney program and Law-Law-Palooza. Creating and expanding additional community service opportunities are a part of my plan for YLD.
- Experienced with the difficulties as well as benefits of urban and rural life as he grew up in small town Arizona, and now lives in the Big City of Albuquerque.

Robert Lara is currently an associate with the law firm of Castle Stawiarski, LLC and current resides in the Albuquerque area. Mr. Lara is originally from El Paso, Texas and is a 2007 graduate of the University of New Mexico School of Law. Robert’s legal practice focuses on property law and election law.

Mr. Lara also has a background in public interest law, public policy and administrative law. Mr. Lara currently serves on the executive board for the New Mexico Hispanic Bar Association, the University of New Mexico School of Law Alumni Association, and Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity International District-V.

Mr. Lara has had the privilege of working for the law firm of McGinn, Carpenter, Montoya, & Love, P.A, the Office of General Counsel for the Office of the Governor for the State of New Mexico, the Office of General Counsel for the United States Consumer Products Safety Commission, and Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid.
Mr. Lara is also the proud dog parent of Annabelle the Duchshound.

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Region 1 Director

(Eleventh Judicial District)

Mary Modrich-Alvarado is an attorney in the Tax & Finance Unit at the Navajo Nation Department of Justice in Window Rock, Arizona. She advises and works with the Navajo Nation’s departments, programs, and committees on legal issues focusing on tax, finance, and litigation. Ms. Modrich-Alvarado serves on the State Bar of New Mexico Young Lawyers Division Board of Directors as the current Region 1 Director.

As an active YLD member Ms. Modrich-Alvarado organized the 2011 Law Day Call-in at the Farmington, NM location, participates in the Serving Our Seniors program and the UNM Law/YLD Mentorship Program. Mary received her B.S. in Business with a major in General Business and a minor in Entrepreneurship at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She received her J.D. and Indian Law Certificate from the Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law in Tempe, Arizona. Ms. Modrich-Alvarado is barred in the Navajo Nation and the state of New Mexico.

Ken Stalter is an Assistant District Attorney with the 11th Judicial District Division I District Attorney’s Office. His caseload includes a variety of misdemeanor and felony offenses. He has previously worked as a public finance attorney, a policy analyst, and a carpenter. Born in Albuquerque, Ken returned to New Mexico after completing law school in 2008. Also in 2008, he became a member of the New Mexico bar. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, writing, and woodworking, and is currently training to run in a half marathon.

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