b'FROM MIGRANT FIELD WORKER TO BIG LAW MANAGING PARTNERThe eldest of three siblings, Briones was bornHis horizons began to widen. He was moving in Gilroy, California to parents from Mexico.around and working too much to get a high He has crisp memories of working in theschool diploma, but he passed the California fields as a child. You dont forget waking upProficiencyExamandenrolledatCabrillo before the sun comes up, he said.College in Aptos, California at age 17. ItwasCalifornia,butthemorningscouldHe was there for just one semester before be coldsometimes there was frost. Myit was time for his family to move again. In fingerswouldbeall, Briones went to six freezing,hesaid.Butdifferentcommunity I didnt give [the work]When recruiting orcolleges before he got muchthought.Itwasan associates degree. justsomethingmyworking with lawyers, familyandIdid.Weits so important toInitially, that was all he viewed it as somethingwasaimingfor.Iwas wedidtogether.Weappreciate diversitythinkingIcouldtake wereintheU.S.,wein their backgrounds.someclasses,maybe were eating and makinggetajobatabank.I money,everythingwasIt makes a much morecould work indoorsI perfect,Brionessaid.powerful team. .wouldnt be out in the I never thought abouthot sun all the time, he beingalawyeroraPeople bring differentsaid. professional.Itneverstrengths to theAndthen,another entered my mind. objective. fateful intervention: his Butashegrewolder,schoolcounselor,Ms. otherpeopleonesCisneros, asked: Have whotookthetimeto- JOSHUA BRIONES youeverthoughtof noticerecognizedhispotential.Likeagoingtolawschool?Youlovetodebate man, a regular customer at a grocery storeeverything so much youd be a great lawyer. where Briones had a job, who hired him at age 16 to dig ditches in his yard for a sprinklerBrionessaid,Ifshehadnotintroduced system. The two became friends, and theyme to that idea I probably would not be an started to talk about books. The man loanedattorney today. him volumes from his home library. And heHe moved to San Diego and met a partner toldhimHey,youshouldgotocollege,atasmalllawfirm,Swain&Vance,inan Briones recalled. He said things no one hadelevator.Brioneslandedajobonthespot ever told me.doing clerical work for the firm. p. 29'