Elba Rosa Rodríguez-Fuentes

Who is Elba Rosa Rodríguez-Fuentes?

Elba Rosa Rodríguez-Fuentes was born in Havana, Cuba on April 27, 1948. She left Cuba in 1966 and moved to Puerto Rico, where she settled, married, and had two children. She obtained a bachelor's degree in Mathematics Education, a master's degree in Administration and Supervision, and a juris doctor degree, all at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras campus. She graduated with honors from each of her degree programs.

Ms. Rodriguez began her law career as a law clerk at the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. After that, she worked in private practice in local and federal courts. Among her career highlights, was her close working relationship with the renowned Puerto Rican lawyer, Lino Saldana, former judge of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. She specialized in civil rights litigation and personnel affairs.

Among the court cases that she successfully represented before the court of appeals for the first circuit in Boston Elba Estrada-Adorno v Jose R. Gonzalez et al. 861 F.2d 304 No. 88-1282* is noteworthy. In Estrada-Adorno v Gonzalez et al. the court decided that "in a case such as this one, where a plaintiff asserts that a government official has subjected her to 'the deprivation of any rights, privileged, or immunities secured by the constitution and laws' 42 U.S.C. section 1983, the official enjoys a 'qualified immunity' from liability for damages. He is immune unless, at the time he took action, the right at issue was clearly established ... Here, we can find no clearly established federal right not to be dismissed for refusing to use political affiliation as a criterion for hiring Bank employee."