Cylia Villegas
Cylia Villegas is an associate at Hughes & Hughes. Ms. Villegas was born and raised in Los Angeles and moved to Orange County to attend University of California, Irvine where she was on the Dean’s Honor list and where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology, Law & Society. At UCI, Ms. Villegas was first exposed to hands-on legal work while interning at the Orange County Public Defender’s Office. During her internship, Ms. Villegas conducted client intakes, provided summaries based on the client interviews, and created the initial files for attorney review. Ms. Villegas also attended hearings to provide administrative support to the public defenders. During her studies at UCI, Ms. Villegas also assisted with research for a book published on women’s rights.
Ms. Villegas obtained her Juris Doctor from Whittier Law School. During her time there, she was a certified law clerk for the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office. During her externship, Ms. Villegas appeared before the court for approximately 30 routine felony preliminary hearings where she prepared witnesses, conducted direct examinations, presented evidence, and made arguments before the court. Outside of the courtroom, Ms. Villegas prepared motions, conducted legal research, and served as an interpreter transcribing media files from Spanish to English.
During law school, Ms. Villegas worked as an extern for Legal Aid Society of Orange County. At Legal Aid Society, Ms. Villegas was assigned individual files where she had an opportunity to track legal matters to completion. Ms. Villegas also appeared before the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board as the primary representative of the clients and successfully argued their cases.
During law school, Ms. Villegas was also a volunteer interpreter for the Children’s Legal Clinic. Ms. Villegas translated from Spanish to English live conversations between the clinic’s personnel and the clients and their families to help them through their legal matter. Ms. Villegas was also the Vice President and a three-time competitor for Whittier Law School’s Trial Advocacy Honors Board.
Ms. Villegas is a member of the Orange County Bar Association, the Beverly Hills Bar Association, and the Hispanic Bar Association. In her spare time, Ms. Villegas enjoys traveling and outdoor activities with her family and friends such as swimming, camping, and snowboarding.
Personal Quote:
Family dilemmas can produce some of the most difficult times for our clients. It is my job to be a resource during these trying times and be a zealous advocate in attempting to meet our client’s needs. As a family law attorney, I can be part of the resolution to our client’s dilemmas.