Vance Center Welcomes New Institutional Integrity Program Advisor

Cuitláhuac Castillo Camarena joined the Vance Center in September 2024 as Program Advisor for the Institutional Integrity Program. In this role, he works with judges’ associations and clients to strengthen judicial independence in Latin America and supports efforts led by the Lawyers Council for Civil and Economic Rights in the Americas to address corruption. 

Prior to joining the Vance Center, Cuitláhuac built a career in the Mexican judiciary, beginning at a Federal Criminal Court in Guanajuato before advancing to the Mexican Supreme Court. There, he clerked for Justices Alfredo Gutiérrez Ortiz Mena and Margarita Ríos Farjat, contributing to opinions related to constitutional law. His experience also includes work at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law’s HIV Policy Lab, where he monitored global legislation and policy on HIV. 

He has substantial experience in federal courts and has taught constitutional law courses at several Mexican universities, including courses on “Criminal Law and the Constitution” and “Free Speech and the Constitution.” 

Cuitláhuac holds a law degree from the University of Guanajuato and an LLM, with a focus on global health law and human rights, from Georgetown University Law Center. He was recognized as a Global Law Scholar in 2024. 

He has authored and co-authored several articles on constitutional law, human rights, and judicial systems, addressing issues such as psychiatric violence in international law and LGBTTIQ health rights in Mexico. Cuitláhuac remains actively engaged in academic discussions on judicial reform and the separation of powers, with a deep commitment to promoting social justice through legal and ethical frameworks.