Joel Montalvo

Joel Aníbal Montalvo, one of Puerto Rico Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá's top aides, is the highest-ranking alumni of the Córdova Congressional Internship Program.

A native of San Germán, Puerto Rico, Montalvo obtained his Juris Doctor at the Pontificial Catholic University School of Law in Ponce, Puerto Rico and a Masters in Law degree in the fields of Litigation and Dispute Resolution from George Washington University in Washington, DC. He had previously received his Bachelor's degree at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico. He began his public service career as a congressional aide to Acevedo Vilá when the current governor served as Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner, the United States territory's sole non-voting delegate to the United States House of Representatives. He previously served as an attorney in the law offices of Pedro Ortiz Alvarez, a prominent lawyer in Ponce.

In addition to serving as the Governor's Executive Assistant, Montalvo served as his Director for Legislative Affairs, a position that Acevedo Vilá, coincidentally, held during the governorship of Rafael Hernández Colón between 1989 and 1992. During Montalvo's term as such, the Legislature approved and the then-Governor signed three budgets, the 2006 Fiscal Reform Act and the 2006 Tax Reform Act, among other important legislation, in spite of the fact that his party, the Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico was in the minority in both houses of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico.

After Gov. Acevedo Vilá's term ended in January, 2009, Montalvo entered private practice as an attorney.

Awards

In addition to being chosen as a Córdova Congressional Internship Program participant, serving as an intern for Congressman Ed Pastor, Montalvo was the 2002 recipient of the Thurgood Marshall Award given by the Puerto Rico Department of Justice to the most prominent law student in Civil Rights in each of Puerto Rico's law schools.

Publications

• Joel Aníbal Montalvo. El cotejo de recibos al salir de un establecimiento commercial.

   REVISTA DE DERECHO PUERTORRIQUEÑO.  39 REV. D.P.  375 (2000).

• Joel Montalvo. U.S. Foreign Policy and Democratic Development in Latin America. Chile: Implications for NAFTA Accession. A FOREIGN AFFAIRS CUSTOM ANTHOLOGY 75TH ANNIVERSARY. 2ND ED. AT 51 (1997).