Meet Aida Macedo | Estate Planning and Civil Rights Lawyer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Aida Macedo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aida, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I wanted to start a business that inspires other women, specifically women of color, to launch their own businesses. I created a law firm that is a non-traditional law and consulting firm and I am very proud of that.

What should our readers know about your business?
My career was born from lived experience. Like many children of immigrants, I grew up as my family’s interpreter, advocate, and navigator—long before I ever earned a law degree. Raised by a single mother in Southeast Los Angeles, I witnessed firsthand how government systems often fail the very people they’re meant to serve. I translated complex documents as a child, sat in on legal and medical appointments, and helped my family navigate everything from public benefits to school enrollment. Those moments shaped not only my understanding of the law, but my belief that justice must be accessible, human-centered, and community-rooted.
Once I became a lawyer, I realized there were very few Latinas in the profession and that law firms missed the mark when representing working-class families. I believe no one is better prepared to lead law and policy issues than us. I’m proud to say that Colibrí Law & Policy, Inc. is the culmination of everything I’ve lived, fought for, and believed in. It’s not just another law firm—it’s a practice built for and with the communities I come from. We focus on estate planning for first-generation wealth builders, policy advocacy for equity-centered cities, and strategic support for working-class families often left behind. What sets me apart is the way I bridge my legal and policy expertise with deep lived experience. I know what it’s like to feel excluded from the system—and that insight drives everything I do.

Getting here wasn’t easy. I’ve had to navigate institutions that weren’t built for someone like me. I often found myself as the only one in the room who looked like me, spoke like me, or came from my background. But I learned to turn that into fuel. I learned that representation is powerful—but transformation is the goal.

What I want the world to know is this: Colibrí is a calling, not just a career. It’s named after the hummingbird and in honor of the women who raised me and the communities that shaped me. We believe that everyone deserves to be seen, heard, and protected by the systems we interact with. And we’re building something different—a practice that uses every tool available to fight for justice, dignity, and long-term change.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
One of my favorite places is Placita Olvera, or Olvera Street, located in El Pueblo de Los Angeles. Growing up, my family and I would often spend our Sundays there, enjoying the vibrant atmosphere, traditional food, and live music. It holds a special place in my heart because it represents a blend of community, culture, and history. Visiting Olvera Street is not just a nostalgic experience for me—it’s also an opportunity to appreciate the rich Mexican American heritage that helped shape the city of Los Angeles.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to the women who shaped me—my great-grandmother Zenaida, my grandmother Guadalupe, and my mother Aida. Colibrí is an ode to them and to my Oaxacan roots. Their resilience, love, and unwavering strength live in my spirit and fuel my advocacy for my clients every single day.
I was raised in Southeast Los Angeles by a fierce single mom, in a system that wasn’t built for us. I became my family’s interpreter, their advocate, their guide—and that experience lit the fire that still drives me. From the Central Valley to the halls of Congress I’ve had the privilege to learn from giants like Justice Cruz Reynoso and to serve in roles that shaped policy and law at the local, state, and federal level.

Now, with 20 years of experience in public policy and legal advocacy, I continue this work for families like mine—immigrant, working-class, brown, and proud. I do this for my clients, and for every Black and Brown little girl who’s been told to shrink. I want them to know: dream big. Take up space. Your voice is powerful. You belong everywhere decisions are made.

So this shoutout is for my ancestors, my community, and the next generation of advocates and dreamers.

Website: https://www.colibrilawpolicy.com/contact

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colibrilawpolicy/?next=%2F

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/105309246/admin/dashboard/

Image Credits
Nicole Godinez- Photographer