THE BIOGRAPHY OF MANUEL RIVERA
I have been blessed to share more than 30 years of marriage with my wife, Claudia Vacirca, whose partnership, strength, and support have grounded every chapter of my life. Together we raised our son, Camilo Derya Rivera, who reflects the same commitment to excellence and public service. He graduated from Columbia University, served in Congress as a Congressional Fellow, and later earned his law degree from Columbia Law School. Today, he practices as a litigation attorney at the international law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP, continuing our family’s dedication to service, discipline, and justice.
I was born in 1955 in Santurce, Puerto Rico, in a neighborhood shaped more by struggle than opportunity. The economy was harsh, families worked hard to survive, and dreams had to fight for oxygen. But even in those difficult conditions, I was raised to believe that discipline, service, and education could open doors that poverty tried to keep shut.
My father was a World War II and Korean War veteran, a U.S. Army sergeant who drove tanks in Germany and earned the Purple Heart along with other military honors. He taught me what sacrifice looked like before I ever understood the word. His life carried its own quiet acts of generosity. He changed his last name from Sotomayor to Rivera so that a maternal aunt could qualify for veterans’ educational benefits and attend college. She became a schoolteacher — a life changed because one man chose family over recognition.
That same aunt, a devoted Seventh-day Adventist, raised him as her own after his mother died when he was only eight years old. From her, he learned discipline, faith, and responsibility — values he passed on to me.
Years later, I learned something that still humbles me: my father had a half-brother whose would eventually become the father of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia María Sotomayor. Life has a way of connecting destinies in ways none of us can predict.
I attended public schools from elementary school through high school, graduating from Albert Einstein High School in Barrio Obrero. As a child, I served as an altar boy, in my community catholic parish, learning early the meaning of service, responsibility, and community.
Like many children in working-class neighborhoods, I learned the value of hard work early. I worked as a paperboy, shined shoes, and washed my neighbors’ cars to help earn money. Those small jobs taught me responsibility, discipline, and pride in honest work — lessons that shaped the way I approach every responsibility in my life.
I have always been an animal lover. As a boy, I raised gamecocks, trained dogs — especially German Shepherds — and dreamed of becoming a jockey or thoroughbred trainer. When I realized I was too tall to ride competitively and that training opportunities were limited, I shifted my dream toward becoming a veterinarian. That dream carried me far from home.
At 18 years old, I moved alone to Rhode Island to attend college. It was my first true leap into the unknown. I soon discovered that calculus and chemistry were not my strengths, but social sciences came naturally. I found my voice in history, politics, and public policy — in understanding how systems shape human lives.
My commitment to justice began early. At 17, I joined the Puerto Rican Independence Party, driven by a belief that dignity and self-determination matter. That sense of justice deepened after the devastating loss of my older sister, who died from polio and cerebral palsy. Watching her struggle and suffering shaped my lifelong commitment to defending the vulnerable and the forgotten.
I earned my Bachelor’s degree from Rhode Island College in 1979, majoring in political science, public administration, and Spanish literature, followed by a Master’s degree in Educational Administration in 1980. That same year, I ran in a three-way Democratic primary for Rhode Island’s 19th District, campaigning on a conservative platform that defended the rights of people with disabilities, the vulnerable and the unprotected, promoted small business growth through tax incentives, and advocated for mediation structures conflicts resolutions, among other things. At the same time, the Rhode Island League of Women Voters partnered in organizing a voter registration drive, further exposing me to grassroots civic engagement and the importance of expanding access to democratic participation. I finished second — but the experience confirmed that public service was my calling.
I also served as Membership Director of the Knights of Columbus, where I learned the power of structured service, ethical leadership, and civic responsibility rooted in faith and patriotism. After the election, I worked at the John Hope Community Center, managing a furniture bank that helped families obtain basic necessities — stoves, refrigerators, clothing, and household essentials — things many people take for granted. Around the same time, then-Governor J. Joseph Garrahy appointed me to a state study commission on bilingual education in Rhode Island.
Law became my tool to turn compassion into action. I graduated from Antioch School of Law in 1985. While studying for the bar, I supported myself by raising funds for Defenders of Wildlife and became a salesman, selling $1,000.00 memberships for the New York Metropolitan Opera — learning persistence, discipline, and business skills that would later shape my practice.
In 1987, I founded The Law Office of Manuel Rivera, Esq. & Associates, P.C. in Washington, D.C. Over the years, I have trained and mentored lawyers who went on to serve in federal agencies, private practice, and even the judiciary, including an attorney who was appointed as an immigration judge in Sterling, Virginia. Watching others grow into leaders has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career.
I am admitted to practice before multiple federal and appellate courts, including the United States Supreme Court, where I have taken two cases on certiorari. My work has helped protect immigrant rights, workers’ rights protections, and families harmed by negligence. In one case, Matter of Gutierez, Interim Decision #3286 (1996), I defended the rights of asylum seekers under the historic American Baptist Churches settlement. In another, Asylum Co, and Insurance Designers of Maryland v. Palemon Casarrubia Gonzalez, aka Armando Casarrubia Gonzalez, 10 A.3d619 (D.C 2010), the ruling solidified that the D.C. Workers Compensation Act covers undocumented workers, ensuring they receive medical and wage-loss benefits if injured, rejecting the employer and insurance’s argument that unauthorized status invalidated the employment contract. In a vaccine injury case, Vivian Morales v. Secretary of Health and Human Services, I secured a settlement of nearly $1 million for a seriously injured client who suffered Encephalomyelitis after the influenza vaccine. I have stood up for individuals harmed by abuse of authority, successfully resolving a civil rights case involving excessive force through a confidential settlement that delivered justice and accountability for my client.
Yet law has never been my only passion. My love for horses never faded. I served as Vice President of the Maryland Racing Ventures, raced thoroughbreds across major East Coast tracks, and later owned Claudia Racing Stables, and manage to breed, train and sell horses in an operation under the name of MR Thoroughbred Enterprises. Horses taught me patience, discipline, and respect for life — lessons that mirror the practice of law.
Until recently, before suffering an injury, I was an active competitive runner and a regular participant in the weekly Parkrun 5K events held every Saturday at Fletcher Cove along the C&O Canal. I consistently placed first in my age group and often competed successfully against younger runners. As a master runner, I achieved a personal best time of 19:20 in the 5K. Running reinforced lessons I have carried throughout my life—discipline, perseverance, resilience, and the importance of showing up consistently.
I also own and operate MR Rentals, a property management business that has managed our family’s properties for many years across Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. This work has given me firsthand experience in small business operations, housing compliance, and responsible long-term stewardship.
For more than 44 years, I have made the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area my home, and for the past 30 years, I have lived in the same residence. This community is not just where I work — it is where I raised my family, built my businesses, served my clients, and invested my life. I understand this region not as a visitor, but as a neighbor who has shared in its growth, challenges, and hopes, giving me deep, firsthand understanding of the communities I seek to serve.
Philanthropy and service remain central to who I am. I have been recognized for community leadership, supporting civil rights organizations, and devoted countless hours to pro bono legal work. I have helped incorporate churches that serve immigrant and working-class communities, believing that institutions of faith and service remain pillars of stability and hope.
When Hurricane María devastated Puerto Rico, I could not stand by as my homeland suffered. Working through the churches I had incorporated as part of my pro bono service, I organized a massive relief effort that collected more than 70,000 pounds of food, medical supplies, clothing, and emergency materials. I personally, together with my son, coordinated the transportation of these supplies to Puerto Rico.
Upon arrival, the Bible Society of Puerto Rico secured the shipment in its warehouse and partnered with local community churches to distribute the aid directly to families in need across the island. What began as a grassroots effort became a lifeline for hundreds of residents who had been left without power, clean water, or reliable access to food. It was not charity — it was solidarity with my people when they needed it most.
That experience reaffirmed my belief that leadership is not measured by titles, but by what you do when your community is hurting.
My journey began in a struggling neighborhood in Puerto Rico. It carried me across states, courtrooms, communities, and causes. Everything I have done — as a lawyer, advocate, mentor, animal lover, and community servant — flows from one simple belief:
If you are given opportunities, you have a responsibility to lift others with you.
That belief continues to guide my life and my work — and it is the same belief I will bring to the Office of the D.C. Attorney General if you elect me.