James DeAnda
James DeAnda | |
|---|---|
| Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas | |
| In office 1988–1992 | |
| Preceded by | John Virgil Singleton Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Norman William Black |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas | |
| In office May 11, 1979 – October 1, 1992 | |
| Appointed by | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Seat established by 92 Stat. 1629 |
| Succeeded by | Nancy Atlas |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James DeAnda August 21, 1925 Houston, Texas |
| Died | September 7, 2006 (aged 81) Traverse City, Michigan |
| Education | Texas A&M University (BA) University of Texas School of Law (LLB) |
James DeAnda (August 21, 1925 – September 7, 2006) was an American attorney and United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, noted for his activities in defense of Hispanic civil rights, particularly as a plaintiff's attorney in Hernandez v. Texas.
Early life and education
Born in
Federal judicial service
On February 13, 1979, DeAnda was nominated by President Jimmy Carter to a new seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas created by 92 Stat. 1629. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 10, 1979, and received his commission on May 11, 1979. He served as Chief Judge from 1988 until retiring from the bench on October 1, 1992. After retirement, he returned to private practice in Houston until 2005.[1]
Discrimination
DeAnda reported later in life that he had not faced much discrimination during his schooling, possibly due to his more Mediterranean-sounding surname and light complexion. However, upon graduation from the University of Texas, he discovered that initially promising interviews with elite law firms led to no follow-up once the potential employers learned that his parents were from Mexico. As a result, he ended up practicing law alongside other Mexican-American lawyers in Houston like John J. Herrera, working to provide counsel to Hispanics up and down the Gulf Coast who could not find equitable representation elsewhere. It was in this capacity that he came face to face with the discrimination Mexican-Americans faced daily in the 1950s.[2]
Death
DeAnda died of prostate cancer at his vacation home in Traverse City, Michigan, on September 7, 2006, aged 81.[1]
See also
- List of Hispanic and Latino American jurists
- List of first minority male lawyers and judges in Texas
References
- ^ a b c James DeAnda at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- ^ Wilson, Steven H., Law and History Review Vol. 21, Issue 1, "Brown over 'Other White': Mexican Americans' Legal Arguments and Litigation Strategy in School Desegregation Lawsuits Archived 2012-09-30 at the Wayback Machine," Spring 2003
Sources
- Austin American-Statesman, "Retired judge fought to defend Hispanics civil rights in Texas", 10 September 2006
- Houston Chronicle, "James deAnda" (editorial), 8 September 2006
- Ruiz, Rosanna, Houston Chronicle, "Houston judge had a major role in a landmark ruling on Hispanic rights", 8 September 2006
External links
- James DeAnda at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
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