Regina M. Rodriguez

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Regina M. Rodriguez
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado
Assumed office
July 1, 2021
Appointed byJoe Biden
Preceded byMarcia S. Krieger
Personal details
Born
Regina Marie Rodriguez

1963 (age 57–58)
Gunnison, Colorado, U.S.
Spouse(s)Arnold Woods
EducationUniversity of Iowa (BS)
University of Colorado School of Law (JD)

Regina Marie Rodriguez (born 1963)[1] is a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado.

Early life and education[]

Rodriguez was born in 1963 in Gunnison, Colorado, to a Mexican American father and Japanese American mother.[2][3] Her late father, Pete Rodriguez, played football for Western State Colorado University and went on to serve as an assistant coach in the National Football League, which made him one of the league's first Hispanic coaches.[4]

Rodriguez received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Iowa in 1985 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Colorado School of Law in 1988.

Career[]

She began her legal career as an associate in the Denver law firm of Cooper & Kelly, P.C. (now defunct) from 1988 to 1995. She served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado from 1995 to 2002, during which time she served as the Deputy Chief of the Civil Division from 1998 to 1999 and as chief of the civil division from 1999 to 2002. In addition, from 1997 to 1998, she served a four-month detail as deputy senior counsel for alternative dispute resolution in the United States Department of Justice. Previously, from 2002 to 2016, she worked in the Denver office of Faegre & Benson LLP (now Faegre Baker Daniels LLP) as a special counsel until she was elevated to partner in 2005. She was a partner in the Denver office of Hogan Lovells from 2016 to 2019, where she specialized in mass tort and product liability defense.[5] She was a partner at WilmerHale from 2019 until she was commissioned as a federal judge.[6]

Federal judicial service[]

Expired nomination to district court under Barack Obama[]

On April 28, 2016, President Barack Obama nominated Rodriguez to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court of the District of Colorado, to the seat vacated by Judge Robert E. Blackburn, who took senior status on April 12, 2016. Rodriguez had been recommended by both Democratic senator Michael Bennet and Republican senator Cory Gardner. Her nomination expired on January 3, 2017, with the end of the 114th Congress.[7]

Renomination to district court under Joe Biden[]

On March 30, 2021, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Rodriguez to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado.[8] Rodriguez was recommended by Democratic senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper. On April 19, 2021, her nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Rodriguez to the seat vacated by Judge Marcia S. Krieger, who took senior status on March 3, 2019.[9] On April 28, 2021, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[10] On May 20, 2021, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 17–5 vote.[11][12] On June 8, 2021, the Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a vote of 72–28.[13] She was confirmed later that day by a vote of 72–28.[14][15] She received her judicial commission on July 1, 2021.

References[]

  1. ^ United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: Regina Rodriguez
  2. ^ "Lawyer Central profile". Archived from the original on 2016-05-04. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  3. ^ Ingold, John (April 28, 2016). "Obama nominates Denver lawyer Regina Rodriguez to federal bench". The Denver Post. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  4. ^ Sanchez, Victoria (September 23, 2015). "Pioneer for Hispanics in NFL nominated for Hall of Fame". KUSA. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  5. ^ ""President Obama Nominates Eight to Serve on the United States District Courts" White House, April 28, 2016". Archived from the original on February 29, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  6. ^ "Accomplished Litigator Regina M. Rodriguez Joins WilmerHale". www.wilmerhale.com. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
  7. ^ ""Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate" White House, April 28, 2016". Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  8. ^ "President Biden Announces Intent to Nominate 11 Judicial Candidates", White House, March 30, 2021 Archived March 30, 2021, at the Wayback Machine Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  9. ^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, April 19, 2021
  10. ^ United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for April 28, 2021
  11. ^ Lacey, Hank (21 May 2021). "Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Regina Rodriguez Nomination". Circuit Media. Law Week Colorado. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  12. ^ Results of Executive Business Meeting – May 20, 2021, Senate Judiciary Committee
  13. ^ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Regina M. Rodriguez to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Colorado)", United States Senate, June 8, 2021
  14. ^ "On the nomination (Confirmation: Regina M. Rodriguez to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Colorado)". United States Senate. June 8, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  15. ^ "Statement by President Joe Biden on the First Confirmations of His Judicial Nominees". The White House. June 8, 2021.

External links[]

Legal offices
Preceded by
Marcia S. Krieger 		Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado
2021–present 		Incumbent
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