{ "id": "ept94dhz36", "slug": "diana-saldana", "title": "Diana Saldaña", "updated": "2026-09-29", "topic_path": [ { "id": "society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society" }, { "id": "society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law" }, { "id": "society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": 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"geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-q-to-sc", "label": "United States · 2021 and later: Surnames Q to Sc", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-q-to-sc", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021", "label": "United States · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": 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"geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-q-to-sc", "label": "Surnames Q to Sc", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-q-to-sc" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Diana Saldaña, born 1971, is a United States district judge for the Southern District of Texas, sitting in Laredo since 2011 after serving as a magistrate judge and federal prosecutor.", "snippet": "Diana Saldaña, born 1971, is a United States district judge for the Southern District of Texas, sitting in Laredo since 2011 after serving as a magistrate judge and federal prosecutor.", "node": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-q-to-sc", "markdown": "# Diana Saldaña\n\nDiana Saldaña (born 1971) is an American jurist serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas since 2011.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393606) She was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate in February 2011.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393606) She sits in Laredo.[2](https://www.txs.uscourts.gov/page/sdtx-bench-bar-conference-bio-judge-diana-salda%C3%B1a)\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Court | U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393606) |\n| Appointed by | Barack Obama[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393606) |\n| Confirmed | February 7, 2011 (Roll Call 94/0)[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393606) |\n| Born | 1971, Carrizo Springs, Texas[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393606) |\n| Education | B.A., University of Texas, 1993 and 1994; J.D., University of Texas School of Law, 1997[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393606) |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nSaldaña was born in 1971 in Carrizo Springs, Texas.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393606) Born and raised in Carrizo Springs, she is the third of six children raised by her mother, Blanca Hernandez-Rodriguez.[2](https://www.txs.uscourts.gov/page/sdtx-bench-bar-conference-bio-judge-diana-salda%C3%B1a) For much of her childhood she was a migrant student, moving each summer from Texas to Minnesota and [North Dakota](https://www.edgepedia.org/north-dakota) to work the sugar beet, soybean, and potato fields alongside her mother and siblings.[2](https://www.txs.uscourts.gov/page/sdtx-bench-bar-conference-bio-judge-diana-salda%C3%B1a) She was the first person in her family to graduate from college.[2](https://www.txs.uscourts.gov/page/sdtx-bench-bar-conference-bio-judge-diana-salda%C3%B1a)\n\nShe received [Bachelor of Arts](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-arts) degrees from the University of Texas in 1993 and 1994, and her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 1997.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393606) During law school, she served as a law clerk for Migrant Legal Services based out of [Fargo, North Dakota](https://www.edgepedia.org/fargo-north-dakota), and was the first former migrant worker to work as a law clerk for the agency.[2](https://www.txs.uscourts.gov/page/sdtx-bench-bar-conference-bio-judge-diana-salda%C3%B1a)\n\n## Legal career\n\nAfter graduating from law school, Saldaña served as a law clerk to Judge George P. Kazen of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas from 1997 to 1998.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393606) She then worked as a staff attorney in the Office of the General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1998, and as a trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice from 1998 to 1999.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393606) At the Justice Department, she served as a trial attorney in the Employment Litigation Section in Washington, D.C.[2](https://www.txs.uscourts.gov/page/sdtx-bench-bar-conference-bio-judge-diana-salda%C3%B1a)\n\nFrom 2000 to 2001, Saldaña was in private practice in Houston, Texas, as an associate at Beirne, Maynard & Parsons, LLP.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393606) • [3](https://cuellar.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=224057) She then served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas from 2001 to 2006, where she handled approximately 350 active cases a year and headed the Human Trafficking Task Force and the Anti-Gang Task Force.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393606) • [3](https://cuellar.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=224057)\n\nIn 2006, Saldaña was sworn in as a U.S. magistrate judge for the Southern District of Texas, Laredo Division, serving from 2006 to 2011.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393606) • [3](https://cuellar.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=224057) As a magistrate judge, she handled thousands of illegal entry pleas and sentencings and presided over thousands of criminal proceedings.[3](https://cuellar.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=224057)\n\n## Federal judicial service\n\nSaldaña was first nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas on July 14, 2010, but no Senate vote occurred.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393606) She was renominated by President Barack Obama on January 5, 2011, to a seat vacated by George P. Kazen.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393606) The Senate confirmed her on February 7, 2011, by a vote of 94 to 0, and her commission was issued on February 9, 2011.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393606)\n\n## Notable cases\n\nIn *Eliserio v. Floydada Housing Authority*, 455 F. Supp. 2d 648 (S.D. Tex. 2006), Judge George P. Kazen adopted a Report and Recommendation by Magistrate Judge Saldaña.[3](https://cuellar.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=224057)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges: Diana Saldaña](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393606)\n2. [SDTX Bench Bar Conference Bio - Judge Diana Saldaña](https://www.txs.uscourts.gov/page/sdtx-bench-bar-conference-bio-judge-diana-salda%C3%B1a)\n3. [Congressman Cuellar and Texas Senators Applaud Senate Approval of Diana Saldaña for Federal Judge in South Texas](https://cuellar.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=224057)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Law and justice › Courts and legal practice › Legal biographies › United States judges › US federal judges › Article III judges (district and appellate) › United States district court judges › Surnames Q to Sc*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 28, 2026; Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Sep 28, 2026; Sep 29, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/diana-saldana", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/diana-saldana.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Diana Saldaña\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/diana-saldana. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Diana Saldaña](https://www.edgepedia.org/diana-saldana)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/diana-saldana](https://www.edgepedia.org/diana-saldana). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Diana Saldaña\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/diana-saldana. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Diana Saldaña, born 1971, is a United States district judge for the Southern District of Texas, sitting in Laredo since 2011 after serving as a magistrate judge and federal prosecutor." }