{ "id": "ep1z59y96q", "slug": "fernando-rodriguez-jr", "title": "Fernando Rodriguez, Jr.", "updated": "2026-10-25", "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": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3", "label": "Article III judges (district and appellate)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges", "label": "United States district court judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges" }, { "id": "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/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-q-to-sc" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "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": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges", "label": "United States district court judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges" }, { "id": "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": "Fernando Rodriguez, Jr. (born 1969) is a United States district judge for the Southern District of Texas, sitting in Brownsville since 2018, appointed by President Trump.", "snippet": "Fernando Rodriguez, Jr. (born 1969) is a United States district judge for the Southern District of Texas, sitting in Brownsville since 2018, appointed by President Trump.", "node": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-q-to-sc", "markdown": "# Fernando Rodriguez, Jr.\n\nFernando Rodriguez, Jr. (born 1969) is an American jurist serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas since 2018.[1](https://www.txs.uscourts.gov/page/sdtx-bench-bar-conference-bio-judge-fernando-rodriguez-jr) He was appointed by President Donald J. Trump.[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/4733056) He sits in the Brownsville Division of the court.[1](https://www.txs.uscourts.gov/page/sdtx-bench-bar-conference-bio-judge-fernando-rodriguez-jr)\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Court | U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/4733056) |\n| Appointed by | Donald J. Trump[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/4733056) |\n| Confirmed | June 5, 2018 (Senate voted 96 to 0)[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/4733056) • [3](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1150440) |\n| Born | 1969 in Harlingen, Texas[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/4733056) |\n| Education | B.A., Yale University, 1991; J.D., University of Texas School of Law, 1997[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/4733056) |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nRodriguez was born in 1969 in [Harlingen, Texas](https://www.edgepedia.org/harlingen-texas).[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/4733056) He received a [Bachelor of Arts](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-arts) from Yale University in 1991.[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/4733056) He earned a [Juris Doctor](https://www.edgepedia.org/juris-doctor) with honors from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin in 1997.[1](https://www.txs.uscourts.gov/page/sdtx-bench-bar-conference-bio-judge-fernando-rodriguez-jr) • [2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/4733056)\n\n## Legal career\n\nAfter graduating from Yale, Rodriguez worked from 1991 to 1994 as a teacher with Teach for America at Scarborough Elementary in Houston, Texas.[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/4733056) He began his legal career as a briefing attorney for Justice Nathan L. Hecht of the [Supreme Court of Texas](https://www.edgepedia.org/supreme-court-of-texas), serving from 1997 to 1998.[1](https://www.txs.uscourts.gov/page/sdtx-bench-bar-conference-bio-judge-fernando-rodriguez-jr) • [2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/4733056)\n\nRodriguez then spent twelve years in private practice with a law firm in Dallas, Texas, representing corporate clients in complex commercial litigation.[1](https://www.txs.uscourts.gov/page/sdtx-bench-bar-conference-bio-judge-fernando-rodriguez-jr) In 2010, he joined the International Justice Mission, serving from 2010 to 2018 as Field Office Director, first in Bolivia, from 2010 to 2013, and then in the [Dominican Republic](https://www.edgepedia.org/dominican-republic), from 2013 to 2018.[1](https://www.txs.uscourts.gov/page/sdtx-bench-bar-conference-bio-judge-fernando-rodriguez-jr) • [2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/4733056) In that role, he led efforts to work alongside public justice system actors to secure convictions for child sexual assault and human trafficking, as well as to restore survivors.[1](https://www.txs.uscourts.gov/page/sdtx-bench-bar-conference-bio-judge-fernando-rodriguez-jr)\n\n## Federal judicial service\n\nPresident Donald J. Trump nominated Rodriguez to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas on September 7, 2017.[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/4733056) The Senate confirmed him on June 5, 2018, by a vote of 96 to 0.[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/4733056) • [3](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1150440) He received his commission on June 12, 2018.[2](https://www.fjc.gov/node/4733056) He has served since June 2018 as a United States District Judge for the Southern District of Texas, Brownsville Division.[1](https://www.txs.uscourts.gov/page/sdtx-bench-bar-conference-bio-judge-fernando-rodriguez-jr)\n\n## References\n\n1. [SDTX Bench Bar Conference Bio - Judge Fernando Rodriguez, Jr.](https://www.txs.uscourts.gov/page/sdtx-bench-bar-conference-bio-judge-fernando-rodriguez-jr)\n2. [Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges: Fernando Rodriguez, Jr.](https://www.fjc.gov/node/4733056)\n3. [Senate Roll Call Vote, June 5, 2018](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1150440)\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 29, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 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/fernando-rodriguez-jr", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/fernando-rodriguez-jr.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": "\"Fernando Rodriguez, Jr.\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/fernando-rodriguez-jr. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Fernando Rodriguez, Jr.](https://www.edgepedia.org/fernando-rodriguez-jr)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/fernando-rodriguez-jr](https://www.edgepedia.org/fernando-rodriguez-jr). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Fernando Rodriguez, Jr.\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/fernando-rodriguez-jr. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Fernando Rodriguez, Jr. is a United States district judge for the Southern District of Texas, sitting in Brownsville since 2018, appointed by President Trump." }