This is a list of the first minority male lawyer(s) and judge(s) in Texas. It includes the year in which the men were admitted to practice law (in parentheses). Also included are other distinctions such as the first minority men in their state to graduate from law school or become a political figure.
Firsts in local history
Alphabetized by county name
Regions
- Harold Valderas:[57] First Latino American male to serve as a judge in North Texas (1971) and district court judge in Central Texas (1977)
- Don B. Chae:[58] First Asian American male lawyer (1980) and judge (1995) in North Texas
- William Melvin Schultz (c. 1960):[59] First Jewish American male lawyer in the Southern District of Texas
- George W. Fremont (1879):[60] First African American male lawyer in San Antonio, Texas [Bexar, Medina, and Comal Counties, Texas]
- Khalid Y. Hamideh:[61] First Arab American male lawyer in Dallas, Texas [Dallas, Collin, Denton, Kaufman, Rockwall Counties, Texas]
- William Sim:[62] First Asian American male to graduate from the University of Houston Bates College of Law
- Tony Bonilla:[63] First Latino American male to graduate from the University of Houston Law Center (1960)
- Stephen Zamora:[64] First Hispanic American male to serve as the Dean of the University of Houston Law Center (1995)
- Armando V. Rodriguez:[65] First Hispanic American judge in the municipal court of Houston, Texas and to be appointed as the Harris County Justice of the Peace by Commissioners Court [Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery Counties, Texas]
- John Paul Barnich (1980):[16] First openly LGBT male to become a city judge in Houston, Texas (1999) [Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery Counties, Texas]
- John N. Johnson (1883):[8] First African American male lawyer in Austin, Texas [Hays, Travis, and Williamson Counties, Texas]
- Rogelio Fernandez Munoz (1974):[66] First Latino American male to serve as the District Attorney for the 38th Judicial District [Medina, Real and Uvalde Counties, Texas]
Austin County
- Richard Pena:[55][56] First Hispanic American male (and first minority in general) to serve as the President of the Austin Bar Association, Texas (1990)
- Joseph C. Parker Jr.:[55][67] First African-American male to serve as the President of the Austin Bar Association, Texas (1996)
- Ramey Ko:[68][69] First Asian American male judge in Austin County and Travis County, Texas (2010)
Bastrop County
- Orange Hicks:[70] First African American male Justice of the Peace in Bastrop County, Texas (1888)
- Ronnie McDonald:[71] First African American male judge in Bastrop County, Texas (1999)
Bexar County
- John C. Alaniz (1957):[72][73] First Hispanic American male (a lawyer) elected to the Texas State House of Representatives from Bexar County, Texas (1960)
- Andrew L. Jefferson Jr. (1959):[74] First African American male to serve as the Assistant District Attorney of Bexar County, Texas (1961)
- Fred G. Rodriguez:[75] First Hispanic American male to serve as the (Criminal) District Attorney of Bexar County, Texas (1987)
- Tommy Calvert:[76] First African American male to serve on the Commissioners Court for Bexar County, Texas (2014)
- Peter Sakai:[77] First Asian American male judge in Bexar County, Texas (2023)
Caldwell County
- M. Louis Cisneros:[78] First Latino American male to serve as the Justice of the Peace in Caldwell County, Texas
Cameron County
- Ray Ramon:[79] First Latino American male judge in Cameron County, Texas (c. 1970s)
- Abel Toscano Jr. (1952):[80] First Hispanic American male lawyer in Harlingen, Cameron County, Texas
- Alfredo A. Garcia:[81] First Hispanic American male to serve as a municipal court judge in San Benito, Cameron County, Texas
Dallas County
- S.H. Scott (1881):[82] First African American male lawyer in Dallas, Texas[83] [Dallas County, Texas]
- George Washington Jr.:[84] First African American male to serve as an Assistant District Attorney in Dallas County, Texas
- Felix Hilario Garcia:[85] First Mexican (male) citizen to graduate from the Southern Methodist University (1931) [Dallas County, Texas]
- Louis A. Bedford Jr. (1951):[86] First African American male judge in Dallas County, Texas (1966)
- Frank P. Hernández:[87] First Latino American male (who was of Mexican descent) judge in Dallas County, Texas (1977)
- Thomas Jones:[88] First African American male to serve as the Justice of the Peace for the Oak Cliff Precinct District, Texas (1990) [Dallas County, Texas]
- Craig Watkins:[50][51] First African American male District Attorney for Dallas County, Texas (2007)
Ector County
El Paso County
- Frank Feuille, Jr:[90] First male lawyer of French descent in El Paso, El Paso County, Texas
- Joe Calamia:[90] First male lawyer of Italian descent in El Paso, Texas
- Frank Galvan:[91] Reputed to be the first Mexican American male lawyer in El Paso, El Paso County, Texas
- Albert Armendariz, Sr. (1950):[27][28] First Hispanic American male to serve as a federal judge in El Paso, Texas (1976)
- George Rodriguez:[92] First Hispanic American to serve as the President of the El Paso Bar Association, Texas
Fort Bend County
- William A. Price (1873):[51][93] First African American male District Attorney for Fort Bend County, Texas (1876)
- James DeAnda (1950):[38] First Hispanic American male judge in Houston, Texas (1979)
- Brian Middleton:[94] First African American male to serve as the District Attorney for Fort Bend County, Texas (2018)
- K.P. George:[95] First Indian American male judge in Fort Bend County, Texas (2018)
Harris County
- Andrew L. Jefferson Jr. (1959):[74] First African American to serve as a Judge of the 208th Criminal Court in Harris County, Texas (1974)
- Steven Kirkland:[23][24] First openly LGBT male to serve as a Harris County civil district judge (2008)
- Jason Luong:[96] First Asian American male (who is of Vietnamese descent) to serve as a district court judge in Harris County, Texas (2019)
- Alfred J. Hernandez:[97] First Hispanic American male judge in Harris County, Texas
- A.D. Azios:[98] First Hispanic American male elected as a criminal district judge in Harris County Texas
- Roland Garcia, Jr.:[99] First minority male elected as the President of the Harris County Bar Association, Texas
Hays County
- Ruben Becerra:[100] First Latino American male judge in Hays County, Texas (2019)
Jefferson County
Lubbock County
- Gregorio Coronado (1957):[103] First Hispanic American male lawyer in Lubbock, Texas [Lubbock County, Texas]
- Sam Medina (1976):[103] First Hispanic American male appointed as a Judge of County Court (1995) and serve as Presiding Judge of the 237th District Court (1998) Lubbock County, Texas
McLennan County
Nueces County
Potter County
- Elisha Demerson:[21][22] First African American male to serve as a county judge in Potter County, Texas (1986)
Smith County
- Charles E. Coleman:[106] First African American male lawyer in Tyler, Texas (1946) [Smith County, Texas]
- Andy Navarro:[106] First Hispanic American male to serve as the President of the Smith County Bar Association, Texas
Tarrant County
Travis County
- Alberto Garcia:[107] First Latino American male judge in Travis County, Texas
- George C. Thomas:[108][109] First Indian American male judge in Travis County, Texas
- Ramey Ko:[68][69] First Asian American male judge in Austin County and Travis County, Texas (2010)
- Nick Chu:[19][20] First Asian American male to serve as the Justice of the Peace for Travis County, Texas (2017)
Victoria County
Waller County
- Dewayne Charleston:[112] First African American male judge in Waller County, Texas
Willacy County
- Oscar Cavazos (c. 1951):[113] First Hispanic American male lawyer in Willacy County, Texas