I caught up with Victor Villarreal, the newly appointed judge for Webb County Court at Law 2, on the last day he would spend in the offices of the law firm he co-founded eight years ago.
He was tidying up the loose ends of his life in private practice to transition to the other side of the bench over which he will preside as of April 21 when his appointment is effective.
Appointed by the Webb County Commissioners Court, Villarreal fills the vacancy left by Judge Jesus Garza, who was indicted January 11, 2017 and subsequently resigned.
He is the son of San Juanita Villarreal and the late Guadalupe Villarreal.
Villarreal credits his mother with setting an example for the value of an education, hard work, and faith. “After dad died when I was 12-years-old, she was my sole provider. She retired in 2010 after 30+ years of service as a math teacher at Lamar Middle School. Her faith is steadfast and firm, and her optimism is unlimited and incredible,” he said.
Villarreal spoke tenderly of another influential force in his life — his paternal grandfather, Esteban Villarreal, once a groundskeeper at the Webb County Courthouse, a hard-working man who cherished family and had the gift to make things grow. “We all benefited from his hard work and his belief in how far an education could take you,” he said.
Faith and books were a large part of his childhood, he said. “I read anything, any genre. Growing up, given a choice between a toy and a book, I always chose the book,” he continued.
The 37-year-old attorney, a 1996 graduate of Laredo Christian Academy, was 16 when he entered TAMIU, from which he graduated in December 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a minor in sociology.
Although Villarreal began work on a Masters in sociology at Texas A&M University at College Station, his mentor at an internship at the National Science Foundation in Washington, DC advised him that his strengths were probably in the law and not in sociology.
He returned to Laredo, studied for the LSAT, entered the University of Texas School of Law, and graduated in 2006. At UT, he was president of the Hispanic Law Student Association, the largest Hispanic law organization in the United States. During his term, he worked to create the Susana Alemán Scholarship.
Villarreal said the legal profession engages him because it gives him “the ability to have a positive impact on people’s lives, to help them address their problems and find resolution for them. I also personally enjoy the scholarship of reading case law.”
He has served as president of the Laredo-Webb County Bar Association and vice-president of the Texas Young Lawyers Association.
He has been in private practice for 10 years — two with Campero and Associates, and the last eight with law partner Eduardo Romero.
“The focus of our firm’s practice has been civil and family law, which prepares me well to serve as judge for Webb County Court at Law 2,” Villarreal said, adding that the bulk of the cases he will hear as judge are civil in matters that do not exceed $200,000, probate, guardianships, juvenile law, criminal misdemeanors, and mental health proceedings.
Villarreal said he considers himself a fair person. He has been on the local grievance committee of the State Bar of Texas for the last five-and-a-half years and has reviewed complaints against some of his peers. “I am analytical, and based on evidence, I apply the disciplinary rules in a fair and impartial manner.”
Asked what he brings to County Court at Law 2, Villarreal said simply, “My full attention, efficiency, transparency, and timeliness.”
He said he is looking forward to starting the day early so that all uncontested matters in the court have been dealt with prior to hearing cases.
“It is people’s lives that are being decided upon by the court. The quicker there is justice, the more quickly they can get on with their lives,” he continued.
“I am requesting pleadings in advance so that I can do my absolute best to be prepared. It is important to me to review motions and briefs before court settings. Every attorney who has invested his or her time to prepare a case deserves that courtesy. I do expect the attorneys to be prepared so that they can better serve their clients,” Villarreal said.
He said that his experience as a certified mediator serves him well to de-escalate tempers so that all parties to a case are heard. “Judges are referees, conductors. I intend to set the tone so that all discussions are fair and courteous. It is the job of the attorneys to be zealous advocates for their clients, but it is important that there be respectful dialogue,” he continued.
Villarreal looks forward to open communication and collaboration with Judge Hugo Martinez of County Court at Law 1.
“I always thought I’d retire here at my own firm, but I couldn’t sit back when I thought I was best qualified for the judge of Webb County Court at Law 2. I’m excited, ready to go, prepared for day one. I think my dedication to the docket will show pretty quickly. I’m looking forward to holding hearings and hearing evidence,” he said.
He was taken by surprise, he said, by the Commissioners Court decision to appoint him to the court. “There are certain moments you live and share with one person, and I was happy I shared that very important moment with my wife Lorena who joined me at the Commissioners Court meeting,” he said. The Villarreals have two daughters, Sofia, who turns two this month and Andrea, who turns one next month.
Villarreal’s term will expire December 31, 2018. He said he will run in 2018 for a full term that begins January 1, 2019.
