Story #34: Maria Salas-Mendoza, Former Franklin Director and Judicial District Court Judge

Maria Salas-Mendoza ‘90 served as PBHA’s Vice President, Franklin I-O Summer and After School Director, and Prison Education Program volunteer. After her work with the organization, she went on to UCLA Law School and served as a staff attorney for the El Paso Legal Assistance Society and senior trial attorney for the El Paso County Attorney’s Office. Furthermore, she served as the immediate past president of Since 2007, she has served as a judge of the Texas 120th District Court, continually advocating for minority voices and rights within her community.

Judge Salas-Mendoza is an active member of several influential legal and community organizations. She serves on the Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee, the Pattern Jury Charge Committee (Business, Consumer, Employment, and Insurance), and the ABA Standing Committee on Diversity in the Judiciary. As Chair-Elect of the State Bar of Texas Hispanic Issues Council, she also represents the council on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. She was also the immediate past president of Texas Latinx Judges.

In addition to her judicial responsibilities, Judge Salas-Mendoza oversees the Women’s Addiction and Recovery Court and is deeply committed to community service. She is a dedicated mentor to students of all ages and actively participates in numerous projects through her local Lions Club, furthering her passion for supporting her community both inside and outside the courtroom.

Mary Cate Curley (left) and Maria Salas-Mendoza (right).

Photo from PBHA’s 2016 Alumni Weekend.

“PBHA was the first place that I learned the personal value that public service had in my life. It was the first experience in which I felt fulfilled, useful, and productive. This began what has become a life in which service—whether direct, such as feeding homeless men, or professional, such as serving on committees and boards to improve the image of my profession with a focus on improving diversity in the legal profession through mentoring, role modeling, and motivational speaking—is central to all my efforts.” - Maria Salas-Mendoza