Jorge C. Rangel (born February 4, 1948) is a Texas
lawyer
A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...
and a former federal judicial nominee to the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (in case citations, 5th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following federal judicial districts:
* Eastern District of Louisiana
* Mi ...
.
Early life and education
Born in
Alice, Texas, Rangel earned a bachelor's degree from the
University of Houston
The University of Houston (UH) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the List of universities in Texas by enrollment, university in Texas ...
in 1970 and a law degree from the
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States.
Each class ...
in 1973.
Professional career
Rangel has worked in private law practice for much of his professional career. From 1975 until 1976, he worked as an assistant professor at the
University of Houston Law Center
The University of Houston Law Center is the law school of the University of Houston in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1947, the Law Center is one of 12 colleges of the University of Houston, a state university. It is accredited by the American Bar A ...
. In 1983, Texas Gov.
Mark White appointed Rangel to a state judgeship in
Nueces County
Nueces County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 353,178, making it the 16th-most populous county in the state. The county seat is Corpus Christi. The county was formed in 1846 from portions of S ...
. He returned to private practice in 1985, and currently is based in
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi (; Ecclesiastical Latin: "'' Body of Christ"'') is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat and largest city of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patrici ...
.
Nomination to the Fifth Circuit
On July 24, 1997, President Clinton nominated Rangel to a vacancy on the Fifth Circuit that had been created by Judge
William Lockhart Garwood
William Lockhart Garwood (October 29, 1931 – July 14, 2011) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Education and career
Born in Houston, Texas, to Wilmer St. John Garwood (1896–1987) an ...
taking senior status. Rangel's nomination ran into trouble, because as a member of an
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of acad ...
screening board in the 1980s and early 1990s, Rangel had been critical of some Republicans, including of President Reagan's 1986 ultimately unsuccessful nomination to the federal bench of
Jeff Sessions, who later became a senator and member of the very
U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations ...
reviewing Rangel's nomination. In addition, the
U.S. Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
was controlled by Republicans during the balance of Clinton's second term, causing Rangel's nomination to languish. Rangel waited more than a year for a hearing from the Republican-controlled
U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations ...
, but never received one.
After the Senate adjourned in the fall of 1998, Rangel asked Clinton not to resubmit his name to the next session of Congress.
Peter Berkowitz on Judicial Nominations on National Review Online
/ref> Clinton later nominated Enrique Moreno
Enrique Moreno (December 28, 1955 – October 10, 2019) was a Mexican-American attorney from El Paso, Texas and once a federal judicial nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Early life and education
Born in Chihuahua, Mexi ...
to the seat, but his nomination also languished. President George W. Bush nominated Priscilla Owen to the seat in 2001. She finally won confirmation in 2005.
See also
*Bill Clinton judicial appointment controversies During President Bill Clinton's first and second terms of office, he nominated 24 people for 20 federal appellate judgeships but the nominees were not processed by the Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee. Three of the nominees who wer ...
References
External links
Rangel Law Firm
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rangel, Jorge C.
1948 births
Living people
People from Alice, Texas
Texas lawyers
University of Houston alumni
Harvard Law School alumni