Time & Place: Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 3:30 p.m. in the Sheffield Room. Reception to follow in the Jamail Pavilion.
AUSTIN, Texas — The Honorable Edward C. Prado of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit will discuss his experiences as a member of the federal judiciary on Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 3:30 p.m. at The University of Texas School of Law´s Sheffield Room. Judge Prado is a 1972 graduate of UT Law and recently joined the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals after serving almost 20 years as a federal district judge in San Antonio.
The UT Law community is invited to hear Judge Prado speak on "Reflections from the Bench and The Federal Judicial Appointment Process" which will include a question and answer session. Judicial clerkship advisors and UT Law professors Tony Reese and Ernest Young will moderate the event, which is sponsored by UT Law Dean William Powers, the Career Services Office and The Texas Law Review. A reception will follow in the Jamail Pavilion.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals covers all federal appeals from the states of Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi and is headquartered in New Orleans. Judge Prado is expected to discuss various topics including the types of high—profile cases before the Fifth Circuit, the federal judicial appointment process, the politics of making legal decisions, and clerkship opportunities for students.
Judge Prado was nominated by President George W. Bush to serve on the Fifth Circuit last spring and on May 1 the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed the nomination and President Bush signed Judge Prado´s commission. Judge Prado officially began active service as a circuit judge on May 5 and was sworn in as a circuit judge during an investiture ceremony in San Antonio on Aug. 28.
A native of San Antonio, Texas, Judge Prado received both his B.A. and J.D. from The University of Texas at Austin. After completing law school, he served as a commissioned second lieutenant of the U.S. Army, remaining in the reserves as an infantry officer from 1972 to 1987.
President Ronald Reagan appointed Judge Prado to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in 1984. He has presided over hundreds of civil and criminal trials in his 19 years on the federal district bench.
Prior to this federal judicial service, Judge Prado served as Assistant District Attorney in the Bexar County District Attorney´s Office from September 1972 to January 1976. He then took a job in the Federal Public Defender´s Office in the Western District of Texas as Assistant Public Defender. In 1980, he was appointed to serve as State District Judge in Bexar County, Texas. In 1981, President Reagan appointed Judge Prado to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas.
A respected member of his profession, Judge Prado has been a leader in numerous bar associations and law — related organizations. He has served as president of the San Antonio Bar Foundation, chairman of the Criminal Justice Review Act Committee, a member of the Attorney General´s Advisory Committee, and president of the Fifth Circuit District Judges Association. At present, he sits on the Board of the Federal Judges Association.
Judge Prado has received numerous honors and awards. He has also been actively involved in community and charitable affairs. Judge Prado is known for his participation in mentor programs with minority students in the San Antonio area. He has introduced students to the law by conducting events in his courtroom such as the annual "Trial of Santa Claus" for elementary school students as well as more serious mock trials for high school students.