The career and impact Judge Leon Schydlower has had and continues to have on El Paso and the legal community was celebrated at an investiture ceremony for the newest federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in El Paso.
Schydlower's investiture ceremony was attended by more than 200 people from El Paso and throughout the state of Texas. The investiture ceremony was the formal investing of Schydlower with rank of U.S. District Court Judge.
"It was a long process getting here, but I'm so honored to be the newest U.S. district judge in El Paso," Schydlower said after the ceremony. "The best part about that is I'm sitting in the El Paso division, which is my home. I'm an El Pasoan to my core, and I hope I serve in a way that the people of El Paso will be proud of."
The ceremony was held Thursday, Sept. 12, at the Albert Armendariz Sr. Federal Courthouse in Downtown El Paso. He was officially sworn in as U.S. District Court judge March 23.
The prominent attendees included Western District of Texas Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses, all of the federal judges in El Paso, judges throughout the Western District of Texas, El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego, former El Paso Mayor Dee Margo, El Paso state Judge William E. Moody and El Paso attorneys Sergio Saldivar, Joe Spencer, Felix Valenzuela and Leonard Morales.
"Judge Schydlower was the right selection to be our next U.S. District Court judge," Saldivar said. "He has the experience from his military background, his career as a practitioner and a U.S. magistrate judge. El Paso and the Western District of Texas will benefit greatly from his many years of experience. He is a fair, intelligent and impartial judge who will be a great gatekeeper of our criminal justice system."
Videos from U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, who both recommended Schydlower to President Joe Biden to fill the judicial seat, were played during the ceremony.
"I was glad to join with Sen. Cornyn in recommending Judge Schydlower to the president for appointment to the Western District of Texas," Cruz said in his video. "I am confident he will serve with the same distinction that he has demonstrated in his many years of service as a magistrate judge, and as a judge advocate in both the Navy and Air Force. Thank you Judge Schydlower for your willingness to serve and to uphold the constitution and rule of law."
Schydlower, who had served as a federal magistrate judge since 2015 for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, was recommended by Cruz and Cornyn, along with U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, to Biden to fill the vacant judicial seat. He was nominated Dec. 19 by Biden .
Schydlower received 20-1 votes from the judiciary committee during a Feb. 29 meeting and his nomination was then sent to the full Senate for vote. He was easily confirmed March 22 by the U.S. Senate in a 90-8 vote as a federal district court judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.
Schydlower served in the U.S. Navy as an attorney, and continues to serve as a judge and legal educator in the U.S. Air Force, where he holds the rank of lieutenant colonel. He is a graduate of Hanks High School and University of Texas School of Law.
Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Pasoan Leon Schydlower honored during ceremony marking his appointment as federal judge
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