HISPANIC TRAILBLAZER NEWS
The US Senate confirmed Corpus Christi native Sarah Saldaña a Texas Democrat career prosecutor and corruption fighter as chief federal prosecutor in the Dallas-based Northern District of Texas.
President Obama nominated Saldana on June 27th as the state’s first Latina Chief Prosecutor, hopefully trailblazing the way for more Hispanic’s into positions of the US Department of Justice.
Saldaña was born in Corpus Christi in 1951 and graduated from Ray High School and then Texas A&M University (formerly Texas A&I / Kingsville,TX) and Southern Methodist University Law School.
Sarah Saldaña has served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas since 2004, serving as Deputy Criminal Chief for Fraud and Public Corruption since 2009.
Ms. Saldaña was an attorney for Baker Botts, L.L.P, from 1987 to 1998, and Haynes Boone, from 1985 to 1987. Following law school, she served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Barefoot Sanders, U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern District of Texas, from 1984 to 1985.
Her sister, former Judge Marisela Saldaña, said she was proud of all her sister’s achievements. "She’s been at the forefront of a lot of things in her career," said Marisela Saldaña, a former 148th district judge. "She is truly a remarkable woman."
President Obama had four Texas Democrats including Saldaña for US Attorney positions confirmed this week with the full Senate’s approval.
The Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) applauds President Barack H. Obama’s decision to nominate Sarah Saldaña to the post of U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.
She has been the top choice for this U.S. Attorney position and enjoys bipartisan support and the vocal support of legal and Latino organizations across the country.
Highly merited, the HNBA has engaged in extensive and consistent advocacy efforts in support of her nomination for over a year. Ms. Saldaña would be the first Latina chief prosecutor in Texas, and has demonstrated that her skills and experience will also make her one of the best U.S. Attorneys in the country.
Diana S. Sen, HNBA President, stated, “Ms. Saldana is the epitome of what a U.S. Attorney should be: she not only possesses stellar qualifications and is well-respected in her profession, but she has the incredible judgment, commitment to the community and sense of justice necessary to serve the Northern District of Texas well. We are particularly proud that Ms. Saldaña will soon serve as a U.S. Attorney, one of only a few Latino U.S. Attorneys who have ever served throughout the country.”
Ms. Saldaña is a career prosecutor who has demonstrated a commitment to public service and justice. For the last 25 years, Ms. Saldaña has distinguished herself as an exceptional litigator and prosecutor in the private and government sectors.
She began her legal career in 1984 as a law clerk to the Honorable Barefoot Sanders of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Thereafter, Ms. Saldaña joined the law firm of Haynes and Boone, LLP in Dallas, Texas as an associate, working in the firm’s commercial and employment litigation practice groups.
Subsequently, she was a Partner with the law firm of Baker Botts, LLP, where she formed and managed the labor and employment practice group in the Dallas office.
Ms. Saldaña’s experience in the public sector is also noteworthy. In 2004, she joined the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, where she currently serves as the Assistant U.S. Attorney in charge of public corruption for the Northern District of Texas. She has prosecuted a variety of criminal cases on behalf of the United States. She was also appointed as the District Election Officer for the 2008 general elections, overseeing the handling of election fraud and voting rights abuses, prosecuting those offenses when they occurred. As a result of her exemplary service, she has been the recipient of performance-based awards every year since joining the United States Attorney’s Office in 2004.
Ms. Saldaña has also been deeply dedicated to community service for many years. She is a member of the Dallas Bar Association where she has served on the Judiciary Committee, Federal Judiciary Complaint Committee, and the Civil Justice Reform Act Advisory Committee. She is a member of the William Mac Taylor Inn of Court, the Dallas and Texas Bar Foundations, and a past member of the Southern Methodist University Law Alumni Association Council.
From 1989 to 1991 she was appointed to the City of Dallas Zoning Board of Adjustment by Mayor Annette Straus. In addition, she has taught legal research and writing methods at Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law.
Sarah Saldaña has been uniformly praised as a very able lawyer and as a very respectful and fair prosecutor. It is clear that she has a strong reputation for integrity and fairness as well as strong professional skills, and that her appointment as United States Attorney is well-received by members of the defense bar as well as other prosecutors and judges. Diana Sen noted, “President Obama’s nomination of Sarah Saldaña is another example of his commitment to have exceptional legal professionals in his administration, as well as of his commitment to ensure that the composition of his administration reflects that of the United States of America.”
Compliments of Allan R. Jamail – – Senatorial District 6
(SDEC) Texas State Democratic Executive Committeeman 2011
50 year proud member of the AFL-CIO.