Eduardo V. Rodriguez has been appointed as the United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Southern District of Texas. Eddie will have big shoes to fill as he steps into the judgeship vacated by retiring Judge Richard S. Schmidt.
Eddie received his M.B.A. with high honors and his J.D. from Texas Tech University in Lubbock. Eddie is Board Certified in Consumer Bankruptcy Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and has been practicing law as the Managing Attorney for the Malaise Law Firm in the Rio Grande Valley. Eddie has written and published numerous articles on consumer & business bankruptcy related issues for the Chapter 13 Trustee, the State Bar of Texas, The University of Texas, The Texas Lawyer & The Federal Lawyer, including Post Confirmation Issues In Chapter 13 Cases. He is also a frequent speaker at bankruptcy seminars around the State of Texas and is currently* scheduled to speak at the NACTT annual conference in Salt Lake City. Eddie also serves as Treasurer of the State Bar’s Bankruptcy Section and oversees the Section’s website, tablet and smart phone apps.
As if he wasn’t busy enough, Eddie also coordinates the Bankruptcy Section’s Pro-Bono programs where he received an award for Outstanding Services from the State Bar of Texas and recently was one of six lawyers in Texas to receive the prestigious award for pro bono services from Legal Services Corporation & Texas Access To Justice Foundation, Washington D.C. Most recently, Eddie was awarded the State Bar of Texas Robert B. Wilson Distinguished Service Award.
Eddie is married to the beautiful Elisa Rodriguez. They have 3 children – Edward Joseph Rodriguez and, Cristian and America Castillo. Edward is embarrassing (air quotes) the family as a Phd student at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Sources of equal pride, Cristian is a sophomore at U.T. in Austin and America is a sophomore in high school.
As a couple, Eddie and Elisa spend a great deal of energy devoted to physical fitness. They utilize their physical strength and passion salsa dancing. Yep, we now have a salsa dancing bankruptcy judge!
*Subject to availability due to appointment.