Nationality American Political party Democratic Party Role Justice | Name Gina Benavides Occupation Attorney; Judge | |
Alma mater Mary Carroll High School in Corpus Christi
The University of Texas at Austin
University of Houston Law Center Education Mary Carroll High School, University of Houston Law Center | ||
Georgina "Gina" Martinez Benavides (born December 6, 1962) is a justice at the Texas Thirteenth Court of Appeals based in Corpus Christi and Edinburg. She was first elected in 2006, and re-elected in 2012. She is a member of the Democratic Party and resides in McAllen, Texas.
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During her tenure as an appellate judge, she has authored hundreds of opinions. As a member of the Court, she has been actively involved in implementing internal procedures and policies to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the Court. She also continues her involvement in national, state, and local associations for the betterment of the judiciary and the law.
Early life and education
Justice Benavides was born in Laredo, Texas and grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas. She is a 1981 graduate of Mary Carroll High School. Upon graduation, Benavides attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she graduated in 1985 with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. After receiving her undergraduate degree, Benavides enrolled at the University of Houston Law Center. During law school, Benavides was active in the Hispanic Law Students Association and the civil practice clinic. Benavides obtained her law degree and law license in 1988.
Private Practice
Before joining the Thirteenth Court of Appeals, Justice Benavides was a litigator with over 17 years of courtroom experience. She began her legal career at the Adams & Graham Law Firm in Harlingen, Texas in 1988. At this primarily defense firm, she tried over 30 cases throughout the state of Texas in the areas of toxic tort, products liability, commercial litigation, and personal injury. After 12 years, she joined the law firm of Gonzalez & Associates, P.C. in McAllen, Texas where she continued to litigate but as a plaintiffs' lawyer. She also began an active appellate practice at this time.
As a private attorney, Justice Benavides was recognized in Texas Monthly as a Super Lawyer in 2003 and 2004 by her peers as one of the best lawyers in the state of Texas.
She also served as a Minority Director for the State Bar of Texas. She was President of the Mexican-American Bar Association of Texas and the Cameron County Bar Association, as well as a Vice-President of the Texas Association of Defense Counsel. Her service also includes stints on numerous committees for the State Bar of Texas, including Continuing Legal Education and Law Focused Education.
Judicial career
Justice Benavides was first elected to the Thirteenth Court of Appeals in 2006 and was re-elected in 2012. Prior to her re-election, she was endorsed by the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. In its endorsement, the newspaper highlighted Justice Benavides's experience, "folksy manner," and "impressive intellect."
After her first year on the Court, Justice Benavides was bestowed the honor of "Latina Judge of the Year" by the National Hispanic Bar Association at their annual meeting in Puerto Rico in 2007.
In 2008, she was appointed to serve on the Texas Center for the Judiciary Board of Directors (the "Texas Center"). The Texas Center was established in 1973 to provide continuing judicial education programs for the state's judiciary and support personnel. The Texas Center pursues its mission of judicial excellence through education by providing leadership education and training so that a qualified and knowledgeable judiciary may administer justice with fairness, efficiency, and integrity. In 2010, she was elected Chair-Elect of the Texas Center by her fellow judges and became chair at the annual meeting on September 2011. The last time a judge from Region 5, which encompasses South Texas, held this position was in 1992. Justice Benavides is the first Hispanic Female to hold this position.
In 2010, the Texas Supreme Court appointed Justice Benavides to the Texas Access for Justice Commission. The Texas Access to Justice Commission was created by the Supreme Court of Texas in 2001 to develop and implement initiatives to expand access to and enhance the quality of justice in civil matters for low income citizens.
In February 2012, the State Bar of Texas through President Bob Black appointed a new task force, Solutions 2012, to deal with decreasing funding for legal access, increasing pro se litigants, and affect on our legal system and called upon Justice Benavides to serve on the committee. Justice Benavides is also frequently asked to be a speaker and presenter of papers throughout the State of Texas.
Justice Benavides was honored to be the keynote speaker for the Red Mass in Brownsville, Texas. The Red Mass is a mass celebrated annually for judges, attorneys, law school professors, students, government officials, and all those who seek justice. She has also spoken at several candlelight vigils against domestic violence and abuse.
Justice Benavides is committed to youth and youth education. She judges the annual "We the People" Constitution Competition, UIL Mock Trial and Moot Court competitions, and the Texas Young Lawyer's Association Moot Court Competition at the State Bar Annual Meeting every year. She is also a frequent career day speaker.
She is active in National Association of Women Judges with mostly being appointed to the Judicial Independence Committee, Judicial Selection Committee and Judicial Education Committee. She also continues to be involved in the Mexican Bar Association of Texas where she served as President when she was an attorney in private practice.
Texas Supreme Court Candidacy
In 2014, Justice Benavides became a Democratic Candidate for the Texas Supreme Court, Place 7. She is running against incumbent Jeff Boyd of Austin (Republican), Don Fulton of Fort Worth (Libertarian), and Charles Edwin Waterbury of Dallas (Green).
On February 12, 2014, the State Bar of Texas released the results of its 2014 Judicial Poll. Justice Benavides received the most votes in the Place 7 race with 4,039 votes. Additionally, she was the only non-incumbent candidate for the Texas Supreme Court to receive the most votes for each place on the ballot.
Benavides was defeated in the election by incumbent Jeff Boyd.