Luminary Legacy Gala Preview: Spotlight on Judge Regina Rodriguez
- Anna Sturges
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
In celebration of the Honorable Judge Regina Rodriguez's selection as the 2026 CWBA Mary Lathrop Trailblazer Award recipient, we thought it only appropriate that we honor her with a professional spotlight to highlight all her incredible work. Long before Judge Rodriguez, affectionately referred to as “Gina” by her friends, was serving as a District Court Judge for the U.S. District Court of Colorado, she was an eager, optimistic law student with the intelligence, drive, resilient spirit, and compassion to make a difference in the legal community. She was the first in her family to go to law school and become an attorney.
Over the 36 years of her legal practice since those days, Judge Rodriguez has taken that incredible potential and turned it into a legacy of service and professionalism. She worked for several large, prominent law firms and served as the first Latina and youngest person to hold the position of chief of the civil division of the U.S. Attorneys’ office in Denver. She was the first Latina partner at Faegre & Benson (now Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath) before later being elected to equity partner at multiple international large law firms, which is a remarkable feat in an industry where minority women account for less than 5% of partners at the largest law firms. Throughout her career, she has often been the one woman in the room full of decision-makers, and she uses her platform to fight for justice and fairness, often advocating for highly qualified women and other disadvantaged applicants.
Prior to her judicial appointment, Judge Rodriguez was actively involved in numerous community organizations, including serving on the board of the Colorado Youth Gang Alternatives, on the Colorado Commission for Higher Education, and later on the board of several Montessori schools. She helped to start the program that first combined the Montessori school program, typically for wealthy families, with the Early Head Start program, typically for those experiencing poverty, making the same opportunities to receive education at a smaller charter school available to all. Raised by her Japanese-American mother, who was relocated to a camp in Wyoming when she was young during WWII, and her Mexican-American father, who worked the railroads in Chicago, Judge Rodriguez was taught from a very young age to value education and freedom, which carries through her own community and pro bono work. She volunteered her time to speak at community schools, teaching them about the legal profession, expressing her belief in them, and representing what they can aspire to be. She led the charge from thousands of miles away to help three families, with young girls forced out of Guatemala for crimes against them, to get access to legal services alongside the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Project.
In 2016, Judge Rodriguez was initially nominated to the U.S. District Court of Colorado by President Obama, but her appointment expired, following the change in administration. After this setback, Judge Rodriguez continued serving, fighting, mentoring, and developing her skills as a partner practicing mass tort and product liability defense, and in 2021, she was again appointed to the U.S. District Court of Colorado, this time by President Biden. Judge Rodriguez is one of four women on the U.S. District Court, and only the fourth woman ever appointed to that position. She is also the first Asian-American judge to serve not only the District of Colorado, but in the 10th Circuit. Including Gina in the very first nominations he made to the Federal Bench, President Biden noted Judge Rodriguez was highly qualified and represented the diversity that is one of the “ultimate strengths of our nation.”
Throughout her practice and her pro bono and volunteer work, her approach to leadership, mentorship, and her own advancement has had an eye toward reaching down to the next generation of leaders and mentoring women and diverse attorneys to shape a better, more inclusive legal community. She has championed others, including other driven women and minorities, opening doors, building confidence, and rallying support as they set their sights on firm partnership, political candidacy, and the bench. Judge Rodriguez takes the opportunity and privilege she now has as a judge to advocate for and elevate justice and fairness for everyone who comes before her or who is inspired by her journey.
Unsurprisingly, those who know Judge Rodriguez personally refer to her as a supermom, superwife, superstar, superfriend, and a superjudge. We look forward to celebrating Judge Rodriguez at our inaugural Luminary Legacy Awards Gala!
Buy tickets for the Luminary Legacy Gala here!
Annie Sturges is a labor and employment attorney in Taft Stettinius & Hollister’s Denver office. Her practice focuses on advising companies on state and federal employment statutes with a specialization in workplace safety and health compliance pursuant to OSHA and MSHA standards. She is an active-duty veteran who litigated federal court cases and administrative hearings for the Air Force.
Comments