Judge Beckie Palomo was elected district judge in Laredo, Webb County, Texas in 2012. She presides over heavy dockets of civil, family and criminal law cases.

Judge Palomo operates the Veterans Treatment Program which is an intensive specialty court designed to rehabilitate military veterans with intensive treatment and immediate court intervention. She has testified before the Texas Legislature on topics related to the rehabilitation of Veterans coping with the challenging transition from combat to civilian life and credited the program’s success to the unique model designed specifically for the veteran population.

Judge Palomo also conducts Courts in Schools Program in an effort to educate the students about the criminal justice system, the dangers of alcohol and drugs, and the serious legal consequences of committing a crime. Once a month, a school gymnasium is transformed into an official court proceeding where Judge Palomo presides over sentencing hearings.

In 2015, Judge Palomo implemented the Color of Justice Program to help educate, encourage and inspire minority students to pursue a career in the law. Every year over 150 students flood the state and federal courtrooms shadowing lawyers and judges. Many young minority students now have a better understanding of the justice system and the role of the judiciary, as well as how to prepare for law school and what to expect once they become members of this prestigious profession.

In 2016, Judge Palomo started her first Girl Power Conference conducted at local middle and high schools as an intimate conversation “amongst us girls.” Judge Palomo shares her personal story of overcoming her own struggles in hope of inspiring the young ladies to dream big despite any setbacks and encourage them to set goals, work smart to achieve more and rise as leaders.

This year over 2000 students joined Judge Palomo at the movies to learn about the life and work of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg through the feature film, On the Basis of Sex. Students learned about the struggles and challenges women like Justice Ginsburg experienced in an era when it was legal to discriminate solely on the basis of gender. They learned that one person can serve as the catalyst to accomplishing great change in the face of monumental adversity

Judge Palomo serves on the Judicial Advisory Council to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. She is a member of numerous organizations, including the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ), American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) and the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP). Her work has been recognized by many, some awards include the Paul Harris Fellow, LULAC Tejano Achiever and the Women City Club Hall of Fame 2016.

Her proudest achievement is raising 5 boys with her husband, Daniel Palomo. (A work in progress!)

Judge Palomo earned a BBA from the University of Texas at Austin and a JD from St. Mary’s School of Law. In 1999, she began her legal career working as a prosecutor at the District Attorney’s office and subsequently served as the executive director of the Community Supervision & Corrections Department in Webb County, Texas.