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Reynaldo Valencia

Reynaldo Valencia

Dean, Law School

Department

  • Law School

Contact Information

Biography

Dean Valencia earned an undergraduate degree in psychology (with honors) and a graduate degree in sociology from Stanford University, then went on to receive a juris doctor degree from Harvard Law School. He practiced corporate bankruptcy and general corporate law at the Dallas office of the international law firm of Jones Day for five years, while serving as an adjunct professor of Law at Texas Tech School of Law, where at age 25 he became the youngest faculty member in the law school’s history.In 1995, Dean Valencia joined the faculty at St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio as an associate professor, earning tenure in 1999 and promotion to the rank of full professor. In 2008, he was appointed associate dean of Administration and Finance at St. Mary’s and held the Ernest W. Clemmons Professor of Corporate and Securities Law endowed professorship.President Bill Clinton appointed Dean Valencia as a White House Fellow for 1999-2000, where he served in the Office of the Chief of Staff. He also has served on the Board of Directors of the American Board of Certification (which produces the national bankruptcy certification examination); the Board of Governors of the Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO); the Board of Trustees of the Law School Admission Council; and as an elected director on the Harvard Alumni Association Board of Directors.Dean Valencia received the St. Mary’s University Distinguished Faculty Award (Law School) in 2008. In 2003 and again in 2006, he received the Outstanding Legal Achievement award by the Mexican American Bar Association of San Antonio, and in 2012, was awarded the Becky Cross Anchor Award from Equality Texas in recognition of his work with, and support of, LBGTQ students.He has published several articles in traditional law reviews, and was the lead co-author of “Mexican Americans and The Law: ¡El Pueblo Unido Jamas Sera Vencido!,” the first undergraduate textbook to focus on Latinos/as and the law.Dean Valencia is father to three sons, Elias, Leo and Robert.
Degrees
  • J.D., Harvard Law School
  • M.A., Stanford University
  • B.A., with honors, Stanford University
Expertise
  • Corporate and Securities Law
Scholarship

PUBLICATIONS

Work In Progress: Discharge of Civil Rights Claims in Bankruptcy

Valencia, R. What if You Were the First And No One Cared: The Appointment of Alberto Gonzales and Coalition Building Between Latinos and Communities of Color in the 21st Century, 12 WASHINGTON AND LEE JOURNAL OF CIVIL RIGHTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 21 (2005).

Valencia, R., Jackson, C., Van de Putte, L., and Ellis, R. Avena and the World Court’s Death Penalty Jurisdiction in Texas: Addressing the Odd Notion of Texas’ Independence From the World, 23 YALE LAW & POLICY REVIEW 455 (2005).

Valencia, R., Garcia S., Flores, H., Juarez, J. MEXICAN AMERICANS AND THE LAW: ¡EL PUEBLO UNIDO JAMAS SERA VENCIDO!, a part of the University of Arizona Press’ textbook series for undergraduates entitled THE MEXICAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE (February 2004). (Lead Co author)

Valencia, R. Adjunct by Accident, Tenured by Design: How I Stumbled Into Adjunct Teaching and Became a Tenured Law Professor, currently available www.law.arizona.edu/depts/chin/teachlaw/index.html and forthcoming in the next edition of BREAKING INTO THE ACADEMY: THE MICHIGAN JOURNAL OF RACE AND LAW GUIDE FOR ASPIRING LAW PROFESSORS.

Valencia, R. Obtaining the Intended Protection For Victims of Domestic Violence Under Section 22.01 of the Texas Penal Code, 12 TEXAS JOURNAL OF WOMEN AND THE LAW 97 (2003).

Reynaldo Anaya Valencia and Miguel Ortiz. The Persistent Challenge of Gender and the Law: Views from One Law School’s Student Body, 3 THE SCHOLAR: ST. MARY’S LAW REVIEW ON MINORITY ISSUES 157 (2001).

Valencia, R. The Sanctity of Settlements and the Significance of Court Approval: Discerning Clarity from Bankruptcy Rule 9019, 78 OREGON LAW REVIEW 425 (1999).

Valencia, R. On Being an ‘Out’ Catholic: Contextualizing the Role of Religion at LatCrit II, 19 UCLA CHICANO/LATINO LAW REVIEW 449 (1998).

Valencia, R. Latinos and the Criminal Justice System: An Overview of the Invisible/Visible Minority, 1 HARVARD LATINO LAW REVIEW 27 (1995).

PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS

Valencia, R. Moderator for discussion with Professor Cesar Cuahtemoc Garcia Hernandez regarding his book Migrating to Prison: America’s Obsession With Locking Up Immigrants. Presented to Capital University Law School community, September 16, 2020.

Valencia, R. & Brad S. Where Are We Now?: The Rule of Law and the Role of Lawyers After the Election. Presented for Capital University community, Columbus, OH, November 4, 2020.

Valencia, R. Marshalling Resources for Pipeline Programs. Presented at the Law School Admission Council 2016 Pipeline Diversity Conference: Where Your Law School’s Legacy Begins, Miami, FL, September 14, 2016.

Valencia, R. The Importance of Diversity. Presented at Law School Admission Council Newcomers Conference, Philadelphia, PA, September 9, 2015

Valencia, R. Dodd-Frank and Shareholder Proposals: The Illusion of Corporate Governance. Presented at the St. Mary’s University School of Law Homecoming, San Antonio, TX, March 23, 2012

Valencia, R. Dodd-Frank and Shareholder Proposals: The Illusion of Corporate Governance. Presented at the Southern Academy of Legal Studies in Business Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX, March 8, 2012.

Valencia, R. Dodd-Frank and Shareholder Proposals: The Illusion of Corporate Governance. Presented at the Hispanic National Bar Association Annual Meeting, Dallas, TX, September 1, 2011.

Valencia, R. Business Ethics 101: Selected Issues in Business Law. Presented at the St. Mary’s University School of Law Homecoming, San Antonio, TX, March 11, 2010.

Valencia, R. & Marks, C. Why Bankruptcy is Not Working in the Current Economic Climate. Presented at the St. Mary’s University School of Law Homecoming, San Antonio, TX, March 27, 2009.

Valencia, R. Bankruptcy Ethics 101: Selected Issues in a Chapter 11 Filing. Presented at the St. Mary’s University School of Law Homecoming, San Antonio, TX, March 28, 2008.

Valencia, R. Latinos and African Americans in the 2008 Presidential Election: Shared Views, Common Experiences, But Different Choices. Presented at the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Meeting, symposium entitled “The Impact of Race and Religion on Politics in America,” Washington, D.C., September 26, 2008.

Valencia, R. Latinos and Philanthropy: Moving From Survival to Legacy Giving. Presented at the Association of Philanthropic Counsel Fall Forum, San Antonio, TX, November 8, 2007.

Valencia, R. Combining LSAC Grants to Increase Diversity. Presented at Annual Meeting of Law School Admission Council, panel presentation entitled, “Using LSAC Grants to Increase Diversity,” Tuscon, AZ, June 1, 2007.

Valencia, R. Lost in the Storm: Latinos and the Aftermath of Katrina. Presented at the Society of American Law Teachers Teaching Conference, plenary panel entitled, “Race, Class, and Hurricane Katrina,” Boston, MA, September 7-9, 2006.

Valencia, R. Latinos, Latino Issues and the United States Supreme Court. Presented at Annual Meeting of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (“NALEO”) as part of briefing sponsored by Hispanics for a Fair Judiciary entitled “Blind and Fair: The Role of Latinos in Advocating for a Fair and Impartial Federal Judiciary,” Dallas, TX, June 23, 2006.

Valencia, R. When Should I Incorporate?: An Introduction to Common Business Forms in the United States. Presented at the National Association of Hispanic MBA’s Regional Meeting, San Antonio, TX, June 8, 2006.

Valencia, R. Are Corporate Executives’ Compensation Too High? Presented at the San Antonio Founder Lion’s Club monthly luncheon, San Antonio, TX, June 7, 2006.

Valencia, R. Recent United States Supreme Court Decisions. Presented at the Bexar County Democratic Women’s Association monthly meeting, San Antonio, TX, June 5, 2006.

Valencia, R. Latinos, Consular Notification and the Texas Death Penalty. Sponsored by the Center for Law and Border Studies at the University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, November 18, 2005.

Valencia, R. Latinos, Consular Notification and the Texas Death Penalty. St. John’s University School of Law, Jamaica, NY, October 27, 2005.

Valencia, R. Latinos, Latino Issues and Harriet Miers’ Nomination to the Supreme Court. Presented as part of briefing sponsored by Hispanics for a Fair Judiciary entitled “Who Is Supreme Court Nominee Harriett Miers? What Does Her Nomination Mean for Latinos?,” San Francisco, CA, October 6, 2005.

Valencia, R. The Concentration of Latina/o Law Students and the LSAT. Presented at “The LSAT, U.S. News and World Report, and Minority Admissions” conference, panel entitled “Diversity and the Use of the LSAT in the Admissions Process to Bolster U.S. News and World Report Rankings,” sponsored by St. John’s University School of Law Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights and Economic Development, Queens, NY, September 7, 2005.

Valencia, R. Latinos, Latino Issues and John Roberts’ Nomination to the Supreme Court. Presented at Democratic National Committee Annual Hispanic Summit, as part of briefing sponsored by Hispanics for a Fair Judiciary entitled “Who Is Supreme Court Nominee Judge John Roberts? What Does His Nomination Mean for Latinos?,” San Antonio, TX, August 6, 2005.

Valencia, R. The Concept, Origin, History and Writing of MEXICAN AMERICANS AND THE LAW: ¡EL PUEBLO UNIDO JAMAS SERA VENCIDO! Presented at the American Association of Law Libraries Annual Meeting, panel entitled “Mexican Americans and the Law,” San Antonio, TX, July 19, 2005.

Valencia, R. Latinos, Latino Issues and the Supreme Court – A Decade of Indecision. Presented at Annual Meeting of the National Council of La Raza (“NCLR”) as part of briefing sponsored by Hispanics for a Fair Judiciary entitled “Briefing on the State of the Judiciary,” Philadelphia, PA, July 17, 2005.

Valencia, R. Latinos, Latino Issues and the Supreme Court – A Decade of Indecision. Presented at the American Association of Law Libraries–Committee on Diversity 9th Annual Diversity Symposium, panel entitled “A Larger Patch in the Quilt: Latino Americans and Their Expanding Cultural and Political Influence,” San Antonio, TX, July 16, 2005.

Valencia, R. The History of Latinos in the U.S. Criminal Justice System. Presented at the League of United Latin American Citizens (“LULAC”) Annual Meeting, panel entitled “Latinos and the Criminal Justice System: Who Pays the Price,” Little Rock, AR, July 1, 2005.

Valencia, R. Latinos, Latino Issues and the Supreme Court – A Decade of Indecision. Presented at the League of United Latin American Citizens (“LULAC”) Annual Meeting, panel entitled, “The Courts and Civil Rights: Past, Present and Future: What’s at Stake for the Hispanic Community,” Little Rock, AR, June 30, 2005.

Valencia, R. The Texas Death Penalty and Mexican Foreign Nationals. Presented at the Southeast/Southwest People of Color Scholarship Conference, panel entitled “Consular Notification,” New Orleans, LA, May 7, 2005.

Valencia, R. What if You Were the First And No One Cared: The Appointment of Alberto Gonzales and Coalition Building Between Latinos and Communities of Color in the 21st Century. Presented at Symposium entitled “Moving Beyond the Black/White Paradigm: Coalition Building in the 21st Century,” sponsored by the WASHINGTON AND LEE RACE AND ETHNIC ANCESTRY LAW JOURNAL,” Washington and Lee University School of Law, Lexington, VA, April 8, 2005.

Valencia, R. Executive Compensation: Enough/Excessive? Presented at the Harvard Business School Club of San Antonio monthly breakfast, San Antonio, TX, March 13, 2005.

Valencia, R. Executive Compensation: Is There a Federal Question? Presented at the San Antonio Federal Bar Association monthly luncheon, San Antonio, TX, January 12, 2005.

Valencia, R. Hernandez v. Texas and Latino Educational Segregation Before Brown v. Board. Presented at Annual Meeting of the State Bar of Texas, panel entitled, “Brown v. Board of Education: Half a Century Later . . . Are We Half Way There?,” San Antonio, TX, June 25, 2004.

Valencia, R. Maximizing LSAC Grants to Recruit Students of Color. Presented at Annual Meeting of Law School Admission Council, panel entitled, “Utilizing LSAC Grants to Increase Minority Representation in Law Schools,” Ft. Lauderdale, FL, June 4, 2004.

Valencia, R. Mexican Americans and the Criminal Justice System. Presented at St. Mary’s University School of Law Annual Homecoming, San Antonio, TX, April 2, 2004.

Valencia, R. Latinos and the Criminal Justice System 50 Years after Hernandez v. Texas. Presented at symposium entitled “Hernandez v. Texas: 50 Years Later,” sponsored by the TEXAS JOURNAL OF HISPANIC LAW AND POLICY, The University of Texas School of Law, Austin, TX, April 1, 2004.

Valencia, R. How to Plan a Regional Program for Recruiting Minority High School and College Students to Law School. Presented at National Council of Bar Presidents Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, August 9, 2003.

Valencia, R. Sexual Harassment of Latinas. Presented at the Latina Letters Conference, “Our Bodies Ourselves,” St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, TX, July 18, 2003.

Valencia, R. Involving Faculty in the Recruitment of Students of Color. Presented at Annual Meeting of the Law School Admission Council, Las Crobas, Puerto Rico, May 30, 2002.

Valencia, R. The Enron Bankruptcy: Legal Political, and Legislative Ramifications. Presented at the San Antonio Federal Bar Association monthly luncheon, San Antonio, TX, March 20, 2002.

Valencia, R. Increasing Latino Access to Professional Schools: The Law, Engineering and Nursing and Allied Health Studies Option. Presented at the Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education Annual Meeting, Austin, TX, December 3, 2001.

Valencia, R. The White House Fellowship: Transforming Theory into Practice. Presented at Association of American Law Schools, WORKSHOP ON BANKRUPTCY panel entitled, “Coming Out of the Ivory Tower,” St. Louis, MO, May 17-19, 2001.

Valencia, R. Of Curanderos, Curanderas, Curanderismo and La Virgen de Guadalupe: Religious Epistemologies for Determining the “Rule of Law” in Mexican American Culture. Presented at the Association of American Law Schools Annual Meeting, Law and Religion Section, “Soverign Knowledge: On What Do We Base Legal Knowledge if God and Reason Are Dead as Universal Epistemologies?,” San Francisco, CA, January 6, 2001.

Valencia, R. Identifying and Meeting the Needs of a Diverse Student Body. Presented at the Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education Annual Meeting, “Latinos in Higher Education: Beyond the Demographics,” Dallas, TX, December 1, 2000.

Valencia, R. How to Plan a Regional Program for Recruiting Minority Lawyers and Law Students into Law Teaching. Presented at Association of American Law Schools Annual Meeting, “The Professional Responsibilities of Professional Schools,” New Orleans, LA, January 6-9, 1999.

Valencia, R. LatCrit Theory, Power & Separation of Powers. Presented at Third Annual Latino Critical Legal Studies Conference (“LatCrit III”), University of Miami School of Law, Miami, FL, May 7-9, 1998.

Valencia, R. Introduction to Common Business Forms and Business Issues in the United States. Presented as part of “Diplomado en Derecho Anglosajon” program sponsored by St. Mary’s University in connection with Universidad de Estudios de Posgrados en Derecho, Mexico City, Mexico, October 17-18, 1997.

Valencia, R. Introduction to the Common Business Forms in the United States. Presented as part of “Abogados de las Américas” program sponsored by St. Mary’s University School of Law in connection with La Facultad de Derechos de la Universidad Panamericana, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, March 14, 1997.

Valencia, R. Latino High School Dropouts: Is There a Constitutional Challenge? Presented as a work in progress at the first annual Latino Critical Legal Studeis Conference (“LatCrit I”) entitled, “Christening a Theory and Its Practice,” San Diego, CA, May 2-5, 1996.

Valencia, R. Hate Crimes, Hate Speech: The Legal System’s Response. Presented at symposium entitled, “Violence on Campus and Beyond,” St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, TX, March 26-28, 1996.

Valencia, R. The Business Culture of the United States and the Role of the U.S. Lawyer in Business Transactions. Presented as part of “Abogados de las Américas” program sponsored by St. Mary’s University School of Law in connection with La Facultad de Derechos de la Universidad Anáhuac, Mexico City, Mexico, April 6, 1995.

Valencia, R. Latinas and Domestic Violence. Presented at symposium entitled, “Underrepresented Women and the Law,” Boalt Hall School of Law, Berkeley, CA, November 5-6, 1994. Valencia, R. and Oyer, B. Investment Banker Fees in Bankruptcy. Presented to Dallas Association of Legal Assistants Bankruptcy Section Meeting, Dallas, TX, October 19, 1994.

Valencia, R. Latinos and the Criminal Justice System: An Overview of the Invisible/Visible Minority. Presented at symposium entitled, “Latinos and the Criminal Justice System: A View from Both Sides of the Bar,” Harvard Law School, Cambridge, MA, April 23-24, 1994.

Valencia, R. Race as a Factor in the Employment Context. Presented at conference entitled, “Shades of Grey: Race Relations in the Workforce,” Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX February 26, 1993.

Valencia, R. Cognitive Styles, Mood State and Food Choice in the Bulimic Disorder. Presented at the Seventh Annual Psychology Honors Convention, Stanford, CA, 1987.

Marshal, P., Straub, H. and Valencia, R. Accuracy of Frequency Judgment Influenced by Instructions and Presentation Rate. Presented at Southwestern Psychological Convention, Austin, TX, 1985.

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

Numerous speaking events for Hispanic Law Student Associations around the country, including Texas Tech University School of Law, University of Texas School of Law, Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, Golden Gate University School of Law, Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School, New York University School of Law, University of Kansas School of Law, and the University of Oklahoma School of Law.

Numerous speaking events at elementary, junior high and high school functions in around the country.