Attorney Rob Villeza
Los Angeles, CA – The Philippine American Bar Association (PABA) congratulates Assistant United States Attorney Rob Villeza on his appointment to the Los Angeles Superior Court. On November 12, 2014, California Governor Jerry Brown appointed Judge Villeza to a judgeship in the largest unified trial court in the United States.
Judge Villeza was the recipient of PABA’s Trailblazer of the Year Award in 2013. “Judge Villeza’s appointment is deeply significant to us,” said Hildy Aguinaldo, PABA President. “As a skillful and experienced lawyer committed to public service and justice, he represents the very best of our community. We are extremely pleased that Governor Brown appointed a well-qualified and ethical attorney to serve as a judicial officer in Los Angeles County, one of the most challenging, dynamic, and diverse communities in the nation, as well as the home of more than half a million Filipino Americans.”
Judge Villeza has served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Central District of California for more than twenty years. A veteran federal prosecutor, he is currently the Deputy Chief of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Section, where he prosecutes and investigates drug trafficking and money laundering cases. As Deputy Chief, he also supervises and mentors numerous prosecutors, law students, and interns.
The trajectory of Judge Villeza’s path to the Superior Court bench exemplifies the American Dream. His humble beginnings are both distinctly Filipino American and Californian. Raised by Filipino American parents in Echo Park, he was the first in his family to complete graduate school and to become a lawyer. Judge Villeza is a proud graduate of Southern California public schools: John Marshall High, Pasadena City College, CSU Los Angeles, and UCLA Law School. Before he became a prosecutor in 1991, he practiced civil litigation for several years in both California and Hawaii at the law firms Graham & James LLP (now Squire Patton Boggs LLP) and Cades Schutte LLP.
The Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles (APABA) also applauds Judge Villeza’s appointment, which the organization strongly supported. “Through APABA’s vetting process, we came to know Rob as a highly respected, intelligent, hard-working figure in the legal community, with the calm demeanor required for the bench,” stated Christina Yang, Co-Chair of APABA’s Public Appointments and Judicial Endorsements Committee.
PABA commends Governor Brown for appointing Judge Villeza to the Los Angeles Superior Court.
PABA serves the community of Filipino American lawyers and law students in Southern California. For more information about PABA, please visit www.pabala.org.