By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business congratulates Armando Martinez, known to many as Mando Martinez, on completing his Juris Doctor degree through the nation’s first ABA-approved Online J.D. Program. His achievement marks the realization of a lifelong goal and a significant professional milestone after more than two decades of public service. Martinez grew up in Weslaco in the Rio Grande Valley and has often said, “Growing up in Weslaco in the Rio Grande Valley, I always wanted to go to law school.”
After earning his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas-Pan American in 1998, Martinez chose to delay law school and instead continued his work in public safety. “I started with the fire department, and I never left,” he said, explaining how his career as a firefighter, paramedic, flight paramedic, and instructor grew while family and work responsibilities took priority. “Life and family took over. The opportunity to go to law school never came after that.”
His experiences responding to emergencies across the region also shaped his decision to enter public office. “It bothered me that patients would have to travel hours to get specialized care,” Martinez said, describing long medical transports that could take “eight to 12 hours to get them to definitive care.” In 2004, he was elected to the Texas Legislature to represent District 39 and is now serving his ninth term, with a focus on “public education, health care accessibility and affordability, and job creation.”
Martinez said his work as a legislator eventually led him back to his original dream. “I have constituents who come in my office and are looking for assistance because they don’t know where to go,” he said. When he learned that St. Mary’s University School of Law was offering the first ABA-approved Online J.D. Program, he said, “With the program being fully online, I could get it to align with my work and legislative schedules, plus my home life.” He joined the inaugural cohort in Fall 2022 and completed the program alongside seven other students.
As Martinez prepares to take the Texas bar exam and pursue a general law practice, Texas Border Business recognizes his accomplishment as an example of persistence and service. Dean Patricia Roberts said, “He has taken full advantage of all that a St. Mary’s legal education has to offer,” and added, “His colleagues have benefited from his unique experiences.” Martinez himself summed up the journey by saying, “Receiving this degree means a lot, because it allows me to serve the community better that has given me so much.”
