Lori I. Valenzuela at a glance
- Current role
- Court of Appeals Justice
- Jurisdiction
- Texas · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Lori I. Valenzuela
Court of Appeals Justice · Texas 4th Court of Appeals
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Biography
Professional career
- Justice Lori I. Valenzuela is a Republican‐party judge for Place 7 of the Texas Fourth Court of Appeals, appointed in January 2021 and re‐elected in 2024, with a career spanning trial court, prosecution, private practice, and judicial leadership roles
- Justice, Texas Court of Appeals, 4th District (San Antonio), San Antonio, TX, 2021-2022
- Presiding Judge, Texas 437th Judicial District Court, San Antonio, TX, 2019-2021
- 2009–2021: Judge, 437th Judicial District Court (Bexar County, TX)
- Presiding Judge, Texas 437th Judicial District Court, San Antonio, TX, 2015-2018
- Presiding Judge, Texas 437th Judicial District Court, San Antonio, TX, 2011-2014
- Presiding Judge, Texas 437th Judicial District Court, San Antonio, TX, 2009-2010
- Assistant District Attorney, Bexar County District Attorney's Office, TX, ?-present
- Specialized work: Co‐founder and presiding judge of a Felony Veteran’s Treatment Court
- Pre‐bench: Assistant District Attorney, Bexar County (notably prosecuting baby death cases, murders, and violent crimes) Private criminal defense law practice County magistrate
Education
- St Mary's University — J.D. (1998)
- Government — The University of Texas at Austin — 1992
- B.A. in Government, University of Texas at Austin
- St. Mary’s University School of Law — J.D.
Additional information
- Re‐election: Won the November 5, 2024 general election with 100% of the vote
- Tenure: Appointed January 11, 2021 by Governor Greg Abbott; sworn in January 22, 2021
- adj-prof, The University of Texas at San Antonio, ?-present
- Practitioner, Private Practice, TX, ?-present
- Magistrate, Texas District Courts, TX, ?-present
- Current: Pattern Jury Charge Oversight Committee
- Co‐chair, Access to Justice Commission Judicial Education Committee
- Past: Chair, Texas Center for the Judiciary Board of Directors
- Chair, Court Reporter Advisory Committee (appointed by Supreme Court of Texas)
- Board memberships include Federal Judicial Evaluation Committee, St. Peter‐St. Joseph Children’s Home, Family Service Association, Boy Scouts of America Executive Board, and Child Fatality Review Board
- Life Fellow, San Antonio Bar Foundation and Texas Bar Foundation
- Married to R. Sean McCleskey, a law enforcement officer; mother of three children.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Filing requirements
Statewide
In Texas appellate courts, attorneys must electronically file civil and criminal documents, subject to a good-cause motion; self-represented parties may e-file but are not required to do so.
Attorneys in civil cases must electronically file documents. Attorneys in criminal cases must electronically file documents except for good cause shown in a motion filed in the appellate court.Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure, Rule 9.2, Electronic Filing ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure, Rule 9.2, Electronic Filing
Texas 4th Court of Appeals
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Sources
Identity source checked July 27, 2026.
Biography sources checked October 10, 2026.
Texas Judicial Branch official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 27, 2026
View Texas Judicial Branch official judicial roster ↗CourtListener judicial biographical directory
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 2, 2026
View CourtListener judicial biographical directory ↗Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure, Rule 9.2, Electronic Filing
Statewide source · PDF · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure, Rule 9.2, Electronic Filing ↗Texas 4th Court of Appeals official directory
Identity source · HTML · Source checked October 11, 2026
View Texas 4th Court of Appeals official directory ↗