Born in Las Vegas, Nevada while his father as stationed in Nellis Air Force Base, Joe arrived in what would become his hometown, Donna, Texas, at the age of 2 years in 1970. He learned the value of hard work at an early age from his parents and siblings. His interest in law began early on while he served as Student Body President at Donna High School.
Upon graduating from Donna High School, Joe attended the University of Texas at Austin where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1991 with a major in government. He served as an active member of the Hispanic Business Student Association and Mexican American Student Leadership Counsel.
Joe went on to obtain his Juris Doctor from St. Mary’s University School of Law in 1994. As a second-year law student, he co-coordinated a state wide conference, “Forjando Una Comunidad: Forging One Community” bringing in speakers from across the country to discuss matters relevant to the Hispanic Community with regards to the practice of law. He was an original member of the school’s first Criminal Law Clinic and was able to try his first case as a third-year law student. He was also selected to intern at the Court of Criminal Appeals.
Joe began his career as a solo practitioner handling cases in all areas of law. He then joined the Hidalgo County District Attorney’s Office in 1999 where he tried first chair cases from misdemeanors to murders. He gained valuable trial experience which served him well in his private practice from 2001-2022, when he joined Vidaurri, Rodriguez & Reyna. Joe is fluent in Spanish and settled and tried cases to verdict in both criminal and wrongful death cases. He has been a certified mediator since 1996 and has valuable negotiations skills. His ability to understand the needs of the people in deep South Texas is evident by the strong ties he has built in the community as he assisted thousands of clients through his practice.
