About Judge Villarreal

Judge Victor Villarreal has served as Judge of Webb County Court-at-Law II for over eight years. First appointed by Webb County Commissioners Court in 2017, the people of Webb County elected him to a four-year term in 2018. He ran unopposed in 2022.

Doing more with less, he has reformed the court, eliminated a 20-year backlog of cases, and streamlined activities. Prioritizing technology, transparency, and efficiency, Judge Villarreal transformed Webb County Court-at-Law II from the worst audited court in the state to the only court in the state that has been audited at 100% compliance with guardianship laws in 2018. In 2019, the Texas Judicial Council designated Webb County Court-at-Law II a Judicial Center of Excellence–the first county court in Texas to attain the designation. During the pandemic, he planned, announced, and held the first-ever re-occurring virtual hearings and webinars in Webb County. True to his mission for transparency, he continues to broadcast court hearings live to the public on YouTube. Unsurprisingly, Court has been called ‘a pioneer’ on virtual court hearings. Judge Villarreal enjoys speaking and sharing ideas at conferences for judges, lawyers, and court professionals conferences.

From humble beginnings, Judge Villarreal was born in Laredo and was brought-up by his mother, a public school teacher, after his father died when he was only 12. One of his grandfathers was the gardener at the courthouse, and his other grandfather shined shoes and sold magazines in downtown Laredo. His uncle made and sold candy apples at the courthouse. They taught him the value of hard work and education.

He is a graduate of Texas A&M International University and was named a Distinguished Alumni in 2010. After completing internships at the National Science Foundation, the Texas House of Representatives, and the U.S. Department of State, he enrolled at the University of Texas School of Law. At UT Law, he was president of the Chicano/Hispanic Law Students’ Association, the largest of organization of its kind in the United States; and he created the Susana I. Aleman Scholarship at UT Law. As a lawyer, he served as president of the Laredo-Webb County Bar Association and created the Barbra Kazen Endowed Scholarship at Texas A&M International.

Judge Villarreal is a co-founder and the past president of Texas Latinx Judges; a commissioner on the Judicial Branch Certification Commission; a commissioner on the Judicial Commission on Mental Health; a board member of the City of Laredo Library Advisory Committee; a board member of the Juvenile Section of the State Bar of Texas; a former chair of the State Bar of Texas Hispanic Lawyers Section; and the chair of the Judicial Section of the State Bar of Texas.

Judge Villarreal is married to another Laredoan, Lorena Martinez-Villarreal. They have two beautiful daughters, Sofia, 10, and Andrea, 9. His favorite activities include reading, reading to and with his daughters, running, and traveling with his family.