Josefina Rendón is a leader and a pioneer in her profession. Her professional history is one of many firsts. More than 30 years ago, in 1977, Josefina became one of Houston's first Hispanic women attorneys. While still practicing law, she was appointed by Mayor Jim McConn as Houston's first woman Civil Service Commissioner in 1980. As commissioner and later vice-chair of the commission, Josefina heard appeals of City of Houston's employment decisions including decisions by the Houston Police and Fire Departments. Soon after, in 1983, Mayor Kathy Whitmire appointed her as one of Houston's first Hispanic women judges.
For 12 years Josefina was the Judge of Houston's Municipal Court #5 where she presided over hundreds of trials. In the late 1980's Josefina discovered mediation and alternative dispute resolution after ordering referrals to mediation. Mediation and ADR in general provided different, more peaceful ways of resolving disputes than the more adversary court proceedings.
In 1993, Josefina became a pro bono volunteer mediator, helping resolve disputes from other courts at no charge after business hours at the Dispute Resolution Center of Harris County. Two years later, she became an Associate Municipal Judge (part time) in order to dedicate more time to the practice of mediation.
Because of her dedication, excellence and hard work, Josefina has been reappointed to the Municipal Courts 12 times under four Houston mayors to serve a total of 25 years as Municipal Judge.
Not only has Josefina been involved in the pursuit of alternative means of dispute resolution, but she has also excelled in legal scholarship. As such she was the chairperson of the State Bar of Texas - ADR section Publications Committee 2003-2005 as well as Editor of The Texas Mediator (1999-2004). She is also a former member of the Texas Bar Journal and the Houston Lawyer editorial boards.
Josefina is now ready for the opportunity to serve Harris County and Texas as the next judge of the 165th Civil District Court.
Josefina Rendón - Attorney, Mediator
Judge Rendón has been an attorney for over 30 years. She has been providing mediation services in Houston for fourteen years, working with lawyers, courts, and government agencies to meet the needs of individual, corporate, and governmental clients. As a bilingual mediator with both training and experience working with multicultural clients, she brings invaluable expertise to the process of dispute resolution. She is past president of the Texas Association of Mediators and has served as editor of The Texas Mediator.
Her client base includes attorneys and parties in Houston, Galveston, Pasadena, Beaumont, La Porte, League City, Port Arthur, and Texas City. She has also conducted mediations for the U.S. Army, Air Force and Navy, as well as the Defense Logistics Agency. She also works closely with several government agencies including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's offices in Texas and Louisiana and the U.S. Postal Services to provide mediation services.
Judge Rendón's cooperative process style and "successful outcome approach" to civil law makes her uniquely qualified for the office that she is currently seeking in the 165th Civil District Court.
Judge Rendón is a prolific author of many articles for the numerous publications listed below. Please take time to read them and learn more about her and her approach to civil litigation.
Publications by J.M. Rendón
Civil Litigation Mediation
- “Winning the Auto Case Through Mediation” South Texas School of Law Automobile Injury Conference Manual, March 2001).
- “’Going Postal’: A New Definition and Model for Employment ADR” The Houston Lawyer Jan/Feb 2000 (with Judy Dougherty).
- "Drafting the Agreement" The Texas Mediator, vol. 15:2 (2000).
- "Six Thinking Hats in Mediation" The Texas Mediator vol 14:1 (2000).
Family Mediation
- “Mediation and Other Family Dispute Resolution Alternatives” Chapter in Handbook of Alternative Dispute Resolution, 3rd edition (K.E. Elliot & F.W Elliot, editors) State Bar of Texas, Imprimatur Press, 2003. (with Judy Dougherty).
- “Collaborative Law: What it Means to Texas Mediators” Alternative Resolutions, Oct. 2001. (with J.K. Dougherty)
- “Models, Styles and The Process of Family Mediation” Alternative Resolutions, June 2001. (with J.K. Dougherty)
- “Parties in Family Mediation: Present but Away or Away but Present” The Texas Mediator, vol. 15:3 (2000).
- “Children First: A Collaborative Mediation Program” The Houston Lawyer, May/June 2000.
Diversity and Mediation
- Spanish Speaking Participants in Mediation: Past Present & Future at Texas DRC’s, The Texas Mediator, Fall 2002. (with C.I. Gomez & W.A. Wright).
- “Mediating With Interpreters” Alternative Resolutions (publication of the Texas Bar- ADR Section), March 2002.
- “When You Can’t Get Through To Them: Cultural Diversity in Mediation” Alternative Resolutions, Jan. 2000.
- “Under the Justice Radar? Prejudice in Mediation and Settlement Negotiations”, Thurgood Marshall Law Review (2005)
Victim-Offender Mediation
- " Mediación entre Víctima y Ofensor," Peruvian Association for Negotiation, Arbitration and Conciliation (APENAC).
- "The Who, What and Where of Referring Cases to Mediation" The Municipal Court Recorder (Texas Municipal Courts Education Center) Fall 1997.
Other Articles about Mediation & Dispute Resolution
- “Metaphors in Mediation” The Texas Mediator, vol. 13:4 (1999).
- "Volunteering in Acronyms: HBA Members Doing ADR for the DRC" The Houston Lawyer, May/June 1998.
- "Partners in Peer Mediation," The Houston Lawyer Mar/April 1997.
- "Blessed are the Lawyers," The Lookout Oct. 22, 1995 (about attorneys in mediation).
