Abe López
(45 pages)
Listen to the interview
Biography:
Born in La Mesa, Texas, in 1943. Mr. López is District Judge for the 108th District Court in Amarillo, Texas. He received his B.A. in history from Texas Tech University and his law degree from the Georgetown University School of Law in Washington, D.C.
Interview Summary:
The interview begins with Mr. López's family history and genealogy. He talks about traveling about with his family as migrant workers in the American Southwest when he was young. Mr. López explains that he got involved in legal work following college graduation when he accepted a position as a juvenile probation officer and describes those experiences that built his interest in law and resulted in his subsequent decision to attend law school at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He elaborates upon his exposure to other minorities such as Jews and blacks while at law school and relates how he saw that as a positive experience. He compares and contrasts his legal career experiences as a county prosecuting attorney, Assistant District Attorney, private practice attorney, and judge, and he describes the justice system of court appointments in Amarillo. He concludes the interview with a discussion about Mexican American political organization activities in the Amarillo area, the characteristics of leadership, and his opinion that the most pressing issues for Mexican Americans today are the high school drop out rate among Hispanics and teen pregnancy among Mexican American girls.
Locations of residence or activity:
Amarillo
Interview Date:
2/26/1998