Carlos E. Mendoza
United States District Judge, Middle District of Florida
Photo by Steve Branyon.
I consider it the privilege of a lifetime that the WVU College of Law saw fit to admit me as a member of the class of 1997. I will always be thankful for that.”
BY KEVIN DUVALL.“ If you can dream— and not make dreams your master; if you can think— and not make thoughts your aim; if you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same....”
Carlos Mendoza, U. S. district judge for the Middle District of Florida, calls these words by Rudyard Kipling his recipe for life. From his time as a combat-decorated Marine to his appointment as a federal district judge, Mendoza has embodied Kipling’ s sense of stoicism and control of his destiny.
Mendoza was nominated to his position as a district judge by President Barack Obama in February 2014 after being endorsed by Senators Marco Rubio( R-FL) and Bill Nelson( D-FL). In June 2014, he was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 94-0.
Mendoza’ s work as a judge is the latest in a long history of public service. He enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corps in 1989 after graduating from high school and served for two years in operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield. Mendoza’ s time in combat had a profound effect on his life.
“ I came to terms with my own mortality at the age of 19,” says Mendoza.“ Very little rattles me, and since my return from combat in 1991, I feel as if I have been playing the game of life with house money. Every day is a gift, and life is precious. I think it makes me a better judge and a better person.”
After returning to the U. S. in 1991, Mendoza stayed with the Marine Corps Reserve as a corporal while attending the College of Central Florida where he earned an associate’ s degree. Mendoza attended West Virginia University( WVU) for his final
two years of college, earning his bachelor’ s degree in political science in 1993. He remained a member of the Marine Corps Reserve until 1995.
Mendoza received his Juris Doctor from the WVU College of Law in 1997. During law school, he was a member of the National Trial Advocacy Team and the Men’ s Law Caucus. Upon graduating, he was inducted into the Order of the Barristers. Mendoza felt tremendous passion for the law and for his fellow lawyers.
“ The most important experience I gained from law school was the confidence that came from feeling that I belonged and that there was something positive I could contribute to the time-honored profession of the practice of law,” he says.“ Also, the friendships you develop in law school are priceless. I remain in contact with many of
Mendoza mobilizing for the Gulf War in 1990. Photo by Amparo Mendoza. my classmates, and we never grow tired of talking about all of the great times we had while working toward graduation.”
Mendoza also feels a special connection to West Virginia because his time in Morgantown marked a major turning point in his career.
“ I consider it the privilege of a lifetime that the WVU College of Law saw fit to admit me as a member of the class of 1997. I will always be thankful for that,” he says.“ West Virginia is where I got my chance. My wife grew up there, and I consider it one of the most important building blocks in my professional life.”
After law school, Mendoza utilized his military and legal experience to become a judge advocate in the Judge Advocate General’ s( JAG) Corps of the U. S. Navy. Mendoza was commissioned as a second lieutenant and served in the JAG Corps until 2005. He recalls his naval experience as playing an important role in his development as a person.
“ While the Marine Corps taught me to fear absolutely nothing, the Navy taught me to be both an officer and a gentleman. Both experiences have proven to be quite valuable,” he says.“ The JAG Corps was an opportunity to learn how to be part of a legal team and apply those teambuilding skills to provide a very pure form of legal representation for families sacrificing everything to serve our nation.”
Over the course of his 14-year military career, Mendoza received many awards, including the Department of Justice Seal in recognition of exemplary service, four Navy / Marine Corps Commendation Medals, a Letter of Commendation, Junior Officer
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