Honorees

Hon. Roy B. Cazares

1942-2024

Roy B. Cazares was born on March 31, 1942, in San Francisco del Oro, Chihuahua, Mexico; one of ten children.  When he was two years old, his family relocated to San Diego, eventually settling in the Shelltown neighborhood — a community whose working-class roots would shape his lifelong commitment to justice and public service.

Growing up in an underserved community and lacking direction or support to consider a college education led to him dropping out of high school and enlisting in the U.S. Army. In the U.S. Army, he earned his GED. Having scored exceptionally high on the Army’s IQ test, he was sent to German Language School at the University of Maryland and subsequently served in Munich as a forward observer. 

In 1963, following his military service, Judge Cazares returned to San Diego and enrolled at Southwestern College, later transferring to San Diego State College, where he earned his degree with distinguished honors in 1969. He then became the first Mexican-American student from San Diego State to be accepted at Harvard Law School. While at Harvard, he became the first president of the Harvard Chicano Law Student Association.

In 1975, after graduating from Harvard Law School, Judge Cazares began his legal career in the San Diego Public Defender’s office before entering private practice with Napoleon Jones, who would later be appointed to the state and federal bench.  His practice included criminal defense, along with labor law, personal injury, and civil rights litigation. He was known for taking on unpopular civil rights cases. One notable example involved successfully representing and securing the rehiring of nearly a dozen San Diego police officers of color who had been wrongly terminated.  He also served as co-counsel in City of Riverside v. Rivera, a case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1986 which established important precedent for the awarding of attorney’s fees in civil rights cases under 42 U.S.C. § 1988, thereby increasing access to legal representation for those raising constitutional right claims.  

Judge Cazares was a founder and former president of San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association, a nonpartisan law organization founded in 1976 that was organized to represent and advance the cause of equality, empowerment, and justice for the Latino community.   

In 1982, Governor Jerry Brown appointed him to the bench as a municipal judge. He subsequently rose to serve on the San Diego Superior Court, serving at the South Bay branch, where he presided with a reputation for fairness, directness, wit, and deep concern for his community.

Judge Cazares retired from the bench in 2000. He remained an active volunteer with San Ysidro Health and other community organizations throughout his retirement.

Judge Cazares passed away on January 9, 2024. The San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association honored his legacy by recognizing him as a trailblazer whose contributions left an indelible mark on both the Association and the broader San Diego community. He was a pathfinder who inspired many Latinos to careers in the law, including his niece Lisa Cisneros who was appointed to the bench in 2022 as a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Northern District of California.  The career of  Judge Cazares stands as an enduring testament to determination, service, and the pursuit of justice.

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