The Honorable
Donavon A. Roberts (1996-1998)

Former Judge Donavon A. Roberts is a 1986 graduate of the University of New Mexico School of Law, and former 1996-98 Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court Judge. Serving in the Criminal Division, he became one of the first Drug Court Judges in the Nation. Since then, he's dedicated his legal career to representing minorities and the disadvantaged, working for Legal Aid, the Public Defenders, UNM Law School Clinic, and as Executive Director of LegalFACS, which provided free legal assisted to low-income victims of domestic violence in family law matters. He is an experienced litigator in matters ranging from complex federal death penalty jury trials to protecting victims of domestic violence and securing the rights for the injured and disabled. In 1996, Mr. Roberts received an Honorable Mention Award from the State Bar for his work in Alternative Dispute Resolution and is nationally rated AV (above average) in Martindale-Hubbell.

Previously, he created The United Minority Alliance at Jacksonville University in 1980, and revitalized BLSA at UNM Law School by securing school funding for the first time, along with on campus office space, and recruitment material and efforts for increasing minority law school enrollment. He also demanded and secured first ever school funding for the Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition, also representing the school’s inaugural 1983 team as a competitor with school teammate, the Hon. Valerie Mackie-Huling. Almost a decade later, he would coach the school’s team to the National Semi Finals of four teams in Washington D.C. As President of the NM Black Lawyers Association in 1993, he created the Johnny Cochran Scholarship for law school students with the help of vice-president, Professor, Sherri Burr, who recruited Mr. Cochran. And with Raymond Hamilton secured the ability from the State Bar to provide independent CLE in equal partnership (i.e., profit sharing) with the State Bar. He is also the recipient of the 1992 Albuquerque NAACP’s Martin Luther King Award, and 1997 Footprint Award for his legal contribution to the greater Albuquerque community.