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Skip to content The AmpersandMenu Close Explore AcademicsDepartments & ProgramsMajors & MinorsGraduate Degrees and ProgramsStudent ResourcesGetting StartedAcademic PlanningScholarships, Fellowships & AwardsExperiential LearningGraduation & Post-Graduate AdvisingForms & PoliciesOffice of Graduate Studies in Arts & SciencesThe AmpersandAwards & NotablesCampus LifeHold That Thought podcastThe Ampersand Magazine Our EventsCommencement Performances & ShowsOur PeopleFaculty DirectoryStaff DirectoryFaculty & Staff ResourcesAwards & RecognitionCommittees & CouncilsFaculty Activity ReportingTenure & PromotionGraduate Student ResourcesOffice of Graduate Studies in Arts & SciencesDegrees and ProgramsGraduate AdmissionsArts & Sciences Strategic PlanThere are no boundaries to what you can achieve with a degree from Arts & Sciences.Apply TodayHomeAbout Arts & SciencesOur Alumni NetworkAcademic CalendarHow to giveContact Us Arts & Sciences Graduate Studies in A&SThe language of the lawBy Jenny Bird4.22.24 | Profiles, Alumni, MagazineShareWhat does it take to become a federal district judge and the longest-serving female U.S. magistrate judge in the District of Puerto Rico? For Camille L. Vélez-Rivé, AB ‘89, many skills can be traced back to her time as an Arts & Sciences undergrad. The Hon. Camille L. Vélez-Rivé, United States District Judge for the District of Puerto Rico. (Photo: Ivonne Carlo) Camille L. Vélez-Rivé first learned of WashU as a child in Puerto Rico. Her father, Dr. Enrique Vélez-García, was admitted to the Barnes-Jewish Hospital training program in 1960 for his medical internship, residency, and fellowship, and the family lived in St. Louis while he studied. She said it was unusual in those days for someone from the island to train at WashU.  “My father became the first licensed hematologist and oncologist in Puerto Rico, and, in that way, his education at WashU not only had a huge impact on our family but on Puerto Rico as well,” she said. When it came time for Vélez-Rivé and her twin sister, Lizette, to choose a university, they followed in the footsteps of their father and older brother, Enrique, who’d headed to St. Louis three years earlier to study on the Danforth (then Hilltop) campus. By then, Vélez-Rivé was already learning her third language. She grew up speaking Spanish at home, learning English in school, and was introduced to French as a young girl by her father. WashU offered a study abroad program that allowed students to spend a year in Paris, which appealed to Vélez-Rivé and her sister, who also attended WashU. A French major with a business minor, Vélez-Rivé said the patience and persistence she needed to become proficient in a third language — including writing a thesis in French while studying abroad — were some of the key skills she needed to become a judge. Her language training also taught her to listen and consider things from diverse perspectives, an essential ability when hearing two sides of an argument in a courtroom. She also credits her time in St. Louis and Paris with nurturing her independence, a critical trait for a judge. “Judicial independence means you have to persevere,” she said. “You have to be very sure of yourself without being influenced by anyone.” From WashU, Vélez-Rivé returned to Puerto Rico for law school. After clerking for now-retired Puerto Rico Supreme Court Associate Justice Francisco Rebollo-López, she went into private practice and worked in civil litigation. Like her father, whose work improved public health across the island, Vélez-Rivé ultimately decided she wanted to give back as a public servant. She became an assistant U.S. attorney in Puerto Rico, doing several years of criminal appellate work before moving to the civil division. Veléz-Rivé (left) with her twin sister, Lizette, during their study abroad year in Paris. In 2004, Vélez-Rivé was appointed a U.S. magistrate judge, a position she occupied for more than 18 years — the longest a female judge in Puerto Rico has held that role. In December 2022, President Biden commissioned her as a federal district judge, making her the fifth woman in Puerto Rican history to receive the honor. “Success for me did not happen from one day to the next,” she said. “It took many years of hard work, sacrifices, and overcoming obstacles in both my personal and my professional lives to get to where I am today.” Those challenges included navigating her two-year-old daughter’s leukemia diagnosis and treatment right after she was appointed magistrate judge. “One thing I am very proud of is that I was able to balance my personal life with my professional life,” she said. “I was able to do everything. I don’t know how, but I’m very proud of that.” Today, the family’s WashU legacy continues. Vélez-Rivé’s daughter María Elisa Aguiló is now an Arts & Sciences undergraduate studying cognitive neuroscience and Italian. Vélez-Rivé is pleased her daughter has found a home in the same rich learning environment that nurtured her family over the decades. “As good as the WashU education was 35 years ago, I think it’s even better today,” she said. The diversity of the Arts & Sciences curriculum provided an ideal launching pad for a career in public service. “I had a very well-rounded education that gave me the tools and knowledge to succeed in law.”   Jump to Top | Back to AllAbout the AuthorJenny writes about the humanities and social sciences for The Ampersand. Prior to coming to WashU, she worked in the nonprofit world, before earning her master’s degree in journalism from NYU. As a freelancer, her work has appeared in Feast and Field, St. Louis Magazine, National Geographic Magazine, and Rogue Collective. more stories from the ampersand:6.17.24James Bond: Exploring the storytelling behind the spy6.7.24Obituary: Stan H. Braude, professor of practice in Arts & Sciences, 626.3.24Seven faculty members receive inaugural Teaching Innovation Awards5.31.24Spores in the city: Why some plant diseases thrive in urban environmentsBack to AmpersandQuick LinksExplore AcademicsStudent ResourcesThe AmpersandEventsOur PeopleAbout A&SContactAcademic CalendarA&S ComputingUniversity DirectoryUniversity LibrariesInside ArtSciArts & Sciences Strategic PlanEmployment OpportunitiesCopyright 2024 by:Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. LouisFollow Arts & SciencesInstagramFacebookTwitterLinkedInYouTubeLet your curiosity lead the way.Find out how to apply and get started todayApply Now1 Brookings Drive / St. Louis, MO 63130 / wustl.edu