Judge Advocates Association

Brig Gen Edward F. Rodriguez, Jr., USAFR (Ret.)

Brigadier General Ed Rodriguez graduated from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in 1966 with a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (BSFS) degree. A member of Georgetown's Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), at graduation, he was commissioned in the Reserve of the United States Air Force. In 1969, General Rodriguez received a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from the University of Texas at Austin, School of Law. After law school, he clerked for a year at the U.S. Court of Claims (now the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit) in Washington, DC, and then served on active duty in the Air Force Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps, with assignments in Michigan, Vietnam and Washington, until

1974. While on active duty, he successfully prosecuted an Air Force Office of Special Investigations (the Air Force's FBI) agent for espionage. After separating from active duty, General Rodriguez associated with the Fairfax, Virginia, law firm of Boothe, Prichard & Dudley,which, through merger, ultimately became McGuireWoods, LLP. He was elected to the law firm's partnership in 1979. While with the law firm, he maintained a litigation practice handling corporate and commercial cases. Beginning in 1985, he practiced from the law firm's McLean, Virginia, office. In addition to his civilian career, after separating from active duty, Ed remained in the Air Force Reserve, retiring in 1999 in the grade of Brigadier General. His Air Force service (active duty and active reserve) totaled 29 years. General Rodriguez's military awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, three Meritorious Service Medals, Air Force Commendation Medal, two Air Force Achievement Medals, Vietnam Service Medal and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal. In 2005, the Air Force JAG Corps awarded General Rodriguez with its Special Service Award. In 1996, he left private practice to become Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel of Mitretek Systems, Inc., also in McLean, Virginia. After five years with Mitretek Systems, he started his own practice concentrating on general corporate matters, non-profit corporations, tax-exempt organizations, government contracts, and pro bono federal and state legislative efforts.

General Rodriguez currently serves on the boards of the Air Force Judge Advocate General School Foundation; the Omicron Delta Kappa Foundation (Omicron Delta Kappa is the national collegiate honor society) and the North-American Interfraternity Conference. He is president - elect of the Judge Advocates Association. General Rodriguez is a member of the Virginia State Bar and of the bars of the Supreme Court of the United States and several other federal and military courts. With respect to bar related activities, he was a member of the American Bar Association Special Committee for a Study of Legal Education and the Virginia State Bar Task Force on the Admission of Corporate Counsel.

JAA Position: President-Elect