Judge Steve Rogers’ two-decade career is full of diverse experiences across the country and even the world. But at least two things have remained the same: his passion for his faith and his conviction that everyone is created equal by God.
Judge Rogers started his law education at what is now Regent Law School, but he soon began to look for a school that would make it possible for him to work full-time in the real estate title industry as he worked towards his degree. He searched for a school he could attend at night and found Trinity.
However, it wasn’t just Trinity’s flexibility that drew Judge Rogers to Trinity. He wanted to learn about law from a Christian perspective that would prepare him to dedicate his life to serving others. He says, “I chose Trinity because of its Christian distinctive. That was the most important factor. It helped that Trinity had a part-time program because I had to work to support myself. But it was Trinity’s Christian mission that sold me.”
Trinity was pivotal in helping Judge Rogers learn how to integrate faith and work. Psalm 19 became a guide for Judge Rogers. “The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple,” Judge Rogers quotes. He continues, “Trinity provided the coursework required to take and pass the bar exam to be licensed to practice law. It also provided the opening for my faith to be a part of my legal studies. I never would have finished the required course without God’s help, and Trinity encouraged and enabled that result.”
At Trinity Law School, Judge Rogers had many eye-opening experiences that ultimately were formative in his career, but one stands out in particular. “For me, it was trial practice with Judge Daniel Lopez who won the Teacher of the Year award the year I graduated. Getting to learn and practice in his court was awesome,” he says.
Judge Rogers has enjoyed a diverse and impressive career. This year, he celebrated 20 years as a licensed attorney! During the first few years, he opened several offices doing IRC Sec 1031 exchanges, a specific type of real estate law. When his family moved back to their home state of Texas, he was hired as an in-house lawyer by a 4,000-employee company with a presence in 60 countries. He represented the CEO in a variety of cases. “I was able to get some valuable courtroom experience,” he says. Following that, he worked as an Assistant District Attorney before he ran for Fort Bend County Attorney. Although he lost that election, his campaign laid the foundation for him to successfully run for district judge two years later.
Today, Judge Rogers serves on the 268th District Court in Fort Bend County. He is running for the 14th Court of Appeals next year. He is grateful for his training at Trinity Law School, which equipped him from the beginning of his career with the skills to do the exact kind of writing required for the Court of Appeals!
Years later, Judge Rogers’ education at Trinity continues to influence him on a day-to-day level. “As a twenty-year attorney, I am now a state district judge in Texas. I can still hear the words of my professors as I analyze the cases in front of me, make conclusions about the facts, and rule on the law for one side or the other….I am an imperfect person in an imperfect world who seeks what the Lord requires of me; to do justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God (Micah 6:8),” Judge Rogers says.
Judge Rogers conveys his gratitude to everyone who donates to further the mission of Trinity Law School. He says, “When Trinity started, there was one other Christian law school in Oklahoma. Even now, Trinity is the only law school in California that puts the God of the Bible at the center of its mission and its education and inculcates the truths of our Western Judeo-Christian civilization into its students. We need Trinity now more than ever.”