Dr Jesús Sotomayor
Jesús Sotomayor, former Justice of the High Court of Justice of the State of Coahuila and Corresponding Academician for Mexico of the Royal European Academy of Doctors (READ), is the subject of a feature published on 24 October in the newspaper «El Coahuilense», which succinctly reviews his long and successful professional, teaching, and academic career and acknowledges his service to the local community. Recently appointed Chronicler of the municipality of Torreón upon completing 50 years as a lecturer at the Faculty of Law of the Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, journalist Ethel Arredondo outlines his career in seven brief and concise chapters.
Sotomayor has, in fact, built an extensive career as a jurist, lecturer, and researcher. He served as Dean of the Faculty of Law at the aforementioned university and established the first postgraduate law programmes in Coahuila and Durango. After a long trajectory presiding over various courts, he was appointed Justice of the High Court of Justice, a responsibility he combined with legal scholarship and the publication of numerous historical and outreach works, including his own autobiography.
As Arredondo explains, his interest in understanding the past and the law began in childhood when, inspired by his teachers, he developed a passion for history and later for the Constitution during his preparatory studies. After graduating from the Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Sotomayor accepted the challenge of becoming a judge at the age of 24 and, over more than three decades, held various positions within the Judiciary of Coahuila—from public defender to Justice of the High Court—adjudicating civil, criminal, and family cases.
The report continues by noting that he distinguished himself as a lecturer for more than 50 years at the Faculty of Law, teaching subjects such as Agrarian Law and Notarial Law. His teaching work is complemented by the publication of around thirty books on law and history, many of which are used as reference texts at Mexican universities. Sotomayor also devoted significant efforts to recovering and disseminating the historical memory of Coahuila, including topics such as local foundations, emblematic figures, and key events in regional history. “His work as a chronicler is voluntary and carried out with the conviction that history belongs to the people who live it,” the journalist states.
On a personal level, the jurist highlights his pride in his family—four children who are professionals and members of the judicial system—as well as his collection of more than three thousand books. His legacy combines the practice of justice, tireless teaching, and the preservation of cultural memory, consolidating him as an influential figure in the legal and cultural life of Coahuila, the article concludes.
