Juan F. Vasquez


Juan F. Vasquez is a Senior Judge of the United States Tax Court.

Early life and education

Vasquez attended Fox Tech High School and San Antonio Junior College, where he studied Data Processing. He received of B.B.A. in Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin in 1972. After working for two years as an accountant at Coopers and Lybrand, he attended one year of law school at the State University of New York in Buffalo, ultimately earning his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 1977. Vasquez earned an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University Law School in 1978. He is also a certified public accountant.
After serving as trial attorney for the Internal Revenue Service from 1978–1982, Vasquez became a partner in the law firm of Leighton, Hood and Vasquez from 1982–87, and had a private practice as a tax lawyer in San Antonio from 1987–1995.
Vasquez has served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston Law Center, where he teaches Tax Controversy and Litigation.

Judicial career

Tax Court

Vasquez was appointed by President Bill Clinton as Judge, United States Tax Court, on May 1, 1995, for a term ending April 30, 2010. On August 5, 2010, Judge Vasquez was nominated for reappointment by President Barack Obama, but the United States Senate failed to act on the nomination. Vasquez entered senior status on May 1, 2010, and remained on senior status while awaiting Senate confirmation of his nomination for reappointment. President Obama resubmitted the nomination on January 26, 2011. Vasquez was reconfirmed on October 13, 2011, for a term ending October 12, 2026. He assumed senior status on June 24, 2018.

Admissions and activities