Home » Our People » Cynthia E. Hujar Orr

Cynthia Eva Hujar Orr

Cynthia E. Hujar Orr Office: 210-226-1463 Fax: 210-226-8367 Email: Cynthia@GoldsteinOrr.Law

Cynthia Orr is Board Certified in both Criminal Law and Criminal Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Cynthia Eva Hujar Orr has attained national prominence defending citizens and entities in state and federal trial and appellate courts. She is Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Criminal Law and Criminal Appeals. She serves on the Texas Board of Law Examiners and and is the Criminal Justice Act Representative for the Western District of Texas.

She is the current President of the International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law where she leads the Society’s international law conferences and the presentation and study of reforms in criminal law globally. She has earned the profound respect of her colleagues in the United States who elected her to Chair of the American Bar Association (ABA) Criminal Justice Section in 2014.

Cynthia was President of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers from 2009-2010 and is currently the President of its Criminal Justice Foundation that supports criminal justice education and reforms nationally. She was President of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association in 2003, and became the founding President of the San Antonio Criminal Defense Lawyers Association in 1999. She currently serves on the Board of Governors for the Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit.

In the local community, Cynthia is chair of the San Antonio Bar Association Criminal Law Section and its Federal Courts Committee. She is also the CJA Panel Rep for the Western District of Texas. She was also inducted as a Fellow in the American Board of Criminal Lawyers in 2018. She has been a Texas Super Lawyer for twenty years as determined by Thompson Reuters from 2003 t0 2023 and was chosen as the top one percent among lawyers by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel in 2023. Cynthia is listed in The Best Lawyers in America as recognized by BL Rankings and is listed as the Best 100 Trial Lawyers in Texas by The National Trial Lawyers. She has an AV rating by Martindale Hubbell.

She is a member of the San Antonio Greater Chamber of Commerce. Cynthia is an inductee into the San Antonio Woman’s Hall of Fame for Law. She is co- founder of the Texas Innocence Network, the San Antonio Minority Business Accelerator and the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce Women’s Opportunity Week.

Cynthia obtained the first confession of error by the State of Texas in a death penalty case. She was counsel on the Amicus brief in CNN vs. General Manuel Noriega before the United States Supreme Court where she successfully defended this unpopular defendant’s attorney-client privilege and won Moreno -Gonzalez vs. U.S., No. 07-400 (2008) in the United Supreme Court holding that the mere hiding of money transported across the border does not constitute money laundering. She is most active advocating criminal justice reforms. More recently she joined with SABA, the San Antonio and Hispanic Chambers of commerce and the ABA to advocate for health care reform and achieved Medicare coverage for lymphedema care that begins on January 1, 2024.

A 1979 undergraduate of the University of Texas at Austin and 1988 graduate of St. Mary’s University Law School, Cynthia began her career clerking for “Retired” Fifth Circuit Judge Emilio Garza when he was on the District Court bench in San Antonio, Texas. She is proficient in trial, appeals, writs of habeas corpus, petitions for discretionary review, writs of certiorari, mandamus, and prohibition. Her breadth of experience with each vehicle compliments her other strengths, making her an effective and experienced advocate.

Detailed Biography – Table of Contents

Award Photos
Leadership Roles
Areas of Practice
Credentials and Experience
Representative Cases
- Pro Bono Activities

Photos of Cynthia Orr’s Honors and Awards

Scene in S.A. Women In Law 2024

Best Lawyers 2023 2023

National Association of Distinguished Counsel 2023

Recognized by Best Lawyers as recognized by BL Rankings 2023

San Antonio Chamber of Commerce

Top Ranking Criminal Defense Attorney

The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 – Criminal Defense

San Antonio Best Female Lawyer – Scene In S.A. 2021

See More Photos of Cynthia Orr’s Honors and Awards

Cynthia Orr’s Leadership Roles

President of the International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law (ISRCL).

Chair of the American Bar Association (ABA) Criminal Justice Section.

Past President (2009-2010) of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL).

Past President (2003) of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (TCDLA).

Founding Member and first President (1999) of the San Antonio Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (SACDLA).

Areas of Practice

Some of her past clients have been under investigation for the following types of charges:

antitrust;
money laundering;
RICO (Racketeering in Corrupt Organizations);
economic espionage;
a wide variety of fraud cases (including foreign bank fraud, bank fraud, bankruptcy fraud, insurance fraud, healthcare fraud, tax fraud, securities fraud, computer and internet fraud, credit card fraud, phone and telemarketing fraud, mail fraud, government fraud, financial fraud);
Bank Secrecy Act violations;
money transfer business violations;
tax evasion;
economic and cyber-crime violations;
campaign contribution and election code violations;
public corruption;
insider trading;
bribery;
kickbacks;
counterfeiting;
embezzlement;
trade secret theft;
ITAR;
EAR and munitions violations;
environmental violations; and
import or export offenses and forfeiture.

Credentials and Experience

Bar Admissions

Texas, 1989
U.S. District Court Western District of Texas, 1989
U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, 1990
U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1990
U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas, 1991
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas, 1991
U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 1992
U.S. Supreme Court, 1992
U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1996
U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 2004
Board of Law Examiners for the Texas State Bar Association

Education

St. Mary’s University School of Law, San Antonio, Texas, 1988 J.D.
University of Texas, Austin, Texas, 1979 B.B.A. Baylor University, Waco, Texas

Fraternities/Sororities

Delta Gamma Phi Alpha Delt

Honors and Awards

Texas Super Lawyers as recognized by Thompson Reuters, Texas Monthly, 2003 – Present
Won First Confession of Error in a Capital Murder Case in TX, 2000
Inducted into the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame in Law, 2006
Best Lawyers in America White Collar Crime & Appellate, 2006 – 2009
Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Texas, American Association for Justice, 2007 – Present
Best Lawyers in America, 2005 – Present
Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association Presidential Award, 1994 – 1998, 2000-2001, 2003, 2012, 2021, 2022
Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association Board Resolution re: Cynthia Hujar Orr’s contribution to justice in the United States, July 31, 2009
Presidential Recognition by National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 1999 – 2004, 2007-2008
San Antonio Bar Association Presidential Award, 1998
San Antonio Bar Association Presidential Award “Outstanding Service”, 2010
San Antonio Business Journal: Women’s Leadership Award for Mentoring, 2009
Featured in Texas Monthly by Thompson Reuters Chosen as a Texas Super Lawyer by Peers, 2003 – Present
Featured in Scene in SA Monthly Chosen as One of the Best Lawyers in San Antonio by Peers, 2004 – Present
AV Rated by Martindale-Hubble, 2006 – Present
Recipient of the first Minuteman Strike Force Award by the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, 2012
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Robert Heeney Award 2014
Recipient of the first Spirit of Justice Award by the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, 2012
St. Mary’s School of Law Distinguished Law Graduate 2019
American Bar Association, Criminal Justice Section, Charles English Award 2021
Texas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Hall of Fame 2022
National Association of Distinguished Counsel, recognized and top one percent of lawyers 2023

Professional Associations and Memberships

San Antonio Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Founder, Past President 1999
Federal Courts Committee –1999-Present, Criminal Justice Act Representative for the Western District of Texas
The San Antonio Greater Chamber of Commerce
American Bar Association, 1988 – Present
- Chair, Criminal Justice Section, 2014
- Representative, House of Delegates for NACDL, 2011 – Present
- Criminal Justice Section Ad Hoc Innocence Committee to Ensure the Integrity of the Criminal Process, 2002-2008
Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, President 2003 – 2004
- On the Board of Directors of Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Education Institute
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 1988 – Present
- President, 2009 – 2010
- Current President Criminal Justice Foundation
William S. Sessions American Inn of Court, 2001 – Present
Texas Innocence Network, Co-Founder, 2000
Current President International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law
Board of Law Examiners-2015 to present
Texas State Bar Grievance Committee District 10, Panel 3 Chair
Bar Association for the Federal Fifth Circuit, Board of Governors

Practice Certifications

Board Certified, Criminal Law, 1994, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Board Certified, Criminal Appellate Law, 2011, Texas Board of Legal Specialization

Published Works

Extending Justice: Strategies to Increase Inclusion and Reduce Bias by Bernice B. Donald and Sarah E. Redfield, 2022
The State of Criminal Justice, American Bar Association, 2009
The State of Criminal Justice, American Bar Association, 2008
The ABA Criminal Justice Standards for the Defense and Prosecution Function, American Bar Association, 2009
Lost Power, Texas Lawyer, December 22, 2003
Defending the Right to Defend, July/August, 2003
After All, We Are Professionals, September, 2003
The High Court Should Strike Down Laws Effecting a Power Grab by the Attorney General, October, 2003
Thank You Sir, May I Have Another?, November, 2003
We Don’t Need No Stink’n Privilege, December, 2003
The “War on Drugs” and Other Follies, January/February, 2004
Where Is The Court Going With the Fourth Amendment? Search Me…, April, 2004
We Take No Note of Time But From Its Loss, May, 2004
Evolving Standards of Decency: Support for the Death Penalty Is Waning and Habeas, Federal Court Review of New Evidence Procedurally Barred As An Abuse, Court of Criminal Appeals, June, 2004
Achieving Justice: Freeing the Innocent, Convicting the Guilty, Report of the ABA Criminal Justice Section’s Ad Hoc Innocence Committee to Ensure the Integrity of the Criminal Process

Presentations / Lectures

The Post-Postville Conference, September 18, 2008, Kansas City, MO; Topic: Ethical Considerations Governing Multiple Representations, sponsored by The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, The American Immigration Lawyers Association, The National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild, the American Civil Liberties Union Immigrants’ Rights Project and the Federal Public Defender for the District of Kansas City, Mo.

Defending Drug Cases Seminar, November 13-14, 2008, Houston, TX; Topic: Forfeiture, sponsored by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Defense Champions at Battle: Charging the Line, August 22-23, 2008, Nashville, TN (attachment is closing.arguments.pdf); Topic: Closing: It is YOUR Battlefield, YOUR Win, sponsored by the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Lecturer for

TCDLA Rusty Duncan Conference
American Bar Association
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
North Dakota Defense Lawyers Association
Louisiana Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
Kentucky Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Ohio State Bar Association
Nevada Bar Association
Federal Bar Association
Federal Public Defenders in Texas and California
National Association of Women Lawyers
CJA Panel Training for Federal Public Defenders
Texas State Bar Advanced Criminal Law Course
San Antonio Bar Association
San Antonio CPA Society
Hays County Bar Association
Nueces County Bar Association
Hidalgo County Bar Association
San Antonio Paralegal Association
Bexar County Women’s Bar Association
Administrative Office for the United States Courts, Criminal Justice Act Lawyers Conference
St Mary’s Law School
Austin Criminal Defense Lawyers Association

Topics for Speeches

Women’s Caucus
Combating Implicit Jury Bias
Destroying Government Snitches on Cross
US Sentencing Commission
The Texas State Bar Advanced Criminal Law Program
Bexar County Women’s Bar
Discovery, Brady and the Michael Morton Act
U.S. Supreme Court Update
Innocence Project and Post-Conviction Habeas
Ethical Considerations Governing Multiple Representations
War in the Courtroom: State v. Pierce & Its Lessons for All Lawyers (State and Federal)
Forfeiture
Closing: It is YOUR Battlefield, YOUR Win
Mortgage Fraud
Advising Business Clients: Avoiding Becoming a Co-Conspirator
Federal Defenses
Technology in the Courtroom
There is Nothing Sexy Under Those Lab Coats: The Emperor has no Hard Science
Unpatriotic Acts
Criminal Justice After 9/11: How the Rules Have Changed
The Law of Voir Dire
Pre-trial Motions, Discovery
How to Spot a Sham
Spotting Junk Science and Bad Experts
Expert Witnesses
Confessions
100 Exonerations
Preservation of Error
The Patriot Act
Ethics and the Death Penalty
Federal and State Writs of Habeas Corpus
Search and Seizure
Search and Seizure in White Collar Cases
Why We Do What We Do

Sworn Testimonies

U.S. Sentencing Guidelines – testimony before the United States Sentencing Commission – March 17, 2010
Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Provisions Under Federal Law – testimony before the United States Sentencing Commission – May 27, 2010

Outstanding Achievements

Obtained the first Confession of Error by the State of Texas in a death penalty case, Miguel Angel Martinez vs. Gary Johnson, No. L-98-37 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Laredo Division, underlying case – State of Texas vs. Miguel Angel Martinez, Cause No. K-91-294-D3 in the 341st Judicial District Court, Webb County, Laredo, Texas.
Successful before the U.S. Supreme Court with regards to money laundering in Moreno -Gonzalez vs. U.S., No. 07-400 (2008).
Practice primarily devoted to defending citizens accused of crime in State and Federal Trial and Appellate Courts (90% of practice devoted to criminal defense work) and approximately 20% of our firm’s work is pro bono.
On October 4, 2011, along with the Innocence Project, Inc. of New York, was instrumental in gaining the release of an innocent man, Michael Morton, who was convicted in 1987 for the murder of his wife, in Williamson County, Texas.

Representative Cases

Moreno-Gonzales vs. U.S., No. 07-400 (U.S. Supreme Court 2008)
U.S. vs. White, 258 F.3d 374 (5th Cir. 2001)
State of Texas vs. Julian Hernandez, No. 89-CR-3036-B (Bexar County, Texas) dismissed capital murder charges, convicted of assault
State of Texas vs. Powell, No. 911, 524 (Travis County, Texas) overturned capital murder conviction
State of Texas vs. Heredia, No. 90-CR-6371 (Bexar County, Texas) dismissed capital murder case
State of Texas v. Millard Farmer, et al,. Cr., No, 92-415, 861 and 92-425, 862 (72nd Judicial District Court, Lubbock County, Texas)
In re Grand Jury Proceedings, Jean Auclair (Burton), No. 92-1116 (United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit)
U.S. v. Wilder, 15 F. 3d 1292 (5th Cir. 1994)
Mauldin v. Coats, 1989 WL 139110 (Tex.App.-Tyler 1989)
State of Texas vs. Martinez, No. 71-481 (Webb County, Texas) overturned death penalty, changed to life sentence
State of Texas vs. Moseley, No. 21-9234 (Gregg County, Texas)
State of Texas vs. Armstrong, No. 92-CR-6425 (Bexar County, Texas) won capital murder case, convicted of robbery
Ex parte Pedro Solis Sosa, No. W2 7729 (Atascosa County, Texas) overturned death penalty on Atkins claim
Oscar Goodman, Witness-Petitioner vs. U.S. (Supreme Court 1993)
Millard Farmer, et al. vs. Randall Sherrod, et al., No. 2:93-CV-0017-J (United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas) obtained permanent injunction of bad faith state prosecutions
U.S. vs. William Paul Covington (Moffitt/Zwerling), Cr. No. 91-00425-A (United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia)
John Doe, John Doe 1, John Doe II through John Doe VIII vs. U.S. (United States District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee)
Cable News Network, Inc., et al. vs. Manuel A. Noriega, et al., No’s. A-370 and 90-767 (Supreme Court of the United States 1990) successfully defended Noriega’s right to attorney client privileged calls
U.S. vs. David Z. Chesnoff, No. 91-17-H-CCL (United States District Court for the District of Montana)
In re Grand Jury Subpoena for Attorney Representing Criminal Defendant Jose Evaristo Reyes-Requena (DeGuerin), 926 F.2d 1423 (5th Cir. 1991)
U.S. vs. Jose Orlando Lopez, et al., No. CR 89 0687 (United States District Court, Northern District of California)
U.S. vs. In re Grand Jury Subpoena for Attorney Dan C. Guthrie (District Court, Criminal Court No. 2, Dallas County, Texas)
U.S. vs. B.B., No. 5:93-CR-056-C (Northern District of Texas, Lubbock Division )
In re Grand Jury Proceedings, No. SA-94-CR-69
U.S. v. Hemmingson, 157 F.3d 347 (5th Cir. 1998)
U.S. v. Martin, No. SA-95-CR-059 (Northern District of Texas, Amarillo Division)
State vs. Moreno, No. 90-CR-6371 (Bexar County, Texas) Acquittal on capital murder charge
Ex parte Cathcart, No. 04-98-00231-CR (Bexar County, Texas)
U.S. v. Richter, No. 2:97-CR-20048-001 (United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois)
U.S. v. P.L. (Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division)
U.S. v. White, 258 F.3d 374 (5th Cir. 2001) overturned weapon charge by person with domestic violence conviction
U.S. vs. B.W. (Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division)
U.S. vs. Moreno-Gonzalez, No. 05-14475 (11th Circuit 2007) overturned one count
U.S. vs. Barry, WL 2116426, C.A.5 (Tex.), NO. 05-20838 (2007)
U.S. vs. JW (2009)
State vs. Smith (2008)
State vs. Smith (2009)
U.S. vs. Rana, No. MO: 04-CR-00003 (ND Texas 2007) time served sentence
In re Zapata, No. 01-CR-3607-W1 (2007) overturned sexual assault of children convictions
State of Texas v. Zapata, No. 2001-CR-3607 (290th Judicial District Court, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas)
Davis vs. Zain, No. SA-94-CA-0094 (Bexar County, Texas)
Ex Parte Overton, WR-75,804-02 (Tex. Crim. App. 2014) reversed capital murder life conviction
State v. Overton, 06-CR-3624-F (Nueces County 2015) capital murder case dismissed on remand and exoneration entered
State v. Tyler Clay, (Texas App.-Waco 2022) won reversal of capital murder conviction
State v. Tyler Clay, No. 2017-1854-CR (McClennen County, Texas 2022) obtained dismissal of capital murder life case and got plea to time served on lesser charge on remand
United States v. Wissam Allouche, SA- 13-CR- 420(WD Texas 2015) won terrorism trial
United States v. Wissam Allouche, 15-504409 (5th Cir. Court of Appeals. 2017) won false statement conviction and restored naturalized citizenship
United States v. Farthing, SA-17-CR- 00380(WD Texas. 2019) won bribery and money laundering trial
United States v. Albert Diaz, 2017 Cr 00031 (SD Miss 2017) obtained compassionate release for Dr. Diaz

Pro Bono Activities

State vs. Estrada, 2008 – Present
State v. Martinez, 1991 – 2000
State v. Sosa, 1995 – Present