Francisco Domenech
Encyclopedia
Francisco J. Domenech is the former Director of the Office of Legislative Services of Puerto Rico
(2005–2008).
(DNC) by virtue of his position with the Young Democrats of America
(YDA.) As such, he is one of 796 persons nationwide, seven of which live in Puerto Rico, who could have been called upon to determine who would be the 2008 Democratic presidential nominee before Senator Barack Obama
clinched the nomination on June 3, 2008.
, a national network of young professionals and students. He also served as Deputy Coordinator of Sen. Clinton's successful primary campaign in Puerto Rico, where she polled a 68-32 margin over Sen. Obama in the June 1, 2008 presidential primary. In 2004 Mr. Domenech was a delegate to the 2004 Democratic National Convention
, where he served as one of the whips for the Puerto Rico Delegation. Prior to this, in May 2003 he became the founding President of the Puerto Rico Young Democrats (PRYD). During his tenure as President of the PRYD's, Domenech led a team of 14 young Puerto Rican professionals in Central Florida that campaigned for the Kerry/Edwards ticket. At the end of November 2004, Domenech also organized and hosted YDA's Fall National meeting in San Juan. In 2010 he was reelected for his third and last time as YDA's Democratic National Committeeman. Once his current term ends, he will be ineligible by age for reelection.
in the case of Igartúa De La Rosa v. United States of America. His participation was hailed by some commentators in the Puerto Rico media as outstanding. He has been involved in complex litigations that have reached both Puerto Rico's Supreme Court, as well as the Federal District Court. He has also appeared before Puerto Rico's Supreme Court, as well as its Court of Appeals.
In 2005 he was appointed jointly by Senate of Puerto Rico
President Kenneth McClintock
and Puerto Rico House of Representatives Speaker José Aponte
as Director of the Office of Legislative Services of Puerto Rico
, the local legislative equivalent of the United States Congress' Congressional Research Service
with a staff of about 120 and a budget of $10 million. During his tenure, he streamlined the staff, expanded the Office's Tomás Bonilla Legislative Library, including access to the blind and the physically handicapped, operated a 100-intern Summer program three years in a row, and turned budget surpluses during four consecutive fiscal years.
He currently maintains a governmental affairs practice in Puerto Rico.
, Río Piedras campus, (UPR) first in 1999 when he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, and then in 2003 when he obtained his Juris Doctor degree from UPR's School of Law. During his years at UPR, Domenech was President of the General Student Body Council during the 1999-2000 academic year, a position that had never been held by a statehooder before or since him.During that same year he served as an Academic Senator before the UPR Río Piedras campus Academic Senate. Prior to that, from 1998 to 1999, Domenech was UPR's College of Social Sciences Student Body President.
Academically, Domenech was a twice participant (2002 & 2003) in the international rounds of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition
on behalf of UPR's School of Law. He ranked in the top 15% of oralist. Since then he has served as a judge at the international round levels of the competition held in Washington D.C. Additionally, Domenech has lectured on the right to freedom of expression both under US and international law, research prior to drafting a bill, how to draft a bill, how a bill becomes law, and the Puerto Rico legislative process.
, an engineer, who was a member of the first Puerto Rico House of Representatives after the Spanish American War of 1898, and was reelected in 1902 and 1904. During 1904 he served as Mayor for the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico
. In 1914 he was appointed to serve as Commissioner of the Interior, becoming one of the first Puerto Ricans to hold an officer's position in the Cabinet which was appointed by President of the United States. Also, he was later appointed as Treasurer of Puerto Rico serving in this capacity from 1930-1935. Unlike his great grand nephew, Manuel Domenech was a very active member of the Republican Party of Puerto Rico attending the 1928 Republican National Convention
as an alternate delegate.
Mr. Domenech is also a second cousin of the Commonwealth of Virginia's Secretary of Natural Resources, Douglas Domenech
who served in the Bush Administration as Deputy Chief of Staff for the United States Department of the Interior
.
Office of Legislative Services of Puerto Rico
The Office of Legislative Services of Puerto Rico was created on January 27, 1954 to provide research, translation, library and legislative drafting services to all members of the Puerto Rico Legislative Assembly. Its duties are similar to those of the Congressional Research Service.The Office is...
(2005–2008).
Superdelegate controversy
Domenech is a Superdelegate to the Democratic National CommitteeDemocratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
(DNC) by virtue of his position with the Young Democrats of America
Young Democrats of America
The Young Democrats of America , founded in 1932, is the official youth arm of the Democratic Party of the United States, although it severed official ties with the Democratic National Committee following passage of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 and became an independent 527 group...
(YDA.) As such, he is one of 796 persons nationwide, seven of which live in Puerto Rico, who could have been called upon to determine who would be the 2008 Democratic presidential nominee before Senator Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
clinched the nomination on June 3, 2008.
Politics
In the political sphere, Domenech, a supporter of admitting Puerto Rico as the 51st state of the United States, in 2005 was elected Vice President for Development of the YDA and on July 21, 2007 became a member of the DNC, when YDA's national convention elected him as its Democratic National Committeeman. A Superdelegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention, in December 2007 Mr. Domenech was appointed by Senator Hillary Clinton to Co-Chair her presidential campaign's HillblazersHillblazers
Hillblazers is the Youth Movement behind Sen. Hillary Clinton's past and future campaigns. Hillblazers is intended to serve nationwide as a young and first time voters activist platform supporting Hillary Clinton.- Origins :...
, a national network of young professionals and students. He also served as Deputy Coordinator of Sen. Clinton's successful primary campaign in Puerto Rico, where she polled a 68-32 margin over Sen. Obama in the June 1, 2008 presidential primary. In 2004 Mr. Domenech was a delegate to the 2004 Democratic National Convention
2004 Democratic National Convention
The 2004 Democratic National Convention convened from July 26 to July 29, 2004 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts, and nominated John Kerry and John Edwards as the official candidates of the Democratic Party for President and Vice President of the United States, respectively, in the 2004...
, where he served as one of the whips for the Puerto Rico Delegation. Prior to this, in May 2003 he became the founding President of the Puerto Rico Young Democrats (PRYD). During his tenure as President of the PRYD's, Domenech led a team of 14 young Puerto Rican professionals in Central Florida that campaigned for the Kerry/Edwards ticket. At the end of November 2004, Domenech also organized and hosted YDA's Fall National meeting in San Juan. In 2010 he was reelected for his third and last time as YDA's Democratic National Committeeman. Once his current term ends, he will be ineligible by age for reelection.
Professional background
While practicing law at the young age of 27, Domenech argued on behalf of the Puerto Rico Senate before an en banc hearing of the United States Court of Appeals for the First CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Maine* District of Massachusetts...
in the case of Igartúa De La Rosa v. United States of America. His participation was hailed by some commentators in the Puerto Rico media as outstanding. He has been involved in complex litigations that have reached both Puerto Rico's Supreme Court, as well as the Federal District Court. He has also appeared before Puerto Rico's Supreme Court, as well as its Court of Appeals.
In 2005 he was appointed jointly by Senate of Puerto Rico
Senate of Puerto Rico
The Senate of Puerto Rico is the upper house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The Senate is composed of 27 senators, representing eight constituent senatorial districts across the commonwealth, with two senators elected per district; an...
President Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth D. McClintock-Hernández is the current Secretary of State of Puerto Rico. Mr. McClintock served as co-chair of Hillary Clinton presidential campaign's National Hispanic Leadership Council in 2008, co-chaired Clinton's successful Puerto Rico primary campaign that year and served as the...
and Puerto Rico House of Representatives Speaker José Aponte
José Aponte
Jose Fernando Aponte Hernández , is an accountant and former Speaker of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico. He was born in San Juan and obtained a bachelor's degree in Accounting from the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras in 1980.Aponte is married to Aida I. Rodríguez Roig, and has...
as Director of the Office of Legislative Services of Puerto Rico
Office of Legislative Services of Puerto Rico
The Office of Legislative Services of Puerto Rico was created on January 27, 1954 to provide research, translation, library and legislative drafting services to all members of the Puerto Rico Legislative Assembly. Its duties are similar to those of the Congressional Research Service.The Office is...
, the local legislative equivalent of the United States Congress' Congressional Research Service
Congressional Research Service
The Congressional Research Service , known as "Congress's think tank", is the public policy research arm of the United States Congress. As a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS works exclusively and directly for Members of Congress, their Committees and staff on a...
with a staff of about 120 and a budget of $10 million. During his tenure, he streamlined the staff, expanded the Office's Tomás Bonilla Legislative Library, including access to the blind and the physically handicapped, operated a 100-intern Summer program three years in a row, and turned budget surpluses during four consecutive fiscal years.
He currently maintains a governmental affairs practice in Puerto Rico.
Education
A twice graduate of the University of Puerto RicoUniversity of Puerto Rico
The University of Puerto Rico is the state university system of Puerto Rico. The system consists of 11 campuses and has approximately 64,511 students and 5,300 faculty members...
, Río Piedras campus, (UPR) first in 1999 when he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, and then in 2003 when he obtained his Juris Doctor degree from UPR's School of Law. During his years at UPR, Domenech was President of the General Student Body Council during the 1999-2000 academic year, a position that had never been held by a statehooder before or since him.During that same year he served as an Academic Senator before the UPR Río Piedras campus Academic Senate. Prior to that, from 1998 to 1999, Domenech was UPR's College of Social Sciences Student Body President.
Academically, Domenech was a twice participant (2002 & 2003) in the international rounds of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition
Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition
The Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, also known as the Jessup, is the largest and most prestigious moot competition in the world, attracting participants from over 500 law schools in more than 100 countries in recent years. The competition is a simulation of a fictional...
on behalf of UPR's School of Law. He ranked in the top 15% of oralist. Since then he has served as a judge at the international round levels of the competition held in Washington D.C. Additionally, Domenech has lectured on the right to freedom of expression both under US and international law, research prior to drafting a bill, how to draft a bill, how a bill becomes law, and the Puerto Rico legislative process.
Family history
He is the great grand nephew of Manuel V. DomenechManuel V. Domenech
Manuel V. Domenech was a Puerto Rican politician and engineer.-Early years:Domenech was born in Isabela, Puerto Rico...
, an engineer, who was a member of the first Puerto Rico House of Representatives after the Spanish American War of 1898, and was reelected in 1902 and 1904. During 1904 he served as Mayor for the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
. In 1914 he was appointed to serve as Commissioner of the Interior, becoming one of the first Puerto Ricans to hold an officer's position in the Cabinet which was appointed by President of the United States. Also, he was later appointed as Treasurer of Puerto Rico serving in this capacity from 1930-1935. Unlike his great grand nephew, Manuel Domenech was a very active member of the Republican Party of Puerto Rico attending the 1928 Republican National Convention
1928 Republican National Convention
The 1928 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States was held at Convention Hall in Kansas City, Missouri, from June 12 to June 15, 1928....
as an alternate delegate.
Mr. Domenech is also a second cousin of the Commonwealth of Virginia's Secretary of Natural Resources, Douglas Domenech
Douglas Domenech
Douglas Domenech, a native of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and resident of Loudoun Conunty, Virginia,, is the former Deputy Chief of Staff of the United States Department of the Interior and a Bush Administration appointee to the White House Working Group on the Political Status of Puerto Rico,...
who served in the Bush Administration as Deputy Chief of Staff for the United States Department of the Interior
United States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...
.
External links
- http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues/2004/vol8n31/WashUpdate0831-en.html
- http://www.ca1.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/getopn.pl?OPINION=04-2186EB.01A
- http://www.lexjuris.com/lexjuris/tspr2006/lexj2006015.htm
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EwMePZqTRQ
- http://www.oslpr.org
- http://www.franciscodomenech.com
- http://www.yda.org
- http://www.ilsa.org/jessup/index.shtml
- http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/domenech.html
- http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/doi-donahower.html