Carlos C. Cadena (1917–2001) was an American lawyer, civil rights activist and judge based in San Antonio, Texas. Carlos Cristian Cadena, who was the son of Mexican immigrants, was born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1917 and attended Catholic school. He earned his LL.B. degree from the University of Texas Law School in 1940, serving as editor of the Texas Law Review and graduating summa cum laude.