Associate Justice Martin J. Jenkins
Justice Martin J. Jenkins was confirmed to his current position as an Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court on November 10, 2020. Previously, he served as Senior Judicial Appointments Advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom and advised the governor on the appointment of judges across California. Preceding his work for Governor Newsom, he served as an Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal. Justice Jenkins was nominated for the position of district judge for the Northern District of California in May 1997, by President William Clinton, and confirmed by the United States Senate in November 1997. Justice Jenkins’ judicial experience includes service as a federal district judge, associate justice of the California Court of Appeal and as a trial judge on the Oakland Municipal and Alameda County Superior Court.
Justice Jenkins graduated from Santa Clara University. He obtained his law degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law (USF) in 1980, and upon graduation was the recipient of the law school’s Judge Harold J. Haley Award for "exceptional distinction in scholarship, character and activities.” After law school, Justice Jenkins worked as a prosecutor for the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, served as a trial attorney for the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), Civil Rights Division-Criminal Section in Washington D.C., was an attorney in Pacific Bell’s Legal Department handling a wide variety of litigation matters.
Justice Jenkins has been the recipient of numerous awards, among them: “The St. Thomas More Award," given annually by the St. Thomas More Society of San Francisco, “In Recognition of His Distinguished Record of Service to His Church, His Community and His Family," and the “2009 Children’s Advocacy Award” awarded annually by Legal Services for Children for “Outstanding leadership in public policy that protects children and youth from abuse and exploitation. In 2018, The University of San Francisco, Board of Trustees conferred upon Justice Jenkins an honorary degree: “The Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters Honoris Causa.” In July 2022, The American Inns of Court selected Justice Jenkins as its 2022 Lewis F. Powell Jr., Award winner. The Lewis F. Powell Jr., award is given annually, “In recognition of exemplary service in the areas of professionalism, ethics, civility and excellence.”