Martin Jenkins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Martin Jenkins
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California
Incumbent
Assumed office December 4, 2020
Appointed by	Gavin Newsom
Preceded by	Ming W. Chin
Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal from the 1st district
In office April 4, 2008 – January 15, 2019
Appointed by	Arnold Schwarzenegger
Preceded by	Joanne Parrilli
Succeeded by	Teri Jackson
Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
In office November 12, 1997 – April 3, 2008
Appointed by	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	Eugene F. Lynch
Succeeded by	Edward M. Chen
Personal details
Born	Martin Joseph Jenkins (1953-11-12) November 12, 1953 (age 71) San Francisco, California, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	City College of San Francisco (AA) Santa Clara University (BA) University of San Francisco (JD)

Martin Joseph Jenkins (born November 12, 1953) is an important American judge. He currently serves as an associate justice on the Supreme Court of California. Before this, he was a justice on the California Court of Appeal in San Francisco. He also served as a federal judge in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

Early Life and Education

Growing Up in San Francisco

Martin Jenkins was born in San Francisco, California. He grew up in the Ingleside neighborhood.

College and Football Career

He first earned an Associate of Arts degree from City College of San Francisco. Then, he went to Santa Clara University. There, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Jenkins was also a talented athlete. He played defensive back on the Santa Clara Broncos football team. After college, he even played professional football briefly. He was with the Seattle Seahawks in the National Football League.

Law School Journey

After his football career, Jenkins decided to study law. He attended the University of San Francisco School of Law. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from there with honors.

Career Path

Early Legal Work

Jenkins started his legal career in 1980. He worked as a law clerk in the Alameda County District Attorney's Office. From 1981 to 1983, he was a deputy district attorney there. This means he worked as a prosecutor. He also worked for the United States Department of Justice in their Civil Rights Division. This was from 1983 to 1985.

Returning to California

In 1985, Jenkins moved back to the Bay Area. He did this because his mother became ill. For four years, he worked as an in-house lawyer for Pacific Bell. Later, he served as the Judicial Appointments Secretary. This means he helped Governor Gavin Newsom choose judges for California. He held this role from 2019 to 2020.

Becoming a Judge

Jenkins has served as a judge at different levels. He was first appointed to the Alameda County Municipal Court in 1989. A Republican governor, George Deukmejian, appointed him. In 1992, another Republican governor, Pete Wilson, appointed him to the Alameda County Superior Court. He served there until 1997.

Federal Judge Role

In 1997, President Bill Clinton nominated Jenkins. He became a United States District Judge. The United States Senate confirmed his appointment. He officially started his role on November 12, 1997.

California Court of Appeal

In 2007, Jenkins expressed interest in a state court position. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger nominated him to the California Court of Appeal. He resigned from his federal judge role in April 2008. He was then confirmed for the state court on April 4, 2008.

Supreme Court of California

On October 5, 2020, Governor Newsom announced a big nomination. He would nominate Jenkins to the Supreme Court of California. This is the highest court in the state. Jenkins replaced Justice Ming Chin. When confirmed, he became the third African American man to serve on this court. He is also the fifth African American person overall.

On November 11, 2020, Jenkins was confirmed. The state's Commission on Judicial Appointments approved him. On December 4, 2020, Jenkins was sworn in. He officially became the newest Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court.

In 2022, Jenkins was part of a major decision. The California Supreme Court ordered University of California, Berkeley to reduce its student enrollment. This was after a local group argued about environmental impact. In the 2022 election, California voters chose to keep him as a justice.

Personal Life

Martin Jenkins is a member of the Catholic faith. He is also a part of the St. Thomas More Society of San Francisco.

See also

• List of African-American federal judges
• List of African-American jurists
• List of LGBT jurists in the United States
• List of LGBT state supreme court justices in the United States

Sources

• Martin Jenkins at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.