William J. Martínez
Encyclopedia
William Joseph Martinez is a judge on the United States District Court for the District of Colorado
.
, Martinez moved to the United States with his family as a young boy and changed his name to William Joseph Martinez in 1974. He grew up in the South Shore
community of Chicago
and graduated from Lyons Township High School
in La Grange, Illinois
. Martinez earned two bachelor's degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
in 1977 and a law degree from the University of Chicago Law School
in 1980.
. From 1997 until 2001, Martinez worked as a sole law practitioner in Denver, and from 2001 until the present he has been a partner at the Denver firm McNamara & Martinez, as it was known from 2001 until 2007. The firm changed its name to McNamara, Roseman, Martinez & Kazmierski in 2007. He specializes in employment law and civil rights at his current firm.
nominated Martinez to be a judge on the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, to fill the seat that Judge Edward Nottingham
vacated in 2008 when he resigned under pressure amid allegations of misconduct. Martinez was confirmed by the United States Senate
on December 21, 2010 by a vote of 58-37. He received his commission the same day.
United States District Court for the District of Colorado
The United States District Court for the District of Colorado is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Colorado. The United States Congress organized Colorado as a single judicial district on June 26, 1876, by 19 Stat. 61...
.
Early life and education
Born José Guillermo Martinez Escalante in Mexico CityMexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, Martinez moved to the United States with his family as a young boy and changed his name to William Joseph Martinez in 1974. He grew up in the South Shore
South Shore, Chicago
South Shore is one of 77 well-defined community areas of the City of Chicago, Illinois in the United States. A predominately black neighborhood located along Chicago's southern lakefront, it is a relatively stable and gentrifying neighborhood...
community of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and graduated from Lyons Township High School
Lyons Township High School
Lyons Township High School is a public high school located in La Grange, Illinois. Freshmen and sophomores attend class at South campus, located at 4900 S. Willow Springs Rd. in Western Springs, while juniors and seniors attend class at North campus, located at 100 S. Brainard Ave. in La Grange,...
in La Grange, Illinois
La Grange, Illinois
La Grange, a suburb of Chicago, is a village in Cook County, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 15,608 at the 2000 census.-History:...
. Martinez earned two bachelor's degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
in 1977 and a law degree from the University of Chicago Law School
University of Chicago Law School
The University of Chicago Law School was founded in 1902 as the graduate school of law at the University of Chicago and is among the most prestigious and selective law schools in the world. The U.S. News & World Report currently ranks it fifth among U.S...
in 1980.
Professional career
From 1980 until 1984, Martinez served as a staff attorney for the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago, and from 1984 until 1987, he served as a staff attorney for the foundation's Employment Law Project. From 1988 until 1992, Martinez served as a senior litigation associate for a Denver law firm. From 1992 until 1996, he served as a Denver-based regional attorney for the United States Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionEqual Employment Opportunity Commission
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is an independent federal law enforcement agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination complaints based on an individual's race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, perceived intelligence,...
. From 1997 until 2001, Martinez worked as a sole law practitioner in Denver, and from 2001 until the present he has been a partner at the Denver firm McNamara & Martinez, as it was known from 2001 until 2007. The firm changed its name to McNamara, Roseman, Martinez & Kazmierski in 2007. He specializes in employment law and civil rights at his current firm.
Judicial service
On February 24, 2010, President Barack ObamaBarack 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...
nominated Martinez to be a judge on the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, to fill the seat that Judge Edward Nottingham
Edward Nottingham
Edward Willis Nottingham, Jr. is a former United States federal judge in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado having served in that office from November 24, 1989 until his resignation on October 21, 2008....
vacated in 2008 when he resigned under pressure amid allegations of misconduct. Martinez was confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on December 21, 2010 by a vote of 58-37. He received his commission the same day.