Justice Martin J. Jenkins (Ret.)
Associate Justice, California Supreme Court
Justice Martin J. Jenkins was confirmed as an Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court on November 10, 2020, following his appointment by Governor Gavin Newsom. He retired from the court on October 31, 2025. Previously, he served as Senior Judicial Appointments Advisor to Governor Newsom. Preceding his work for Governor Newsom, he served as an Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal. Justice Jenkins’ judicial experience includes service as a federal district judge for the Northern District of California; he was appointed by President William Clinton in May 1997 and confirmed by the United States Senate in November 1997. Earlier, he served as a trial judge on the Municipal and Superior Courts in Alameda County.
After graduating from Santa Clara University and before entering the University of San Francisco (USF) School of Law, Justice Jenkins was briefly employed as a player by the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks. He obtained his law degree from USF in May 1980, when he received the Judge Harold J. Haley Award for “exceptional distinction in scholarship, character, and activities.” After graduation, Justice Jenkins worked as a prosecutor for the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office. He subsequently served as a trial attorney for the United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division-Criminal Section in Washington D.C., and later was an attorney in Pacific Bell’s Legal Department where he handled a wide variety of litigation matters.
Justice Jenkins has been the recipient of numerous awards, including The St. Thomas More Award, presented annually by the St. Thomas More Society of San Francisco, “In Recognition of His Distinguished Record of Service and Dedication to His Church, His Community, and His Family,” and the Children’s Advocacy Award, presented by Legal Services for Children, San Francisco, for “Outstanding leadership in public policy that protects children and youth from abuse and exploitation.” A dedicated community advocate, he regularly mentors law students from his alma mater, USF, and, through California LAW Pathways, works with young people interested in the legal profession. In 2018, the USF Board of Trustees conferred upon Justice Jenkins an honorary degree, “The Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters Honoris Causa.” The American Inns of Courts named Justice Jenkins its 2022 recipient of the Lewis F. Powell Jr. Award for Professionalism and Ethics.