In their own words: Stefanie Martinez | Crime and Courts

Job title: Sarpy County District Court Judge

What drew you to a career in law?

In 10th grade, my high school history teacher was attending night classes at Seton Hall Law School. Each morning in class she would tell us about some of the cases she was studying. I was most interested in the constitutional and criminal law cases. Not only did I find her analysis of the cases intriguing, but I had so much admiration for her as a single professional woman with a full-time career who commuted two hours each evening to achieve her goal of being a lawyer.

Was there a person or experience that inspired you?

During my freshman year in college, I took a philosophy class that had a service requirement as part of the curriculum. I volunteered at the state probation office in downtown Boston and had my first experience with the criminal justice system. I also served on a civil jury trial and was able to observe first-hand all of the important aspects of effective courtroom procedure under the direction of an inspiring judge. It was these two experiences that began my passion for service to the community and my decision to pursue a law degree. With regard to mentors, I would be remiss if I failed to credit the judge with whom I clerked in New York City. She was an inspiration and someone I still try to emulate in my daily work on the bench today.

How long have you been working in Nebraska and do you plan to stay?

I have lived and worked in Nebraska since December 1998. My career has been built in Nebraska and I am grateful for the opportunities that the state has afforded me.

Is diversity important in the judicial system and, if so, why?

I strongly believe that diversity is an integral part of the judicial system and without a fair and diverse representation of the people within our community in the system itself, it does not function as well as it was intended. Having an awareness that each individual is different and unique based on a culmination of their life experiences is the foundation of equity and fairness. Justice is meant to be blind; however, it has been documented that we all carry unconscious biases that have been programmed from all of the information that we have filtered throughout our lifetime. These unintentional “assumptions” affect our choices and decision making. They may affect how we handle a certain legal issue, represent a client or present a case to a jury. More diversity within the system would lessen the disproportionality of assumptions against any of the populations that are over represented, especially in the criminal justice system.

What is one thing that can be done here to improve diversity among attorneys and judges?

An increase in diversity within the justice system would make it more fair for everyone. Outreach should start as early as middle school so that high school students have an opportunity to take electives or focus on service opportunities, mock trial programs. I have been a volunteer coach for a high school mock trial team through the Nebraska Bar Foundation for five years and many of those students have indicated an interest in pursuing a career in law. Building on those opportunities in college through internships, mentorships, employment opportunities, would broaden the pool for justice related careers. In Nebraska especially, we need to try to change the impression that Nebraska is a “fly-over state” and improve incentives for lawyers to study and work here. Programs such as rural practice and loan forgiveness do exist, but we need to do better and start earlier. Nebraska is taking a lead in this area and has recently created the Nebraska Legal Diversity Council whose mission is “to foster the creation of a more culturally diverse and inclusive legal community.” This Council is working on the following: recruitment, advancement and retention guidelines; increasing diversity in the law student pool; providing expertise, programming, incentives and support to employers in the legal community; and providing professional development opportunities for sustainable employment.