Santa Clara Alumnus Makes History in Nomination to State Supreme Court

Martin Jenkins is slated to become the first openly gay man and third Black man to join the bench

Governor Gavin Newsom’s ‘89 announcement on Monday of the latest nomination to the state’s highest court made history. The nominee Martin Jenkins ‘77 will be the first openly gay man and only the third Black man to serve on the California Supreme Court, if confirmed. 

Jenkins' nomination seeks to fill a vacant seat left by conservative Justice Ming W. Chin since her Aug. 31 retirement. This is a project to strengthen the court’s democratic stronghold as Jenkins is reported to be a moderate democrat, though he has declined to identify himself as conservative or liberal. In accordance with his position as a moderate democrat, he has been appointed to judgeships by both Republicans and Democrats. 

Growing up in Ingleside, San Francisco, Jenkins was raised by his late father, a clerk and janitor, and his late mother, a nurse. Jenkins came to Santa Clara University and went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree and have a successful football career as a defensive back. Following graduation, Jenkins rose to the NFL as a player for the Seattle Seahawks. 

Jenkins’ professional football career didn’t last long. He played only two games before deciding to leave the profession to become a lawyer. Jenkins earned his law degree at the University of San Francisco School of Law with a Juris Doctor degree. 

He has since used it to hold a myriad of positions within the criminal justice system, including working as a prosecutor for Alameda County District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Justice as a civil rights attorney. As a civil rights attorney, Jenkins worked to prosecute cross burnings and police misconduct. 

His two most notable positions were in 1997, when he was appointed to the US District court for Northern California by former president Bill Clinton, and in 2008, when he was appointed to the State Court of appeal by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

After a long career with many high profile positions, Jenkins retired to work as a judicial appointment secretary for Newsom’s office. In the position, he appointed 45 jurists with the goal to diversify the judiciary in order to more accurately reflect the community they served. Contingent on his confirmation, Jenkins will leave retirement to serve California’s judicial system once again. 

According to the Los Angeles Times, Jenkins has been considered a candidate for the California Supreme Court in past years. The difference being former Governor Brown chose younger people with no prior judicial experience, unlike Jenkins. 

Newsom praised Jenkins for many positive qualities, calling him a man of “inner strength, grace and passion” and drew on his own experience working with Jenkins firsthand, labeling him a “critical member” of his team. 

The significance of the moment, in regards to representation and unprecedented achievements for the LGBTQ+ community, was not lost in the announcement. Newsom underscored the importance of the court’s role in marriage equality, saying this makes Jenkins. “a living, breathing example of the idea that love means love” all the more paramount. 

During his acceptance of the nomination, Jenkins touched on his identity as gay Black man. He thanked the two previous Black men who served on the court previously, noting there has been a 29-year gap since a Black men’s presence on the court. Furthermore, he labeled being gay the greatest challenge of his life. 

Directly addressing young people, Jenkins shared. “I am not here in spite of the struggle, I'm here because of the struggle.” 

“I want these young people to know that living a life of authenticity is the greatest gift you can give yourself,” he continued. “If you do that, you too will find yourself in a position where people see you, they really see you for who you are.” 

He closed by thanking Newsom for the opportunity and for seeing him for who he is.