By Erin Dimbleby*
“No one can do it by themselves.” The adage that it takes a village resonates with many of us in the legal community. Jennifer Martin’s village is filled with loving family members, friends, mentors, colleagues, cats, chickens, honeybees, and a couple of baby goats.
Jennifer is a San Diego native who grew up in a large family, in rural North County. Her parents emphasized giving back to the community and to the church. Her family had horses and farm animals, so everyone had to work hard, and they were expected to excel in their studies, chip in at home, and volunteer.
At the age of 15, Jennifer earned her diploma and began community college. When she was 18, she traveled across the country and attended Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia. Jennifer graduated at the top of her class with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.
When considering whether she wanted to be an attorney, Jennifer was thoughtful and analytical in the process. Before making the financial and time commitment of going to law school, she wanted to see if it would be both a good fit and a good investment. Jennifer earned a certificate from University of San Diego’s Paralegal Program and began working in litigation. For almost ten years, she worked as a civil paralegal for the City of San Diego Attorney’s Office. There, she learned the ins-and-outs of civil litigation while starting her own family. Jennifer and her husband had two children when she decided it was time to earn her JD.
Jennifer continued to work as a paralegal with the City of San Diego Attorney’s Office during the day, and took law school classes at Thomas Jefferson School of Law at night. While she was in school, her husband also pursued an advanced degree. Jennifer (and her husband) learned to be concise, analytical, and efficient during that period. During her last year of law school, Jennifer gave birth to their third son (who became Jennifer’s favorite study buddy, along with her cat, Bagheera). While working full time, caring for her children, supporting her husband, and progressing through law school, Jennifer also served as editor in chief for the Thomas Jefferson Law Review. In 2018, on the same day that her husband received his PhD, Jennifer graduated first in her class from Thomas Jefferson. Looking back at that time, Jennifer credits the teamwork and work ethic instilled in her during her childhood for her success.
With her family background of service to the community and her positive experience working for the City Attorney’s Office, Jennifer knew she wanted to continue her career in public service. She was excited to begin her legal career at the Office of County Counsel for the County of San Diego. The Office of County Counsel handles a variety of legal matters, including defending all civil litigation brought against the County.
Jennifer quickly became a vital member of the Torts and Civil Rights litigation team. As a Senior Deputy County Counsel, she handles complex and high-exposure cases involving constitutional claims, allegations of excessive force, improper search and seizure, and claims involving deliberate indifference to serious medical needs, dangerous conditions on public property, and personal injuries. Many of the cases she is assigned involve serious injuries or death. The stakes are high for those injured, as well as the public servants who are accused of wrongdoing. Jennifer enjoys protecting the public good, and confronting the serious injuries alleged (both physical and mental). When confronting complex ethical or emotional issues in her cases, she is guided by the principle that a good litigator is the type of person she is raising her children to be: someone who will thoughtfully look at a situation and do the right thing.
Although she has only been in practice for six years, Jennifer is assigned some of the more complex cases her group handles. She has completed two federal civil jury trials, where she handled first-chair duties including voir dire, opening, closing, cross-examining witnesses, and arguing motions. One case involved claims of excessive force and negligence against Sheriff’s Deputies and the other involved claims of deliberate indifference and negligence against the County and jail nurses relating to an overdose death. Although she enjoys the courtroom, Jennifer’s real litigation passion comes out in motion work when she can dive into a case, research and explore nuanced legal issues, and methodically connect dots that bring arguments into fruition.
Jennifer doesn’t just nerd out at work; she brings that same passion when she finds a new hobby to explore. When a friend mentioned beekeeping, Jennifer became intrigued and found a book about pollination and beekeeping. She is now the proud owner of two honey-producing hives. Jennifer is also a foster kitten mother and helped foster around twenty cats last year alone. Along with her bees, foster kittens, and Bagheera, Jennifer also cares for two baby goats, a handful of chickens, and a foster-fail cat named Finnick.
In her downtime, Jennifer enjoys hiking. She recommends exploring Mount Laguna to experience leaving California without really leaving at all.
When asked what advice she would give to her younger self and those entering the legal profession, Jennifer reflected on her and her family’s journey: “Be patient with yourself and keep working at it; that is how we get better. Find people that help empower you to be the best person you can be. No one can do it by themselves.”
*Erin Dimbleby is a Public Relations Committee Member of the Federal Bar Association’s San Diego Chapter. She represents the United States in civil matters as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of California.
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