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New ABA Prez Calls for 'Independent Judiciary'

Judy Perry Martinez said the American Bar Association (ABA) will continue to defend the "integrity of democratic institutions" and "stand up for an independent judiciary." Now that she has been named the trade group's 143rd president, she says she's in a prime position to ensure those goals.

Martinez, who is Of Counsel at Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn (SPS&R) in New Orleans, was named the ABA's president after it Annual Meeting held in San Francisco. Her one-year term will end in August of 2020, according to the ABA.

“The American Bar Association will continue to stand up for an independent judiciary and bolster the integrity of our democratic institutions, especially those that depend on due process, equality, civility, respect, and fairness,” said Martinez in a statement. “As lawyers, advancing the rule of law, which protects everyone’s liberties, is of paramount importance."

A commercial litigator, Martinez worked at SPS&R from 1982 to 2003 as partner, returned to the firm in 2015. She left in 2003 to join Northrop Grumman as assistant general counsel for litigation, where she managed litigation for half the U.S. Eventually, she became chief compliance officer and vice president, according to the ABA.

Per SPS&R, her accolades include being named The Outstanding Young Lawyer in the State of Louisiana and the Louisiana Bar Foundation's Distinguished Attorney. Further, she serves as a "Distinguished Access to Justice Pro Bono Fellow for Southeast Louisiana Legal Services," according to information from SPS&R. She also has 30 years’ experience in leadership positions at the ABA, including:

  • Chair of the Presidential Commission on the Future of Legal Services
  • Chair of the Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary
  • Chair of the Young Lawyers Division
  • Chair of the Commission on Domestic Violence
  • Member of the Task Force on Building Public Trust in the American Justice System
  • Member of the Board of Governors
  • Member of the Executive Committee
  • Member of the Commission on Women in the Profession
  • Member of the House of Delegates
  • Member of the Task Force on Attorney Client Privilege
  • Member of the Council of the Center for Racial and Ethnic Diversity
  • Member of the World Justice Project Committee
  • Lead representative to the United Nations

Prior to becoming president of the ABA, she has garnered praise from her law firm for her work serving those with trouble affording legal services. "Judy’s commitment to public service began years ago when she and other members of the Louisiana Bar undertook an effort to establish the New Orleans Pro Bono Project," reads its website. Other awards she's received include the:

  • Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award from the Louisiana State Bar Association (2017)
  • Presidents’ Award from the New Orleans Bar Association (2012)
  • Sam Dalton Capital Defense Advocacy Award from the Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Counsel (1997)
  • Michelle Pitard Wynne Professionalism Award from the Association of Women Attorneys (1998)
  • Alliance for Justice Award from the National Gay and Lesbian Law Association (1999)

Martinez has a Bachelor of Science from the University of New Orleans and graduated from Tulane University Law School in 1982. "The ABA also will work to increase public awareness, so more people understand the vital role they can play in protecting democracy. Working together, we can ensure that laws are fair and justly enforced, and our rights are never taken for granted,” said Martinez.

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