Jessica Martinez

SIJS & UAC Staff Attorney II/Equal Justice Works Disaster Resilience Fellow

Jessica joins NMILC as a Corinne Wolfe Fellow for Transformative Advocacy. Jessica will be representing unaccompanied minors and vulnerable immigrant children eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status. Her fellowship project will also increase the well-being of New Mexico’s immigrant children by developing relationships with rural medical clinics, schools, and social workers to create a referral system for families and children in need of immigration legal services. 

Jessica graduated from UNM School of Law in 2021. She obtained an Indian Law Certificate and served as Editor-in-Chief of the Tribal Law Journal, Vice President of the Student Bar Association, and Chief Justice of the Graduate and Professional Student Association.  Jessica interned for the ACLU of New Mexico during law school, where she conducted legal research on immigrant rights issues. Jessica also served as an advanced clinical law student in the Southwest Indian Law Clinic, where she worked with tribal communities on criminal law and environmental law matters. As an intern and clinical law student, Jessica dedicated additional hours to work for the Leaffer Border Justice Initiative. Due to her efforts, she was awarded the Dean’s Award for Significant Contribution to the Law School Community. 

Before law school, Jessica worked as a legal secretary and was a community activist and volunteer. She has been a volunteer with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) for over sixteen years and was elected to leadership positions locally and nationally. Jessica currently serves as a commissioner on the national LULAC Women’s Commission. Jessica is proud of her Indigenous heritage and is an enrolled member of the Chihene Nde Nation of New Mexico (The Warm Springs Band of Chiricahua Apaches). She is also proud to be the daughter of a Mexican immigrant. Her mother’s strength and resilience inspired her to become involved in social justice efforts and motivated her to serve her community as a legal advocate.