Alumni & Giving
Alumni Profiles
Lemuel Martinez Tackles Crime in 13th District
Growing up in Albuquerque, Lemuel Martinez knew from a young age that he wanted to become a lawyer. But he had other things to do first.
After graduating from the University of Southern California in 1978, he spent more than a year working and traveling in Europe, earned a master's degree at St. John's College in Annapolis, Md., and taught middle and high-school students, both in Santa Fe and at Laguna Pueblo. He also earned a master's in education at the University of New Mexico.
At Laguna, Martinez thrived on the culture. "I didn't know anything about Native Americans when I grew up, and I learned as much as my students did," he says. "I still go back for feast days and it is nice to be accepted and remembered."
He also experimented with different ways to reach his students and instill in them a lifelong excitement about learning. For example, he discovered that teaching world history through art history captivated them. As athletic director and coach of football, basketball and women's soccer, he taught them about teamwork, self-sacrifice and achieving a goal. "When your body is in top shape, so is your mind," he says.
But after 10 years, it was time for law school. He earned his J.D. in 1995 and has been with the 13th Judicial District Attorney's Office ever since. In 2000, he was elected DA, another challenge he relishes.
In the state's fastest growing district, where the caseload has increased 80 percent since he became DA, he targets his efforts on crimes by and against children, crimes against the elderly and violent crimes. He has established programs to reduce truancy, assist victims of crime, reduce fraudulent checks and offer first-time felons a fresh start, along with a pilot gang task force in Valencia County.
"I like being able to set broad policy and use the power of the state to protect people who can't help themselves," he says.
A Conversation with Lemuel Martinez
Q: What was your favorite law school class?
A: Water Law with Em Hall
Q: Who was your favorite professor?
A: Ted Occhialino. I either came prepared for class or I didn't come at all; he was ruthless.
Q: What is the last book you read?
A: The Boss, by Mike Royko.
Q: If you weren't a lawyer, what would be your dream job?
A: A college professor in art history or architecture.
Q: What do you do in your spare time?
A: I travel, go to museums, listen to modern classical music. I also like to fish, hike and go camping.
Q: Who is your favorite U.S. Supreme Court Justice?
A: Sandra Day O'Connor
Q: What is the strangest thing that has happened in the courtroom?
A: We were retrying a man in a murder trial, but couldn't find the original witnesses. So we put people on the stand to read the original testimony and try to recreate the atmosphere, which we couldn't do. It was like being in the Twilight Zone; we lost the case.
Q: What do you like best about your job?
A: I like fighting for victims.
