William J. Martínez

William Joseph Martínez (born José Guillermo Martínez Escalante, 1954) is a Mexican-American attorney serving as a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado.

Early life and education

Born José Guillermo Martínez Escalante in Mexico City, Martínez moved to the United States with his family as a child and changed his name to William Joseph Martínez in 1974. He grew up in the South Shore community of Chicago and graduated from Lyons Township High School in La Grange, Illinois. Martínez earned a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1977, followed by a J.D. degree from the University of Chicago Law School in 1980.

Career

From 1980 until 1984, Martínez served as a staff attorney for the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, and from 1984 until 1987, he served as a staff attorney for the foundation's Employment Law Project. He received his commission the same day. He assumed senior status on February 10, 2023.