Attorney Profile

Attorney Ermila A. Martinez was born in the migrant farm fields of Oregon.  Her family is from Juarez, Mexico.  Ermila’s first memories are of picking strawberries alongside her Mother.  This is where Ermila’s work ethic was born which she maintains to this day.  Ermila was raised by a strong single Mother who worked cleaning houses and caring for the elderly.    Ermila learned from a very young age to care for others and work hard. Ermila also learned many people do not have a voice and need a strong advocate on their side.

In 1997, Ermila graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with honors.  Ermila earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and a Minor in Ethnic Studies with an emphasis on Chicano Studies.  Ermila graduated from California Western School of Law in 2001 with honors and was the first in her entire family to become a lawyer.  Ermila represented victims of wage/hour violations, sexual harassment, racial/gender discrimination and retaliation.  Ermila fought for her victims and was able to obtain winning outcomes for clients.

Ermila worked shortly representing victims of domestic violence at the YWCA and then began working with the San Diego City Attorney’s office as a Deputy City Attorney.  Ermila prosecuted cases in the DUI, Domestic Violence, Sex Crimes and Animal Crimes units.  As a Deputy City Attorney with the San Diego City Attorney’s Office Ermila gained valuable trial experience.  She received extensive courtroom experience including jury trials, bench trials, and evidentiary hearings.

Following the San Diego City Attorney’s Office, Ermila worked for years with a San Diego Family Law firm in all areas of Family Law including high asset divorce cases, high conflict divorce and custody cases, military divorces, guardianship, adoption, and premarital agreements.  Ermila represented clients in trials, ex parte hearings, evidentiary hearings and discovery disputes.  She also negotiated favorable settlements and sharpened her trial and negotiation skills.

Many years ago, Ermila opened her own Law Firm and chose to represent clients in need of someone to fight for them.  While she opened her Law Firm, she also was an instructor at the University of San Diego Paralegal Program where she taught Civil Litigation.  Ermila has represented many clients from different backgrounds over the years and has fought for each one of her clients.  She is dedicated to representing and protecting every one of her clients and their interests. Martinez Law represents clients throughout San Diego and Southern California.

Bar Admissions and Education: State of California, 2002

U.S. District Court Southern District of California, 2002

California Western School of Law, San Diego, California, April, 2001, Juris Doctorate, American Jurisprudence Award for Employment Law Seminar

University of Miami Law School, Study Abroad Program in Spain, Italy and France, 2000

University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, May, 1997, Bachelor of Arts Sociology, Minor Ethnic Studies with emphasis in Chicano Studies

Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico, Study Abroad Program, 1996

Professional Associations, Accolades and Memberships:

Women of Influence in Law, Published in San Diego Business Journal, 2021

National Trial Lawyers: Top 100 Lawyer in the United States, 2016-2019

Board of Directors, La Raza Lawyers Association, 2015-2017

University of San Diego Paralegal Program, Civil Litigation Instructor, 2010-2011

Women Who Move The City, Published in San Diego Magazine, 2013