Qualifications
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
- Juris Doctor, Drake University Law School, Des Moines, IA, Dec. 1996
- Bachelor of Arts, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, Dec. 1993
- High School Diploma, Miami Senior High School, June 1990
- (The Miami Herald Silver Knight Award Winner, Foreign Language Category, 1990)
- Member, The Florida Bar, 1997
- Member, United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, 1998
- Managing Partner, Law Offices of Damian & Martinez, 1998-2018
- 20 years of family trial and litigation experience
- Represented over 1100 clients in family law cases and over 500 clients in Chapter 7 bankruptcy, among other types of cases through my law practice.
- Miami-Dade County Court Judge assigned to the County Criminal Division, Jan. 2019
- Presided over numerous motions, evidentiary proceedings, bench trials both in person and on zoom and jury trials
- Member of the Technology Committee for the 11th Judicial Circuit for County Criminal Division, 2023
COMMUNITY SERVICE AND PRESENTATIONS:
- Board Member, American Children’s Orchestras for Peace, 2015-present
- Youth Co-op: Introduction to Florida Law for Newly Arrived Immigrants.
- Governance Day Speaker at Miami Senior High School
- Mock Trial Judge for the Uvaldo Herrera Moot Court Competition, 2022
- Mock Trial Judge for the Florida Justice Association, Hon. E. Earli Zehmer Memorial Mock Trial Competition, 2022
- Mock Trial Judge, Florida International University Law School, 2020
- Kristi House Volunteer, 2013
- Miami Dade County Public Schools, Judge, Foreign Language Competition
- Dade County Bar Association, Judge, High School Mock Trial Competition
- 11th Judicial Circuit, pro bono Guardian Ad Litem, Family Division
- Legal Line for the Dade County Bar Association, 2014
- Presentation during Hispanic Heritage Month for the US Dept Housing and Urban Development, Miami Field Office, Oct. 2018
- Mentor, Hispanic National Bar Association and law students from several law schools
- Presented Ethics seminars to the Traffic Hearing Officers in Miami-Dade County, 2019 (in person) and 2020 (on zoom)
AWARDS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
- 2014 Hispanic Business Leader Award from the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- 2016 Hispanic Business Leader Award from the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Certificate of Appreciation, Governance Day
- Certificate of Appreciation and Volunteer Recognition Plaque, St. Michael The Archangel School
- Plaque of Appreciation from The Honorable Judge Sheldon “Shelly” Schwartz
- Plaque from the Hialeah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, 2015
- Plaque from the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Miami Chapter on the occasion of the investiture and recognizing the dedication to the fairness of the Criminal Justice System.
- Plaque from the Cuban American Bar Association on the occasion of the investiture
- Women Pioneer Award, 2019