Mario Martinez is an associate attorney at Carpenter & Zuckerman. Mario came to CZ Law in August 2017 as a law clerk and remained in that position until he finished law school and passed the bar exam. Mario received his JD from Southwestern Law School in May 2018 where he attended the evening program and at the same time maintained a full-time job. Mario was born and raised in a rough neighborhood in South Los Angeles. Growing up in South Central Los Angeles, Mario observed how those who lacked resources were constantly taken advantage of by others in positions of power. It was then, that Mario decided he wanted to pursue a legal career that would allow him to represent individuals who were at a disadvantage.
Mario graduated cum laude from Southwestern and received numerous recognitions. He was awarded the CALI award for the highest grade in a class in Legal Writing I, Constitutional Law, and Public International Law. He also received the Witkin Award in Legal Writing II, Evidence, and Civil Pre-trial Practice. Mario was also a staff member of the Southwestern Law Review. During law school, Mario was an intern for the Los Angeles County District Attorney ’s Office and a member of the Youth Offender Parole Clinic for which he appeared before the California Board of Parole in representation of a client who was given a life sentence for a crime he committed while he was under the age of 18.
In his spare time, Mario loves to spend time with his family and cheer on his hometown Lakers.