Beverly B. Martin

Beverly B. Martin, born on August 7, 1955, in Macon, Georgia, has had a distinguished career in the American legal system, marked by her commitment to justice and public service. A fourth-generation lawyer, she began her legal journey after earning a Bachelor of Arts from Stetson University in 1976, followed by a Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1981.

Martin’s early career included private practice at Martin, Snow, Grant & Napier LLP in Macon, Georgia, from 1981 to 1984. She then served as an assistant attorney general for the State of Georgia from 1984 to 1994, representing the state in various civil cases. Her prosecutorial experience expanded when she became an assistant U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Georgia in 1994, and she was later appointed as the U.S. attorney for the same district in 1997.

In 2000, President Bill Clinton nominated Martin to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, where she served until 2010. During her tenure, she handled a wide range of cases, including significant rulings on constitutional protections and civil rights. Her judicial philosophy emphasized fairness and adherence to the rule of law.

Elevated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit by President Barack Obama in 2010, Martin served until her retirement in 2021. Her appellate opinions covered diverse areas such as arbitration enforcement, fair debt collection practices, employment discrimination, and class action litigation. Notably, she authored opinions in cases like Gherardi v. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and EEOC v. Catastrophe Management Solutions, reflecting her nuanced understanding of complex legal issues.

After retiring from the federal bench, Martin became the executive director of the Center on Civil Justice at New York University School of Law, focusing on improving the civil justice system. In 2024, she joined JAMS as a mediator and arbitrator, bringing her extensive judicial experience to alternative dispute resolution. Her work at JAMS encompasses federal law, appellate matters, business and commercial disputes, employment law, bankruptcy, insurance, and product liability cases.

Throughout her career, Martin has been actively involved in various legal and civic organizations. She has served on the boards of the Campaign Legal Center and the Southern Center for Human Rights, among others. Her contributions to the legal field have been recognized with awards such as the Legal Legends Award from the American Constitution Society in 2021