[1] He grew up in the South Shore community of Chicago and graduated from Lyons Township High School in La Grange, Illinois.
[3][4] 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.
[3] From 1988 until 1992, Martínez served as a senior litigation associate for a Denver law firm.
[3] From 1992 until 1996, he served as a Denver-based regional attorney for the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
[3] Martínez was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 21, 2010 by a 58–37 vote.