Jena Martin
Professor , WVU College of Law
Photo by Chelsi Baker .
JAMIE NULL
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY ( WVU ) College of Law Professor Jena Martin took the long way to get to her dream career and to the city of Morgantown , a place she now calls home . As a child , Martin moved around a lot and became what she calls a city girl , but whether it was New York City , Washington , D . C . or Quebec , she dreamed about becoming a lawyer .
“ I always toyed with the idea of being a lawyer — it aligned well with my notions of fairness . I also dreamed of becoming an actress and a teacher . So , by being a professor , I get to engage in all aspects of the careers I wanted as a kid in my adult dream job ,” she says .
Martin graduated from McGill University in Montreal , Quebec , majoring in history and political science . In 1997 , she received her law degree from Howard University School of Law .
“ It ’ s like my soul came alive during my time at Howard ,” she says .
Martin admits her first job out of law school was not a good fit . While she respected and admired her coworkers , she was more interested in working with people rather than the insurance coverage litigation she found herself doing . Martin went on to work at the U . S . Securities and Exchange Commission ( SEC ) as senior counsel in the Division of Enforcement . While she counts this job as an incredible learning experience , Martin wanted more . Her teachable moment came when she thought about the next stage in her career .
“ It was the result of an amazing friend that I worked with during my time at the SEC . Every single day for a month , he would sit down with me and ask questions like : What do you love in life ? What is your passion ? Then he would give me homework to see what kind of legal jobs fit that passion . It was the first time I had ever been so thoughtful about my career . It landed me in the job and field that I love ,” she says .
Martin ’ s first step in following her career aspirations was returning to school and earning her Master of Law ( LL . M .) in international law from the University of Texas in 2006 .
“ After getting my LL . M ., I did pro bono work for the Robert F . Kennedy
Center for Human Rights for a year so I could deepen my knowledge of the practice of international law . It was amazing because I didn ’ t realize how many facets of the law — both national and local — this touched . It brought international human rights law from a conceptual arena to a more practical framework ,” says Martin . “ At the same time , I was doing contract work for Bloomberg L . P . I didn ’ t know it at the time but researching business and securities issues at the same time that I was researching international human rights law provided a strong foundation for the field I ’ m now in — business and human rights .”
Martin ’ s current position at WVU allows her to do two of her favorite things : teach and research .
“ Watching students experience the lightbulb moment , when they finally get a concept that they ’ ve been struggling with , is the best kind of thrill ,” says Martin . “ I also get to do research in a really important area of the law : business and human rights . I get to study corporations and their impact on individuals and communities . It highlights my passion for justice . Also , I ’ m finally at the stage in my career where I get to move beyond just talking about changes — I get to help make those changes come to life . For instance , I recently got to put together a consultation related to the Biden administration ’ s development of the National Action Plan on Responsible Business Conduct . There were representatives from the U . S . Department of
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE