| Winner - 2006 DTLA Judicial Preference
Poll Endorsed by the Dallas Chapter of the National Education Association |
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Martin Hoffman LEADER IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY EXPERIENCED COURTROOM ATTORNEY
The one fact from my childhood in Corpus Christi that has shaped me most is that I am a child of educators. My father was a professor of government. He instilled in me a deep belief in ethical and responsible public service. My mother, a psychology professor, stressed the importance of education and involvement in my community. These values have guided me throughout my life. Even at a relatively young age, I knew I wanted to go to law school. In High School, I became involved in debate, mock trial and academic decathlon to help prepare me for a legal career. While much of my generation had lost interest in public service, I dove in headfirst and worked on my first political campaign while still in high school. Earning a presidential scholarship, I attended college at Trinity University in San Antonio. While in college, I stayed very involved in community service. I continued to work on political campaigns and eventually became President of Texas Young Democrats and State Youth Coordinator for Ann Richards. I also worked building houses for Habitat for Humanity and volunteered at a homeless shelter. I graduated with a double major in Economics and Philosophy. While at Trinity, I met the wonderful woman who would become my wife, Heather. Heather’s passion for helping special needs children would also shape my future. I studied law at the University of Texas Law School, where I earned a spot on the Environmental Moot Court Team. Our team competed against over sixty other teams from across the country and won fourth place in this highly competitive national tournament. While in law school, I also completed four intensive clerkships with Texas litigation firms. After a long courtship, Heather and I were married in May of 1992. After law school, Heather and I moved to our new home, Dallas, where she began working with developmentally delayed children as I began practicing law. I worked tirelessly as an advocate for my east Dallas neighborhood and was elected President of the Dallas Homeowners League. I also honed my legal skills. I tried numerous cases, took countless depositions and briefed hundreds of motions and responses. In March of 2000, Heather gave birth to our two wonderful children, Nick and Emma. Being a father is the greatest gift I have ever received. After becoming a father, I searched for more ways that I could help improve the lives of families in our community. In 2001, I was elected to serve on the Dallas County School Board. During my service on the board, I have strived to be a hardworking advocate and independent voice for the parents and taxpayers of Dallas County. Having decided to dedicate myself to fulltime public service, I have declared my intention to run for the 68th Civil District Court of Dallas County. I strongly believe my long history of legal experience and public service will help me to be the kind of Judge that all Dallas County voters can be proud of. I have served on the Boards of the Northhaven Park Neighborhood Association, the Hollywood Santa Monica Neighborhood Association, the Park Royal Neighborhood Association and Keep Dallas Beautiful. I have been a visible and active civic leader in Dallas over the last twelve years. I married my college sweetheart, Heather, 14 years ago. We have twin six year olds, Nick and Emma. My wife is a speech therapist who works with developmentally delayed children for Carrollton - Farmers Branch I.S.D. The Dallas County School District is the oldest school district in the State of Texas. It has over 1,000 employees that serve Dallas County's fifteen independent school districts with transportation, media, psychological and public information services. Dallas County Schools has one of the ten largest student fleets in the United States, operating over 1,200 buses that transport approximately 60,000 children each day. Dallas County Schools provides services to nearly 300,000 students. The Board of Trustees manages a budget of over sixty million dollars a year. At Large Trustee – In May 2001, I was elected to serve as an at-large trustee to the Board of Trustees against a fourteen-year incumbent who had been endorsed by the Dallas Morning News. I won this countywide race by a margin of 63% to 37%. I was appointed to serve on the Budget and Finance Committee and eventually was appointed to serve as Chair of the Long Term Initiatives Committee from 2003 to 2005. Vice-President – In May 2005, although I was the youngest member of the board, the Board of Trustees elected me to be its Vice-President. I was also appointed to serve as Chair of the Personnel and Compensation Committee and to serve on the Budget and Finance Committee and the Building Committee. The Dallas Homeowners League is the oldest citywide alliance of neighborhood organizations in the State of Texas. With over 100 member chapters, DHL has significant influence at Dallas City Hall. The Dallas Homeowners League provides leadership training to board members of neighborhood associations throughout the City of Dallas. The most notable event that Dallas Homeowners League sponsors every year is the Neighborhood Boot Camp. The average attendance for this event is about two hundred neighborhood leaders. Keynote speakers have included Mayors Laura Miller and Ron Kirk, County Judge Lee Jackson, State Senators John Carona and David Cain and countless other elected officials. President – I had the honor of being elected President by the Board of Directors on three consecutive occasions. During my tenure, we founded the Neighborhood Boot Camp. I also served on the steering committee of the Dallas Plan Neighborhood Fair. One of my proudest accomplishments in civic life so far is that I have helped to train hundreds of neighborhood leaders. Director – I have served for the last ten years on the Board of Directors of this highly prestigious and influential organization. I recently moderated a debate between Mayor Miller and the group opposing the Strong Mayor proposal. Texas Neighborhoods Together – This is a statewide lobbying group that was formed in 1987 to lobby the legislature on neighborhood issues. I have served as President of this organization for one year and as the member representative from Dallas for over seven years. In this capacity, I have helped lobby the legislature on insurance redlining, keeping liquor stores away from schools, for laws to limit SLAPP suits and on countless other land use issues.
TEXAS YOUNG DEMOCRATS – The official youth arm of the Texas Democratic Party, TYD is an alliance of Young Democratic Clubs throughout the State of Texas. Among its alumni are notable members such as President Lyndon B. Johnson, Governor Ann Richards, Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn, former Party Chair Bob Slagle and many State Representatives, State Senators and Congressmen. President – At twenty-one, I was the youngest person elected President to that date. During my tenure, we doubled the size of the organization. I had the opportunity to chair the Youth Caucus at the State Convention and introduced Jesse Jackson and Jim Wright to 200 youth activists from Texas. College Vice-President – I served as President of the Trinity University Young Democrats and was later elected College Vice-President of Texas Young Democrats. During that time, I founded the College Democrats of Texas which is still active today almost twenty years later. National Committeeman – I have served at the national level representing Texas on the board of Young Democrats of America. ANN RICHARDS CAMPAIGN (1990) State Youth Coordinator – In my first statewide campaign position, I organized college clubs for Governor Richards. I worked with Cecile Richards to rally college students and other politically interested youth. DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF TEXAS State Democratic Executive Committee – I served on the governing body of Texas Democratic Party. State Democratic Convention – I have been a delegate to eight of the last ten State Conventions.
SMOGER AND ASSOCIATES – I have worked the last ten years at this litigation firm with offices in Texas and California. The firm specializes in products liability, automobile negligence, premise liability and defending insurance claims against insurance companies. Litigation Department Manager and Attorney – In this capacity, I have handled the bulk of litigation-related matters in the Dallas office. My responsibilities included being primary attorney on nearly 100 cases. I have handled an average of 75 depositions a year, attended hundreds of mediations, argued hearings, tried nine first chair cases and briefed motions and memos. My administrative duties included managing the Dallas litigation department, advising on pre-litigation staff, directing paralegals and law clerks.
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Martin Hoffman with his wife,
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Pol. adv. paid for by Martin Hoffman Campaign , P.O. Box 59642, Dallas, Texas 75229, Sharon Chavez Kirby, Treasurer, in compliance with the voluntary limits of the Judicial Campaign Fairness Act and the Fair Campaign Practices Act.