Areva Martin

Areva Martin is a Harvard-trained civil rights attorney, talk show host, and nationally recognized advocate whose career spans the courtroom, broadcast media, and civic leadership. An honors graduate of Harvard Law School, Martin is the founding principal of Martin & Martin, LLP, one of Los Angeles' Black, female-owned law firms. She is known for her commentary on legal and social justice issues.

Martin has been identified as a California Super Lawyer, a designation reserved for the top five percent of the state's attorneys. Her legal work includes a landmark reparative justice case representing more than 1,000 plaintiffs in Palm Springs, California, seeking justice for Black and Latino families displaced from their homes in the 1960s. The firm secured a $27 million reparations settlement for Black and Brown residents in Palm Springs, a case that serves as a model for reparations efforts for descendants of slavery across California and the United States. Martin's advocacy extends beyond the courtroom; when her son was diagnosed with autism at 18 months, she became deeply involved in disability rights and autism advocacy.

Martin is president and CEO of Special Needs Network, which she founded to advance disability rights and support individuals across the autism spectrum. The organization has raised millions of dollars and provided support for more than 15,000 families in low-income communities across California. Martin is the author of several books, including "Journey to the Top: 12 Steps to Take Control of Your Career and Your Life," a career guide for professional women, and "The Everyday Advocate: Standing Up for Your Child with Autism and Other Special Needs," a reference for parents and professionals. Her book "Make It Rain" was sold to Hachette Book Group and became a national bestseller. As an author, Martin has been recognized as a bestseller by both USA Today and Wall Street Journal.

In media, Martin has built a significant presence. Her television credits include co-hosting the Emmy Award-winning daytime talk show "The Doctors" and the CBS syndicated talk show "Face the Truth." She is the host of the KBLA daily prime time news, politics, and social affairs show "Areva Martin in Real Time," and her web-based show "The Special Report with Areva Martin" received the Anthem Silver Award for highlighting racial disparities and social inequities in America. Martin is a recognized authority on workplace, disability rights, education, and custody issues, and has been featured in publications including RedBook, The Huffington Post, and Essence. As a syndicated columnist, she regularly writes for CNN.com, Daily Beast, Thrive Global, and Time.Motto.

Martin's work has been recognized with more than 100 leadership, business, nonprofit, and media awards and commendations, including L'Oreal Paris Women of Worth Award, California Black Caucus Leadership Award, Los Angeles County Women of the Year, Ford's Living Legend Award, James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award, National Medical Fellowships Champions of Health Award, and Greater Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Lawyer of the Year Award. Martin has also been identified as one of the 100 most influential Black Americans and inducted into the Know Your Legacy Virtual Black History Museum as a leading Black changemaker. Whether in a courtroom, on a broadcast stage, or at a keynote podium, Martin brings legal authority, lived experience, and advocacy to her work in civil rights, disability rights, and social justice.