5. Luis Estrella MartÃnez
Luis Estrella-MartÃnez (born November 17, 1971 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. Confirmed by the Senate on May 11, 2011, he took office on May 25, 2011 at the age of 39 and could serve for over 30 years until his mandatory retirement age of 70 on November 17, 2041. He is the sixth Associate Justice appointed by Fortuño during his first two-and-a-half years in office as the United States territory’s Chief Executive.
After a stint as a law clerk to Puerto Rico Court of Appeals Judge Gilberto Gierbolini, where he met two appellate judges with whom he would subsequently serve on the Supreme Court, Justices Liana Fiol Matta and Mildred Pabón, and as a legislative assistant to then Senator Kenneth McClintock and Representative Pedro Figueroa, he opened his own law office in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, where he lives, where he specialized in Administrative Law for over 10 years.
Senate of Puerto Rico President Thomas Rivera Schatz shepherded his confirmation through a committee hearing and a floor vote on May 11, 2011. The New Progressive Party majority voted in his favor while the Popular Democratic Party senators voted against the nomination.