Born and raised in Albemarle County, Mr. Jenkins graduated from Western Albemarle High School before continuing his scholarship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. After receiving a Bachelor’s of Science in mechanical engineering from MIT, Peter worked on oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico as a drilling engineer for Schlumberger. Prior to attending law school, he worked as a correctional officer for the State of Colorado in an intake facility dealing with both male and female offenders. His primary motivation for working within the prison system was to better understand the real-life implications of the criminal justice system in our great country.
While at the University of Denver, Mr. Jenkins served as Senior Articles Editor of the Law Review, joined the Journal of International Law & Policy during his first semester, graduated Order of St. Ives (Top 5%), received the Merit Scholarship, and was awarded the highest individual grade in six subjects including both Constitutional and Property Law. During law school Peter worked with the Securities and Exchange Commission in Denver, the Department of Justice Antitrust Division in Washington, D.C., and the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps in Frankfurt, Germany. After graduating law school, he decided to return to Charlottesville to be closer to his family and founded the law firm of Jenkins & Jenkins with his mother, Barbara S. Jenkins.
Mr. Jenkins' law practice includes criminal law, family law, and education law. He successfully completed the Institute for Special Education Advocacy at the William and Mary School of Law in August of 2011. He is certified by the Supreme Court of Virginia to serve as a Guardian ad litem for children. He is also certified to serve as court-appointed counsel for both misdemeanor and felony criminal cases. Peter's case experience includes hundreds of misdemeanor representations, dozens of felony representations, including jury trials and criminal appeals, and special education negotiations with several school districts. For each case, he focuses on protecting his clients’ legal rights and explaining the court procedure and process.