PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND:

Associate Justice, California Court of Appeal,
Second Appellate District, Division 3
November 20, 1987 - Present

Judge of the Superior Court, County of Los Angeles
January 4, 1985 - November 20, 1987

Attorney at Law, private practice for 23 years (1962-1985) in Beverly Hills and Century City; small firm litigation practice with emphasis in commercial, business and real estate litigation.

U. S. Navy (JAG) Commissioned Officer,
May 1, 1959 - April 30, 1962

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:

University of Southern California Law Center
LLB/JD June 1958

University of Southern California School of Public Administration
Bachelor of Science (Major: Law Enforcement and Police Administration)
June 1955 (Magna Cum Laude)

ADMISSION TO PRACTICE:

California - January 1959
District of Columbia - June 1960
U. S. Supreme Court - February 1962
U. S. Court of Military Appeals - October 1959

 

HONORS AND AWARDS:

Jurist of the Year Award - 1998, Los Angeles County Bar Association, May 27, 1998

Distinguished Service Award - Jurist of the Year - 1994,
Judicial Council of California,
April 15, 1994

Roger J. Traynor Memorial Award - Appellate Justice of the Year,
Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Association, 1993

Bernard S. Jefferson Award - Distinguished Service in Judicial Education, California Judges Association, 1992

Rated “Exceptionally Well Qualified” for Court of Appeal by Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation (JNE), October, 1987

JUDICIAL COMMITTEES:

Chair, Judicial Council Advisory Committee on Civil Jury Instructions,
2005 - Present

Member, Task Force on Judicial Selection and Retention,
2007 - Present

Member, State Appellate Courts Committee on Security,
2000 - Present

Chair, Second Appellate District Security Committee,
2000 - Present

Member, Judicial Council Task Force on Civil Jury Instructions,
2001 – 2003

Member, Judicial Council Appellate Standing Advisory Committee,
1993 - 1995

Chair, Judicial Council Ad Hoc Committee on Trial Court Funding,
1990 - 1992

Chair, Second Appellate District Court Reporter - OSC Panel,
1989-1995

Member, State-Federal Judicial Council,
1989 - 1997

Member, Executive Committee of the Los Angeles Superior Court.
1986-1987

Co-Chair, “Fast Track” (AB 3300) Rule Drafting Committee, Los Angeles Superior Court
– 1987

STATE and COUNTY BAR ACTIVITIES:

State Bar Committee on Administration of Justice
1983-1985

Board of Trustees, Los Angeles County Bar Association
1984-1986

Chair, Litigation Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association
1985 - 1986

Executive Committee, Litigation Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association
1980-1994

Delegate, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Delegation to State Bar Conference
1981-1984

Executive Committee, Los Angeles County Bar Association Delegation to State Bar Conference of Delegates
1983 - 1984

Pre and Post Judgment Interest Committee, Los Angeles County Bar Association
1982-1985

Ad Hoc Committee on Yarbrough v Superior Court, Los Angeles County Bar Association
1984

Litigation Section Pro Bono Subcommittee for Coordination with Public Counsel, Los Angeles County Bar Association
1983-1984

LEGAL ARTICLES:

“Seaman’s and Wallis: A Tort Remedy for Breach of Contract in Non-Insurance Cases”, published in the Newsletter (Spring 1985) of the Litigation Section of Los Angeles County Bar Association

"Litigation Cost Shifting, An Economical Path to Court Reform”, which proposed a statutory modification the so-called “American Rule” in California regarding the award of attorneys fees in civil litigation, published in the Los Angeles Lawyer (Vol. 8, No. 6, September 1985)

"Bad Faith: The Expansion of Tort Remedies in Non-Insurance Litigation”, published in the Beverly Hills Bar Association Journal (Vol. 19, No. 4, Fall 1985)

"Seaman’s Revisited”, published in the Newsletter (Spring 1987) of the Litigation Section of Los Angeles County Bar Association

"The Emotional Distress of Employment Termination” published in the Newsletter (Fall 1990) of the Litigation Section of Los Angeles County Bar Association

"Bad Faith in California - Its History, Development and Current Status”, American Bar Association, Tort & Insurance Law Journal (Vol. XXVI, No. 3, Spring 1991)

“Understanding and Applying The Hearsay Rule”, published in the Los Angeles Lawyer (Vol. 14, No. 11, February 1992); co-author with Justice Norman L. Epstein

"Avoiding Evidence Pitfalls”, published in the Los Angeles Lawyer (Vol. 15. No. 1, March 1992); co‑author with Justice Norman L. Epstein

California Practice Guide, Insurance Litigation (3 volumes), The Rutter Group (co-author)

“The Doctrine of Reasonable Expectations in California: A Judge’s View, Connecticut Insurance Law Journal (Vol. 5, No. 1, 1998-1999)

PERSONAL DATA:

• Born August 2, 1933, Los Angeles, California
• Married, 2 Children
• Elder, Presbyterian Church (Pacific Palisades, California)