James D. Ward, Associate Justice

Name: James D. Ward

Position: Justice - Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division Two

Personal

  • Born 1935 - Sioux Falls, South Dakota
  • Married 42 years - Carole J. Ward - three children, two grandchildren
  • Resident Riverside County - 38 years
  • Military - U.S. Army Reserve - 1958-1964

Educational Background

  • B.A., University of South Dakota, 1957
  • J.D., University of San Francisco, 1959
  • Studied at University of Oslo, Norway, and University of Vienna, Austria 1953-1954
  • Judicial Education Courses: National Judicial College, Reno; New York University; California Judicial Education and Research (CJER)
  • Miscellaneous Continuing Education of the Bar courses
  • Miscellaneous non-legal extension courses at University of California, Riverside

Professional Background

  • Deputy District Attorney, Riverside County - 1960-1961
  • Law firm of Badger, Schulte & Ward - general practice - 1961-1964
  • Law firm of Thompson & Colegate - civil litigation practice - media litigation - 1964-1993
  • Judge - Riverside Superior Court - civil trial assignment - 1993-1996
  • Associate Justice - Court of Appeal - 1996-date

Professional Activities
Current

  • California Judges Association (past Chair - Public Information & Education Committee)
  • American Board of Trial Advocates
  • Riverside County Bar Association Past Presidents Club (Founder)
  • First Amendment Coalition
  • State Bar Committee to Evaluate JNE Commission (Chair)
  • Judicial Council Task Force on Jury Instructions (Vice-Chair)
  • Judicial Council Task Force on Quality of Judicial Service (Vice-Chair)
  • Inland Empire Response to Criticism Committee - California Juges Association (Chair)

Past

  • Board of Governors - State Bar of California (Vice-President)
  • Joint State Bar Judicial Council Commission on Discovery (Chair)
  • Judicial Nominees Evaluation Commission (Chair)
  • Ninth Circuit Judicial Council Lawyer Representative
  • American Judicature Society - (Board of Directors)
  • Riverside County Bar Association (President)
  • Judicial Council Select Committee on Judicial Retirement
  • Editorial Board - California Lawyer magazine
  • Association of So. Calif. Defense Counsel
  • Conference of Delegates of State Bar Executive Committee
  • Riverside Barristers (Secretary & Vice-President)
  • Legal Aid Society - Community Legal Services (Board of Directors)
  • State Bar Administrative Committee (Attorney Discipline)
  • Lawyer Reference Service (Board of Directors)
  • Tel-Law (Board of Directors)
  • Estate Planning Council of Riverside
  • Statewide Consortium on Court Delay Reduction
  • Federal Magistrate Selection Committee (Chair)
  • Leo Deegan Inns of Court (Founding Committee)
  • Judge Pro Tem - Riverside Municipal and Superior Courts
  • Arbitrator - American Arbitration Association
  • Pro Tem Mediator - Court of Appeal
  • Testified as an expert on issues of professional competence, attorneys fees and other matters in Riverside, San Bernardino, and Orange Counties
  • Chapter author of book - Civil Discovery Practice, California Continuing Education of the Bar
  • Author of articles in statewide publications, both legal and nonlegal
  • Author of op-ed pieces in Riverside and San Bernardino newspapers

Professional Honors and Awards

  • Riverside County Bar Association Distinguished Service Award
  • Argued and won two cases before United States Supreme Court
    • Press Enterprise v. Superior Court (I) 464 U.S. 501
    • Press Enterprise v. Superior Court (II) 478 U.S. 1
  • Executive Committee Conference of Delegates Alumni of the Year
  • Legal Secretaries Association King Boss Award
  • Listed in numerous "vanity" publications - Best Lawyers in U.S., Who's Who in West, Who's Who in American Law, etc.
  • California State Assembly Resolution & Award
  • Riverside Downtown Partnership (Chamber of Commerce) - Chairman's Award

Community Activities
Current

  • UCRLAW - (Founder and Chair)
  • Citizens Unversity Committee (President)
  • Riverside Community Hospital Founder's Club
  • Frank Miller Club - Mission Inn
  • Ad hoc committee to establish Federal District Court in the Inland Empire
  • Victoria Avenue Forever

Past

  • Riverside Community Hospital Board of Directors
  • University of California, Riverside Foundation Board
  • Riverside County Historical, Commission (Vice-Chair)
  • Riverside Opera Association (President)
  • Riverside/University Area Kiwanis (President)
  • Kiwanis District Lt. Governor

Teaching/Educational Activities

  • Instructor - New Judges Orientation - California Judicial Education and Research (CJER)
  • Seminar leader, Judges College (CJER)
  • Adjunct professor - University of California, Riverside - legal research/writing, moot court
  • Adjunct professor - LaVerne Law School
  • Panelist, Continuing Education of the Bar - California Discovery Act
  • Lecturer - legal ethics - Riverside County Bar Association
  • Guest lecturer - law & media - UCLA and UCR
  • Panelist and speaker for numerous other legal and civic groups

Publications

  • Chapter Author, Civil Discovery Practice, California Continuing Education of the Bar
  • "To the U.S. Supreme Court and Back," Statewide Bench/Bar/Media Newsletter, July 1987
  • "An Insider's View of the Civil Discovery Act of 1986," Litigation in Brief
  • "Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation (JNE)," The Legal Secretary, February 1989
  • Book reviews - California Lawyer Magazine
  • Miscellaneous articles - Riverside County Bar Bulletin
  • Miscellaneous op-ed pieces, Riverside Press-Enterprise, San Bernardino Sun
  • "To Sell a Valentine" The Thoroughbred of California, July 1978
  • "A Girl, A Horse, A Father" Horseplay magazine, March 1981
  • "To Catch a Prince" Air California magazine, January 1978
  • "Destination Cabo" Pacific Skipper magazine, December 1979