Hon. Richard D. Aldrich (Ret.), JAMS Mediator and Arbitrator

Hon. Richard D. Aldrich (Ret.) joined JAMS in 2017 following his distinguished 27-year judicial career, most recently serving as an Associate Justice on the California Court of Appeal, Second District. Previously, he served on the Ventura County Superior Court. During his time on the bench, Justice Aldrich authored many significant opinions and participated in 8,000 appellate opinions. He also made major contributions to the advancement of ADR in both the trial and appellate courts in California. He was also instrumental in defining processes for complex case management and co-authored the Deskbook on the Management of Complex Civil Cases.

In private practice from 1960 to 1990, Justice Aldrich practiced civil trial law and tried cases in diverse areas, including medical malpractice, legal malpractice and complex civil cases, including class actions, products liability, defective design of the Corvair Automobile and catastrophic personal injury. He successfully handled disputes involving real property, construction defects and toxic torts. Justice Aldrich has had extensive experience in insurance coverage disputes and fair claims-handling practices. As a lawyer, he handled numerous insurance bad-faith claims.

Justice Aldrich frequently speaks on ADR-related topics and served nearly 20 years on the faculty of the B.E. Witkin California Judicial College, teaching Civil Settlement Techniques. He has also taught seminars on best practices in handling insurance claims.

ADR Experience and Qualifications

Participated as settlement officer in hundreds of matters
Instrumental in inaugurating Ventura County’s multi-door courthouse early dispute resolution program and during his last year on the Superior Court was the chief settlement officer.
Served as chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee for the Ventura courts
Instrumental in inaugurating the Second District Appellate Settlement Conference and Mediation Program
Chaired the Complex Litigation Task Force for the California Judicial Council, which published “Deskbook on the Management of Complex Civil Cases”

Representative Matters

Business Commercial

As Judge, Arbitrator and Mediator, heard and settled numerous breach of contract matters
As Judge, Arbitrator and Mediator, heard and settled numerous partnership/joint venture disputes
As Judge, presided over many unfair competition matters under Business and Professions Code Section 17200
As Judge, decided statutory claim concerning the validity of the Hotel Service Charge Reform Ordinance enacted by the City of Los Angeles

Class Action & Mass Tort

As Judge, decided appeals cases involving class actions where the main issue was whether the trial court erred in granting or denying certification of the class. The underlying cases involved many issues, from wage and hour employment to insurance coverage.

Construction Defect

As Judge, decided Homeowners' lawsuit against developer for construction defects involving condominium project
As Judge, decided construction defect litigation regarding a large apartment complex alleging architect failed to supply sufficient support for the foundation resulting in cracks in the units, wall buckling, and other defects

Employment Law

As Judge, Arbitrator and Mediator, heard and settled wage and hour disputes seeking class certification for employees seeking to recover unpaid wages, penalties and damages alleging Labor Code violations, failure to timely pay wages upon termination
As Judge, heard claim alleging failure to pay an additional hours of reporting time and failure to issue a wage statement that complied with the Labor Code
As Judge, Arbitrator and Mediator, heard and settled wrongful termination claims, including hostile work environment caused by harassment and
As Judge, decided matter alleging retaliatory firing for reporting perceived misdeeds to governmental agency
As Judge, decided several cases brought under Code of Civil Procedure Section 1085 (writ of mandate) to compel a governmental agency or officer to discharge statutory duties
As Judge decided matter involving the interpretation of the Los Angeles County's Employee Relations Ordinance as it pertains to disclosure of non-union employees' personal contact information

Insurance

As Judge, Arbitrator and Mediator, heard and settled numerous insurance coverage cases
As Judge, Arbitrator and Mediator, heard and settled numerous matters regarding the interpretation of coverage and exclusions
As Judge, Arbitrator and Mediator, heard and settled matters involving the analysis of claims-handling practices
As Judge, decided first-party (insured) bad-faith litigation
As Judge, Arbitrator and Mediator, heard and settled matters involving the analysis of coverage under excess insurance policies

Personal Injury

As Judge, decided claim for injuries resulting from alleged defective highway design
As Judge, decided actions involving multiple deaths and catastrophic burn injuries to residents of an apartment building due to negligent maintenance and involving tens of millions of dollars recovered
As Judge, Arbitrator and Mediator, heard and settled numerous personal injury and wrongful death claims
As Judge, heard litigation claims under the Government Tort Claims Act (Government Code Section 900, et seq.)
As Judge, decided defamation claim involving a public official's suit against a newspaper
As Judge decided civil suit alleging false arrest, false imprisonment and defamation brought by the publisher of a Los Angeles legal newspaper against the County of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Superior Court and the presiding judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court

Product Liability

As Judge, Arbitrator and Mediator, heard and settled numerous lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies for allegedly defective drugs
As Judge, Arbitrator and Mediator, heard and settled matters involving injuries from alleged automobile design defects

Professional Liability

As Judge, decided medical malpractice claims including allegations of failure to diagnose serious medical conditions leading to death; anesthesia malpractice leading to profound brain damage and total paralysis and deaths; and failure to diagnose spinal dislocation leading to quadriplegia
As Judge, decided legal malpractice claims, including allegations of alleged negligence in forming a limited partnership, resulting in liability as a general partner, and alleged failure to answer complaint by lawyer on behalf of a famous personality

Real Property

As Judge, presided over matter concerning interpretation of the statutory exemption provided by Government Code Section 37361, subdivision (c) for noncommercial property owned by a religious organization
As Judge, Arbitrator and Mediator, heard and settled numerous breach of lease agreements and claims for wrongful eviction

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

Completed Virtual ADR training conducted by the JAMS Institute, the training arm of JAMS.

Honors

Recipient, Jurist of the Year Award, California Judicial Council, 2006
Recipient, Chief Justice Roger J. Traynor Appellate Justice of the Year Award, Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles (CAALA), 2000
Featured, "L.A.'s Most Powerful Judges," Los Angeles Business Journal, February 2000
Recognized, Outstanding Jurist, Ventura County Bar Association, 1992–1993
Recipient, Trial Judge of the Year Award, Ventura County Trial Lawyers Association, 1992
Recipient, "Trial Lawyer of the Year" Award, American Board of Trial Advocates, California, 1990
Recognized, Best Lawyers in America, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989
Recognized, "A Sampling of California's Most Respected Lawyers," California Lawyer Magazine, September 1989

Memberships

Fellow, The American College of Trial Lawyers, 1984–2025.

An invitation only fellowship of exceptional trial lawyers of diverse backgrounds from the United States and Canada.
Accepts only those trial lawyers who have demonstrated the very highest standards of trial advocacy, ethical conduct, integrity, professionalism and collegiality.

Member of California State Committee for 2 years

Fellow, International Academy of Trial Lawyers, 1988–2025.

Recognized as the most prestigious organization of trial lawyers in the world.
The Academy limits Fellowships to 500 active trial lawyers from the United States and includes over 150 Fellows from nearly 40 countries across the globe.
Fellowship in the Academy is by invitation only after an extremely rigorous vetting process, which includes both peer and judicial review.
The Academy seeks Fellows who have achieved a career of excellence as shown by their skills in trial, and as demonstrated by their integrity and professionalism.

Member, American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), 1973–2019; 2021–2025,

President, Los Angeles Chapter, ABOTA, 1986.
Vice President, Los Angeles Chapter, ABOTA, 1985.
Secretary, Los Angeles Chapter, ABOTA, 1976.
Executive Committee, Los Angeles Chapter, ABOTA, 1981-2019; 2021-2025.

Chair, CAL, ABOTA, 1986
National Board of Directors, ABOTA, 1990-1999
Chair, Civil Justice Committee, ABOTA 1987–1991
National Chairperson, Region 10, ABOTA, 1992–1993
National Chair, Civil Justice Award Committee, ABOTA, 1992–1993

Member Emeritus, Board of Regents, Loyola Marymount University (LMU), 2002–2025.

Chair, Board of Regents, LMU, 1999–2001
Vice Chair, Board of Regents, LMU, 1997–1999.

Board of Directors, Association of Business Trial Lawyers, 2003-2006.

Professional Activities

Chair, Complex Litigation Task Force for the California Judicial Council, 1997

Co-Author, "Deskbook on the Management of Complex Civil Cases"

Chair, Business Court Study Task Force, 1996
Chair, Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, Ventura Courts, 1992–1994
Chair, Select Committee on Trial Court Coordination Implementation, 1994 appointed by Chief Justice Malcolm Lucas

Formulated California Rules of Court and Standards of Judicial Administration

Member, Judicial Council of California, 1998–2002

Chair, Civil and Small Claims Standing Advisory Committee
Chair, Case Management and Delay Reduction subcommittee
Chair, California Judicial Administration Conference, 1997, 2003
Chair, Blue Ribbon Panel of Experts on the Fair and Efficient Administration of Civil Cases, 2003

Faculty, Civil Settlement Techniques, B.E. Witkin Judicial College of California, 19 years

Background and Education

Associate Justice, California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Three, 1994–2017
Judge, Ventura County Superior Court, 1991–1994
Private practice, civil trial law, 1963–1990
J.D., University of California Los Angeles, 1963
B.A., Loyola Marymount University, 1960