Hon. Elia V. Pirozzi (Ret.) joined JAMS following a 14-year career with the San Bernardino County Superior Court and two years as an assigned judge for unlimited civil and felony trial courts. He served two terms on the Appellate Division of the Court, including one term as assistant presiding judge. Judge Pirozzi has been a licensed real estate broker since 1978 and previously held a Series 7 securities license. Based in the Inland Empire Resolution Center, Judge Pirozzi serves as a mediator, arbitrator, special master, discovery referee and neutral evaluator.

Judge Pirozzi has earned a reputation as a tireless and efficient judicial officer known for his commitment to fairness, thorough preparation, clear and concise communication skills, excellent interpersonal skills, and exemplary judicial temperament. As a settlement judge and mediator, Judge Pirozzi has been credited for developing creative and pragmatic techniques and innovative approaches to resolving complex issues while exhibiting patience, compassion, and empathy during the case resolution process. He is a problem solver who has the unique ability to connect with litigants and their counsel and will persevere until the job is done.

Additionally, Judge Pirozzi has authored numerous law review and legal articles on evidence and constitutional issues, including the California Guide to Criminal Evidence, currently in its 8^th edition. During his tenure as a judicial officer, he served as faculty for a wide variety of educational programs for bench officers throughout the state.

Judge Pirozzi’s experience includes countless jury trials, bench trials, complex civil motions, and settlement conferences, along with significant judicial experience involving business and commercial matters, real estate and finance, construction, premises liability, land use, eminent domain, personal injury, professional negligence, environmental law, international law, and complex discovery disputes.

Representative Matters

• Automotive Disputes
• As a judge, presided over Lemon Law (Song-Beverly Consumer Warrant Act and Magnum-Moss Warranty Act) cases and trials against automobile dealerships and manufacturers
• As a judge, settled complex discovery disputes between counsel for automobile manufacturers and customers concerning Lemon Law and breach of implied warranty of fitness and merchantability issues
• Business Commercial
• As counsel, negotiated numerous breach of business and commercial contracts, including franchise agreements, partnership agreements, shareholder agreements, and corporate dissolutions
• Mediated case for breach of contract and negligence between waste management company and homeowner association for structural damage to properties in a condominium complex
• Presided over trial in action by developer of jet fuel farm for breach of contract, negligence, and equitable indemnity for loss of jet fuel against installer of safety equipment at county aviation facility
• Presided over trial in case alleging defamation, trade libel, tortious interference with business relations, and tortious breach of contract by business owner for content of internet posting
• As a judge, analyzed and ruled on numerous cases involving the applicability and enforceability of arbitration clauses in a variety of contractual matters
• Civil Rights
• Presided over trial involving civil rights claim by a criminal defendant for damages against county due to use of deadly or excessive force by law enforcement agency
• Construction
• As a practitioner, litigated cases between property owners and contractors involving alleged defective construction of a variety of real estate properties
• As manager of land acquisition and legal advisor, negotiated complex land transactions and drafted purchase and sale and development agreements for residential development
• As a judge, navigated and presided over several construction defect cases, involving both individual single-family dwellings and large residential development projects
• Eminent Domain
• As a judge, presided over numerous eminent domain cases involving governmental agencies and individual property owners for acquisition of real property
• Presided over trial for eminent domain initiated by California Department of Transportation against property owners for expropriation of property needed for expansion of state highway
• Employment Law
• As a judge, settled complex employment claims by employees against major aeronautic and defense contractor
• As a judge, presided over numerous cases involving wrongful termination, wage and hour claims, discrimination, hostile work environment, retaliation, and constructive discharge claims
• Environmental Law
• As legal counsel, negotiated claims by Environmental Protection Agency under CERCLA involving groundwater and soil contamination caused by metal plating firm located within Southern California Superfund site
• As an attorney, litigated dispute in federal court between business owner against former property owners and insurance carriers for toxic tort and environmental claims under CERCLA and RCRA caused by release of chemicals from dry cleaning establishment
• Finance
• As legal counsel, litigated and resolved real estate finance regulatory matters and disputes between large mortgage banking institutions and borrowers and negotiated cases involving mortgage loan defaults and non-judicial foreclosures
• As a judge, presided over numerous cases of financial elder abuse and unfair business practices
• Personal Injury
• Mediated case for premises liability and negligence by customer against beauty salon for injuries allegedly sustained due to dangerous condition at commercial property
• As a judge, adjudicated premises liability disputes involving hotels, motels, commercial and retail establishments, and residential properties
• As a judge, settled cases and presided over trials for negligence involving automotive accidents
• As a judge, presided over disputes involving financial and physical abuse of elder by family and against health care facilities
• Professional Liability
• Presided over trial for medical negligence involving allegations of failure to promptly diagnose and treat cardiac condition resulting in serious heart damage to patient
• Presided over trial for medical negligence involving alleged failure to maintain the standard of care during vasectomy procedure
• As a judge, adjudicated dispositive motions involving allegations of deficient surgical and hospital procedures and techniques causing significant medical damage to patient and loss of consortium
• Real Property
• Mediated dispute between real estate broker and property owner for commission involving the purchase and sale of real property
• Presided over trial involving action for deficiency judgment after nonjudicial foreclosure by beneficiaries under deed of trust
• As a judge, presided over and resolved commercial and residential lease and purchase and sale disputes and related claims for commissions
• As legal counsel, negotiated and resolved issues relating to land use approvals with municipalities on behalf of property owners
• As an attorney, litigated and negotiated claims between clients and real estate agents and brokers for fraud and nondisclosure of known property defects and other contractual matters
• As a judge, presided over, adjudicated and settled boundary and lot line disputes between property owners and claims for adverse possession
• As a judge, adjudicated claims for wrongful foreclosure and unfair business practices
• As a judge, presided over quiet title, slander of title, partition actions, and related lis pendens issues, and navigated court-appointed receiverships involving income producing real property

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

Completed virtual ADR training conducted by the JAMS Institute, the training arm of JAMS 

• Member, California State Bar, 1989-2024
• Member, Idaho State Bar, 2024
• Member, California Judges Association, 2007–2021
• Merit Scholar, Environmental Law and International and Comparative Law; Recipient of CALI Award in International Business Law, University of San Diego School of Law, 1997
• Recipient, Academic Achievement Award in Advanced Corporate Law and International Business Transactions, Southwestern University School of Law 1982

Background and Education

• Judge, San Bernardino County Superior Court, 2007–2021
• Judge, Appellate Division, 2014–2016
• Assistant Presiding Judge, Appellate Division, 2014–2015 Term
• Private judge as a mediator, and discovery referee for unlimited civil litigation matters, 2021–2022
• Assigned judge for California Superior Courts for unlimited civil and felony trial courts, 2022–2024
• Law Offices of Elia V. Pirozzi, 1991–2007
• Associate, Law Offices of Robert E. Weiss, 1990–1991
• Manager of Land Acquisition and legal advisor, Marlborough Development Corporation, 1989–1990
• LL.M., University of San Diego School of Law, cum laude, 1997
• J.D., Southwestern University School of Law, 1982, Dean’s List 1981-1982

Judicial and Academic Faculty Positions

• Center for Judicial Education and Research (CJER), Evidence in Civil and Criminal Cases, 2011–2021
• CJER, Civil Law Workgroup, 2013
• CJER, Criminal Law Workgroup, 2011
• Appellate Judicial Attorneys Institute, 2016
• Guest Lecturer, University of San Francisco School of Law: Trial Advocacy, 2009

Publications and Law Review Articles 

• “California Guide to Criminal Evidence,” Thomson Reuters and Brown Walker Press, 2016–2025
• “Criminal Law Evidence Matrix,” CJER, 2010–2023
• “Civil Litigation Hearsay Exceptions,” Daily Journal, 2023
• “Objections to Questions Asked During Trial,” Daily Journal, 2024
• “Official Records Hearsay Exception,” Daily Journal, 2019
• “Brady Disclosures,” Daily Journal, 2017
• “Character Evidence in Civil Cases,” Daily Journal, 2017
• “Admissibility of Statements Decision Tree,” Daily Journal, 2016
• “Objections to the Form of Questions,” Daily Journal, 2015
• “Search and Seizure Basics,” Daily Journal, 2014
• “Receivers,” Daily Journal, 2013
• “Crawford Update,” Parts One and Two, Daily Journal, 2012
• “The War Power and a Career-Minded Congress: Making the Case for Legislative Reform, Congressional Term Limits, and Renewed Respect for the Intent of the Framers,” Southwestern University Law Review, 1997
• “Compliance Through Alliance: Regulatory Reform and the Application of Market-Based Incentives to the United States-Mexico Border Region Hazardous Waste Problem,” University of Oregon Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation, 1997
• “Resolution of Environmental Disputes in the United States-Mexico Border Region and the Departure from the Status Quo,” University of Oregon Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation, 1997

Selected Speaking Engagements

• "Trial Skills: Types of Evidence and Laying Foundation," BHBA, January 23, 2025
• "Trial Skills: Objection! The Why, How, and When of Making Objections at Trial" BHBA, January 16, 2025
• “Playing Nice in the Legal Sandbox: Civility, Decorum, and Protocols in the Modern-Day Trial Court,” JAMS Hosted CLE, Dec. 10, 2024