Paul Boland

Paul Boland was born on January 25, 1942, in Los Angeles, California, and passed away in the same city on September 5, 2007.

In terms of his education, Boland earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola University of Los Angeles in 1963. He then went on to receive a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California Law Center in 1966, followed by a Master of Laws degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1967. He was admitted to the State Bar on June 27, 1967. In 2007, he was honored with the Stanley Mosk Defender of Justice Award.

Boland's judicial career began when he was appointed as a Judge for the Los Angeles Superior Court by Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr., a position he held from April 6, 1981, to November 21, 2001. He was then appointed as an Associate Justice for the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division 8 by Governor Gray Davis. He served in this role from November 21, 2001, until his death on September 5, 2007.

Before his judicial appointments, Boland had a rich professional background. He worked as a Law Clerk for the United States District Court in Los Angeles in 1968. From 1968 to 1970, he served as a Staff Attorney and Deputy Director of Litigation at the Western Center on Law and Poverty in Los Angeles. He then moved on to the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law, where he was a Professor of Law, Associate Dean, and Director of Clinical Legal Education from 1970 to 1981.

Boland was married to United States District Judge Margaret Morrow, and they had a son named Patrick Morrow Boland. His passing was mourned by his colleagues at the Second District Court of Appeal, who remembered him as a warm, insightful individual with great legal and personal skills.

During his career, Boland authored hundreds of opinions and directed the court’s Judicial Externship Program, which received a statewide award for judicial innovation and excellence. He also supervised the design and construction of the Children’s Court, the nation’s first courthouse built to hear cases involving abused and neglected children.

Boland received numerous awards throughout his career, including the Los Angeles County Bar Association Outstanding Jurist Award and the California Trial Lawyers Jurist of the Year. He also served on the Board of Regents of both Loyola Marymount University and Loyola High School.

In lieu of flowers, the family requested that memorial contributions be made to the Paul Boland Memorial Fund, which provides scholarships.