Richard Aldrich

Richard Dennis Aldrich is an Associate Justice of the Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Three. He was appointed by Governor Wilson in 1994 and confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments, and later by the electorate. Prior to his appointment, he practiced civil litigation for 28 years and was previously a Judge of the Superior Court in Ventura County. He is a member of the Judicial Council of California, International Academy of Trial Judges, Board of Regents of Loyola Marymount University, California Judges Association, American Bar Association, American Board of Trial Advocates, and is a Fellow and Judicial Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and American College of Trial Lawyers. He was awarded “Trial Lawyer of the Year” by the American Board of Trial Advocates and “Appellate Justice of the Year” by Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles. He holds a LL.B. from the UCLA School of Law and a B.S. from Loyola University Los Angeles.

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Justice Richard Dennis Aldrich Justice Richard Dennis Aldrich has had a long and distinguished career in the legal field, serving in various capacities in the California Court of Appeal and the Ventura County Superior Court.

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Professional Experience From 1994 to 2017, Justice Aldrich served as an Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Three. He was appointed to this position by Governor Pete Wilson. Prior to this, he was a Judge of the Superior Court in Ventura County, California from 1991 to 1994, appointed by Governor George Deukmejian. In 1992, Justice Aldrich played a key role in launching Ventura County’s Multi-Door Courthouse. This program, based on a concept by Professor Frank Sander of Harvard Law School, offers litigants various methods for resolving their disputes without going to trial. These methods include arbitration, mediation, settlement conferences, and other procedures that allow for early intervention by the judge to try and reach a settlement before the case goes to trial. The program continues to operate in Ventura with a success rate of over 40% in settlements without trial. Justice Aldrich has received numerous awards for his work, including the “Trial Judge of the Year” award in 1992 from the Ventura County Trial Lawyers Association, and the “Outstanding Jurist of the Year” award in 1992 and 1993 from the Ventura County Bar Association.

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Committees and Task Forces Justice Aldrich has chaired several committees and task forces, including the “Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee” for the Ventura Courts, the “Bench, Bar Media Committee”, the “Fiscal and Budget” and “New Legislation and Rules Committees”. He also played a significant role in making California the first state to adopt a mechanism for persons with disabilities to request and receive special accommodations in the courts.

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California Court of Appeal In 1994, Justice Aldrich was elevated to the California Court of Appeal, where he served until his retirement in 2017. During his tenure, he chaired several committees and task forces, including the Select Committee on Trial Court Coordination Implementation, the Business Court Study Task Force, and the Complex Litigation Task Force.

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Honors and Awards Justice Aldrich has been recognized for his work with numerous honors and awards, including being published in Best Lawyers in America and California Lawyer Magazine, receiving the “Trial Lawyer of the Year” award from the American Board of Trial Advocates, and the “Jurist of the Year” award from the California Judicial Council.

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Legal Societies and Organizations Justice Aldrich is a member of several prestigious legal societies and organizations, including the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and the American Board of Trial Advocates. He has also served on the Board of Regents for Loyola Marymount University.