Bert Levy

Justice Bert Levy is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of California at Davis where he received a B.A. degree in Political Science in 1974. He was the recipient of the Glenn V. Winslow Memorial Award as outstanding male graduate from U.C. Davis in 1974. He was also selected as the commencement speaker for the College of Letters and Science.

Justice Levy received his law degree in 1977 from the University of Pacific McGeorge School of Law. He is a life member of the Roger Traynor Honor Society, a legal scholarship society, designating academic excellence by being consistently selected for the Dean's List.

In 1977, Justice Levy entered the private practice of law in Fresno and primarily practiced in the family and business law fields.

On July 7, 1988, Governor George Deukmejian appointed Justice Levy to the Fresno County Municipal Court and Governor Deukmejian elevated him to the Fresno County Superior Court on October 5, 1989. He was the presiding judge of the Family Law Department from 1990 to 1996. On August 5, 1997, Governor Pete Wilson elevated him to the Fifth District Court of Appeal.

Justice Levy has been involved in many professional and community service activities. He was president of the Fresno County Bar Association in 1988 and president of the Fresno County Young Lawyers Association in 1984. He has served as a faculty member at the California Judicial College and was chairperson of the 1993 Family Law and Procedure Institute for the California Center for Judicial Education and Research (CJER). He has also served as a member of the California Judicial Council Family and Juvenile Law Standing Advisory Committee, the Family Court Services Advisory Committee, the Appellate Advisory Committee and the Brown v. Board of Education Advisory Committee. He has also served as a member of the Judicial Council Appellate Indigent Defense Oversight Advisory Committee from 1998 to 2015 and as chair of the committee from 2005 to 2015.

Justice Levy was the initial organizer of the Fresno County Domestic Violence Roundtable and served as its chair from 1990 to 2002. The Domestic Violence Roundtable was created to help prevent domestic violence and to address the many issues relating to victims and perpetrators of domestic violence. He also served on the CJER Domestic Violence Curriculum Advisory Committee.

Justice Levy was the recipient of the Mentor Award from the Fresno County Young Lawyers Association in 1993. The Mentor Award is presented annually and honors an individual who has contributed to the advancement and maturation of young lawyers.

Prior to taking the bench, Justice Levy was active in many avenues of community service. He was chair of the KVPT, Channel 18 Public Broadcasting Great TV Auction from 1979 through 1983. He produced the "LAW QUIZ" television program on Channel 18 from its inception in 1980 until 1992. In 1982, the "LAW QUIZ" received the First Place Award of Achievement from the American Bar Association as the outstanding public service project in the nation for a bar association of Fresno's size. Justice Levy served as president of the Board of Directors of the Friends of Channel 18, 1982-1983.

He was one of the original organizers of the YWCA Marjaree Mason Center, a shelter for women and children who are victims of domestic violence, and was a member of the YWCA Domestic Violence Advisory Board from 1979 to 1983. He was recognized as Public Servant of the Year by the Marjaree Mason Center in recognition of his contributions to the women and children of the Marjaree Mason Center, 2001. Justice Levy is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Fresno City and County Historical Society and the Fresno Arts Museum.

He is currently a member of the Rotary Club of Fresno and the California Judges Association.

Justice Levy was born in Fresno in 1952. He graduated from Fresno High School in 1970 as one of the top 10 academic students in the class and was student body president, 1969-1970. He is married and has two children.