Judicate West has added retired Justice William W. Bedsworth, who spent nearly three decades as an associate justice on the California Fourth District Court of Appeal.

Justice William W. Bedsworth joins the firm’s Appellate Practice Group focusing on private appellate consultation. His range of services includes evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of potential appeals, reviewing appellate briefs, identifying potential appellate concerns, and giving parties practice in oral arguments. Additionally, he will help develop and advance private appellate panel experience, giving lawyers more clarity, insight and control in the appellate process.

Justice Bedsworth retired from the California Fourth District Court of Appeal in October 2024 following 27 years on the bench. The longest serving justice in the history of the Fourth District, Division 3, he wrote 220 published opinions and authored over 2,000 more in all areas of the law, and his opinion in People v. Garcia (2000) was the first gay rights precedent in American history, prompting the state’s legislature to bar peremptory jury challenges based on sexual orientation. Justice Bedsworth was elected to the Orange County Superior Court in 1986, serving 10 years on the bench before his appointment to the Court of Appeal in 1997.

About Judicate West
For more than 30 years, Judicate West has been one of California’s leading providers of private dispute resolution services with a distinguished roster of proven neutrals, including retired state and federal court judges plus professional attorney mediators and arbitrators from a wide variety of practice areas. Founded in 1993, the firm prides itself on maintaining the utmost integrity in delivering innovative solutions to all types of civil disputes. The firm’s successful formula involves top-tier neutrals, a great company culture and an experienced team of ADR professionals dedicated to delivering gold standard service in alternative dispute resolution (ADR).