Hon. H. Warren Knight (Ret.), Founder

Hon. H. Warren Knight (Ret.) is the Founder of Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, Inc. (J·A·M·S). He founded J·A·M·S in January, 1979 due to his long-standing commitment to ADR.  Judge Knight continues to be active on the Board, involved in the leadership of the company, and central to important efforts such as the JAMS Foundation.

In 2009, the Foundation established the first Warren Knight Award, which was presented to the Bronx-based organization Effective Alternative in Reconciliation Services (EARS), along with a surprise $25,000 grant, in recognition of the organization’s creative use of ADR to benefit the community.

Judge Knight's distinguished judicial career includes six years of service with the Orange County Superior Court and two years with the Orange County Municipal Court, South Judicial District. Prior to his appointment to the bench, he was in private practice with Portigal & Knight in Orange County for twelve years. He is now retired and lives with his wife, Carolyn, in Southern California.

ADR Experience and Qualifications

• Heard thousands of settlement conferences and developed an expertise in personal injury, medical malpractice, disability retirement, hospital staff hearings, dissolutions and complex civil litigation. Due to his long-standing commitment to ADR, he has not only extensive knowledge of the full spectrum of legal issues, but also a thorough understanding of all types of ADR hearing formats.
• While on the Civil Jury Trial Panel, Judge Knight worked with three other judges to create Settlement Conference Week. He helped draft the rules and participated in that program for two years.
• Law experience primarily consisted of a general insurance defense practice, with specialization in personal injury and insurance coverage issues.
• Lectured extensively on ADR in the United States and Europe, traveled to China with the "People to People" delegation, published numerous articles and books on the subject, and written arbitration rules and clauses for use by businesses, insurance companies, and attorneys.
• Appeared on "ABC Business News" and other network news broadcasts, and has been written about in the Wall Street Journal and other national print media and by many publications specific to the legal community.

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• "Lifetime Achievement Award," American College of Civil Trial Mediators (ACCTM), 1997
• "Trial Judge of the Year," Orange County Trial Lawyers Association, 1974 and 1978
• Member, California Judges Association, 1971 to present
• Honorary S.J.D., University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 1971
• Former member, American, Virginia, West Virginia, and Orange County Bar Associations; Association of Southern California Defense Counsel; American Board of Trial Advocates

Background and Education

• Chairman of the Board of Directors, JAMS, 1979-1999
• Judge, Orange County Superior Court, 1973-1979
• Judge, Orange County, Municipal Court, South Judicial District, 1971-1973
• Private practice, Portigal & Knight, Orange County, 1959-1971
• U.S. Marine Corps, 1955-1959
• LL.B., University of Virginia Law School, Charlottesville, 1955
• B.A., University of Virginia , Charlottesville, 1952

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