Hon. James L. Smith (Ret.)

Hon. James L. Smith (Ret.) retired from the Orange County Superior Court after two-and-a-half decades on the bench to become a full-time arbitrator, mediator, and discovery referee. In addition to serving two terms as Presiding Judge of the court, Judge Smith was Presiding Judge of the Probate Department, Supervising Judge of the Criminal Panel. Throughout his time on the bench, he was assigned to the Complex Litigation Panel, Family Law Panel, Criminal Trial Panel, Law and Motion, Civil Trials, Juvenile Court, and General Trials. 

The breadth of Judge Smith's experience is one of the strengths he brings to the table as a neutral. He presided over thousands of settlement conferences and trials as a judge, and, since joining JAMS, has worked on thousands of cases as an arbitrator, mediator, or discovery referee, with special expertise in resolving complex cases. Highly regarded among counsel, Judge Smith is known for his extensive preparation before each matter that gives him more time to work with parties to craft creative and efficient resolutions to their disputes.