Irvine, Calif. – JAMS, the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services worldwide, is pleased to announce that Hon. Kirk H. Nakamura (Ret.) has been honored with the Marcus M. Kaufman Jurisprudence Award for 2024 by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of Orange County and Long Beach. The Jurisprudence Awards Dinner took place on September 19 in Orange County, California.
The annual award is named after Justice Marcus M. Kaufman, the 103rd Justice of the California Supreme Court and a pioneer for civil rights. Award honorees have made exceptional contributions to the legal profession and the community. Overall, the award recipients serve as role models of ethics and leadership in the legal community and personify the ADL’s mission to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all.
We congratulate Judge Nakamura for this incredible honor from the ADL. Throughout his career, he has shown commendable dedication and a commitment to the rule of law, the legal profession and his community. His actions extend past the courtroom and establish his legacy as a leader in Orange County and beyond.
- Chris Poole, JAMS CEO
Judge Nakamura joined JAMS in 2022 after a distinguished legal career spanning 41 years. Before being appointed to the bench, he was a recognized leader in the legal community. He was president of the Orange County Japanese Lawyers Association and president of the Orange County Asian American Bar Association.
Over the next two decades, Judge Nakamura served on the Orange County Superior Court in various capacities, including chair of the Grand Jury Selection Committee and chair of the Temporary Judge Committee. He was elected several times to the court's Executive Committee. From 2016 to 2018, he was elected and served as the court's assistant presiding judge. In 2019 and 2020, during the onset of the pandemic, he was the court's presiding judge, leading the Orange County Superior Court to conduct an unequaled 200 jury trials in 2020. He personally has presided over 200 jury trials during his tenure. These include some of the most high-profile cases in Orange County. He has also served on the court's complex litigation panel. Among the many awards he has received is the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association's Trailblazer Award. More recently, he was honored by the Orange County Bar Association's Charitable Fund.
In his role at JAMS, Judge Nakamura serves as an arbitrator, mediator, special master, neutral evaluator, hearing officer and temporary judge. He handles cases for various practice areas, including business and commercial, construction defect, employment and environmental law, health care, higher education and Title lX, insurance, intellectual property, personal injury/torts and professional liability.
More information about the ADL’s Marcus M. Kaufman Jurisprudence Award and this year’s honorees can be found here.
About JAMS – Local Solutions. Global Reach.
Founded in 1979, JAMS is the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution services worldwide. With a roster of over 450 neutrals and 29 locations, JAMS successfully resolves and manages tens of thousands of business and legal disputes by providing efficient, cost-effective and impartial ways to overcome barriers at any stage of conflict. JAMS offers customized in-person, virtual and hybrid resolution services locally and globally through a combination of industry-specific experience, first-class client service, the latest technology and highly trained mediators and arbitrators.
Building on this foundation, JAMS Pathways focuses on early conflict resolution, facilitation and training.
Learn more about JAMS Pathways at jamspathways.com.
More information about JAMS is available at www.jamsadr.com, and you can connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X and our JAMS ADR blog. To learn about diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at JAMS, visit www.jamsadr.com/diversity/.