Orange County, California
5 Park Plaza, Suite 400, Irvine, CA 92614
Hon. Kathleen E. O’Leary (Ret.) joins JAMS following more than four decades of distinguished judicial service in California, including over 25 years on the Court of Appeal. Most recently, she served as the presiding justice of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Three, based in Santa Ana, where she was the first woman to hold that role. Prior to her appellate service, she served on the Orange County Superior Court, including as its presiding judge, and on the West Orange County Municipal Court.
Throughout her career, Justice O’Leary earned a reputation for collegiality, fairness and sound judicial administration. As a trial judge, Justice O’Leary presiding over hundreds of trials and other contested matters. As a trial court leader, she helped navigate Orange County’s courts through the challenges of county bankruptcy, led the unification of the municipal and Superior courts, and advanced efforts to improve court efficiency and public access. At the appellate level, she presided over thousands of civil and criminal matters; authored roughly 2,600 opinions, including close to 200 published opinions; and was recognized for her deep knowledge of procedural fairness and constitutional rights. She also sat five times on the California Supreme Court as a pro tem justice.
Justice O’Leary has been widely recognized for her service to the judiciary and to the public. She was named Jurist of the Year by the Judicial Council of California and received numerous awards for her leadership in access to justice, court innovation and the advancement of women in the legal profession. She also held leadership roles on the Judicial Council of California, including as co-chair of the Access and Fairness Advisory Committee and chair of the Advisory Committee on Financial Accountability and Efficiency. In all of her leadership roles, Justice O’Leary has demonstrated an innate ability to forge a consensus to advance the cause of justice.
In addition to her judicial duties, Justice O’Leary has been deeply engaged in judicial education and mentorship, serving as an adjunct professor, faculty instructor and advisor to various legal and civic organizations.
At JAMS, Justice O’Leary focuses her practice on mediation, arbitration and neutral analysis in a broad range of areas, including appellate, business and commercial, civil rights, government/public agency, employment, insurance, personal injury/torts and real estate. She brings to her dispute resolution practice a commitment to neutrality, efficiency and thoughtful decision-making grounded in decades of trial and appellate court experience.
The following matters are settlement conferences handled by Justice O’Leary while on the bench.
Memberships and Affiliations
Awards and Recognition
5 Park Plaza, Suite 400, Irvine, CA 92614
1925 Century Park East, 14th Floor, The Watt Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90067
Citrus Towers, 3390 University Ave., Suite 450, Riverside, CA 92501
515 S. Flower St, Suite 4500 Los Angeles, CA, 90071
Disclaimer
This page is for general information purposes. JAMS makes no representations or warranties regarding its accuracy or completeness. Interested persons should conduct their own research regarding information on this website before deciding to use JAMS, including investigation and research of JAMS neutrals. See More