Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Page 3
Retired Superior Court Judge Julius Title Named to Bar Commission
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Retired Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Julius M. Title has been appointed to the State Bar Commission on Access to Justice.
The 92-year-old bench officer, who officially retired in 1985 but returned to the court by assignment in 1997, was named to the post by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger late Friday. As a commission member, Title is set serve without compensation for a two-year term beginning Sept. 30, and will become eligible for a second consecutive term in 2009.
In remarks to the MetNews yesterday, the judge expressed eagerness to contribute to the justice system by helping civil litigants obtain assistance akin to what the public defender’s office provides in criminal cases.
“I’ve been around long enough to know that there are problems with respect to access to the courts by people who can’t afford, lawyers, et cetera, and I hope we can do something about it,” he said.
The 24-member commission, which works closely with the Judicial Council of California, seeks to explore ways to improve access to civil justice for Californians living on low and moderate incomes. Among other accomplishments, it was instrumental in establishing the $10 million Equal Access Fund for civil legal services to the indigent.
Title is one of the 14 lawyers and judges selected by various statewide entities to serve on the commission. The other 10 members are State Bar appointees.
The retired judge is currently hearing cases on a daily basis at the Beverly Hills courthouse, and is scheduled to return to his previous assignment at the Criminal Justice Center in downtown next week, he said.
Other than his upcoming work with the commission, the judge noted he has not been involved in any professional or community activities due to being “very busy” on the bench.
Title was appointed to the Los Angeles Municipal Court in 1966 by then-Gov. Edmund G. Brown, and elevated to the Superior Court in 1970 by then-Gov. Ronald Reagan.
During his tenure on the bench, he served in most departments of the court, including writs and receivers, general criminal and civil. He also served on the Court of Appeal by assignment during part of 1981 and 1984.
Following his retirement until 1997, he was actively engaged as an arbitrator, special referee in discovery and other disputes under court assignments, a special master under federal court orders, a mediator and a judge pro tem in civil disputes.
Title served as chairman of the Benchbook Committee of the California Judges Association, and is a former member of the faculties of both the California Judicial College, and the National Judicial College sponsored by the American Bar Association at the University of Nevada in Reno.
He extensive teaching experience includes work as an adjunct professor of law in trial practice and advocacy at Whittier College of Law.
The judge has written extensively on trial-related subjects for various legal publications, including the California Bar Journal, American Bar Association Journal, and Judges Journal of the American Bar Association.
Prior to his judicial career, Title spent 20 years in general practice as an attorney focusing on business, corporate and real estate matters.
He was admitted to the State Bar in 1941 after earning both his undergraduate and law degrees from USC.
Copyright 2007, Metropolitan News Company