Retired state appellate justice joins JAMS

Justice Ignazio J. Ruvolo has joined JAMS as a mediator, arbitrator and special master, the ADR provider has announced. Ruvolo, who is a former appellate justice, will handle a variety of disputes and will be based in San Francisco.

Ruvolo had a 24-year career on the bench, and he has presiding justice in the 1st District Court of Appeal, Division Four from 2006 until last year. He served previously as a justice in Division Two from 1996 to 2006. Earlier, he was a Contra Costa County Superior Court judge.

“I was in the public court system for just about a quarter century, and it was time for me to move on,” Ruvolo said. “I didn’t want to completely retire. I wanted a new adventure.”

His cases at JAMS will entail business and commercial disputes, class actions, employment and insurance disputes, among other matters.

“Having served as a justice, a judge, trial attorney and litigator, Justice Ruvolo’s vast experience makes him uniquely qualified as a neutral,” said Chris Poole, JAMS president and CEO, in a release. “We know he will make a great addition to our panel and are thrilled to have him join us.”

Ruvolo formerly worked as a trial attorney in the torts section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s civil division. He later moved into private practice at Bronson, Bronson & McKinnon in San Francisco.

JAMS spokesperson Gina Miller said in addition to Ruvolo’s wealth of judicial experience, his passion for legal and judicial education made him an attractive candidate for the panel. He is a former adjunct professor at the John F. Kennedy School of Law, UC Hastings College of the Law and Golden Gate University School of Law.

“We believe that he’s the perfect complement to our existing panel, which includes a number of other former California judges and justices,” Miller said.

Ruvolo received his undergraduate degree from Rutgers College, his law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law and his master of laws degree from the University of Virginia.