Judge Mary Thornton House, Ret.

Statewide

Bad Faith, Contracts, Employment/Labor, Family Law, Governmental Liability, Insurance, Personal Injury, Premise Liability, Probate, Professional Malpractice, and Real Estate

Judge Mary Thornton House recently retired from the Los Angeles Superior Court after 22 years of service. During her career, she was recognized as a "Judge of the Year" by the Pasadena Bar Association and the San Fernando Valley Bar Association, who also honored her with their "Administration of Justice" award. As a supervising judge for the North Central, Northeast, and Central Districts, Judge House worked with attorneys, bar groups, and the public to solve access problems and resource issues related to our courts by using her experience and common sense regarding civil case processing. She led the Judicial Council of California workgroup that reached consensus with diverse members of the justice community to enact California's Expedited Jury Trial legislation. Known as a keen problem solver with an ability to get people to engage in resolving their differences, these skills served her well as a judge and will continue to serve her as a mediator.

Assigned to a general jurisdiction court in the Stanley Mosk Courthouse for over 7 years hearing a wide variety of civil matters, she went on to staff the Pasadena Probate Court for 5 years and returned downtown to Probate for her final two years on the bench. During these many years in the Civil and Probate courts, Judge House was routinely sought after to settle both her own cases, and those of her colleagues. As a result, she has settled countless cases and earned a reputation as a settlement officer that listens, is patient, but relentless in her approach to the resolution of difficult and sometimes highly emotional litigation matters. Judge House has an additional unique expertise with respect to police and municipal liability, having been general counsel to the Los Angeles Police and Fire Departments for many years prior to her appointment to the bench.

Judge House is available throughout California.

thorntonhouse@arc4adr.com

213-623-0211

www.arc4adr.com