After 13 years on LA court, judge joins ADR Services

If there's one thing Judge Elizabeth R. Feffer is looking forward to as she moves into a private neutral role at ADR Services Inc. after 13 years on the bench, it's the change of pace. From today onward, she'll be working on one case at a time.

Feffer, who was a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge until Monday, when she retired, recalled one week during her civil trial assignment at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles, during which she worked with three different juries.

"That's how busy the downtown trial courts are," Feffer explained in an interview Monday. Her assignments at Mosk were exciting, she said, but she suspected "having one matter to focus on, and really getting my arms around it" would present its own type of thrill.

Feffer was appointed to the bench in 2007 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and was initially assigned to hear a criminal docket at the West Covina Courthouse. In January of the following year, she was reassigned to Mosk, where she held multiple assignments, including family law. She's worked in the civil division since 2012, and said she has handled throughout her career more or less "every type of unlimited civil case that's litigated" -- business, elder abuse, insurance coverage, partnership disputes, personal injury, and medical malpractice.

This access to variety will extend to her time at ADR Services. There, Feffer said she won't specialize in any particular area.

The decision to move to ADR Services was an easy one for Feffer, whose law career in downtown Los Angeles spans three decades. "I'm familiar with all the providers, and Lucie Barron is really highly regarded -- she's a great fit," Feffer said, referring to the founder and president of the company. "I was a customer when I was a litigator," Feffer said. "It's almost like a family."

Still, the move is bittersweet.

"It's been a wonderful, amazing experience serving as a Los Angeles Superior Court judge," she said. "I'm going to miss seeing my colleagues, ... a truly wonderful group of people."

Barron said she was excited to welcome Feffer.

"Judge Feffer has a stellar reputation in the legal community, having handled numerous court and jury trials, evidentiary hearings, and settlement conferences while on the bench. In addition, her involvement in the legal community is unmatched, having often served as a presenter or speaker for various conventions and seminars. Her eloquence, judicial temperament, and exceptional legal knowledge will prove to be an asset to our clients in the private sector," Barron said.

"We welcome her enthusiasm and energy and are proud to introduce her as one of the newest members of our esteemed panel of neutrals. We feel she will be an amazing addition to the ADR profession."