SANTA ANA, Calif., June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Judicate West, one of California’s leading providers of private dispute resolution services, has added Judge Lon F. Hurwitz to its roster of neutrals. Based out of the Santa Ana office, Judge Hurwitz is available statewide as a mediator, arbitrator and private judge.
“We have known Judge Hurwitz for more than 30 years and always held him in high regard, both as a jurist and as a respected member of the Orange County legal community. He is a tremendously accomplished lawyer and judge who has practiced and presided over cases in nearly every area we serve, and his reputation speaks for itself. The way he treats people, his humility, and his commitment to giving back all mirror the core values that define Judicate West,” said Alan Brutman, President and Co-Founder of Judicate West. “Judge Hurwitz's passion for resolution and unmatched work ethic will make him very successful in this next chapter. He’s a natural fit here at Judicate West, and we are confident our clients will feel the same way.”
Judge Hurwitz served 21 years on the Orange County Superior Court bench, spending 17 years in the court’s Family Law Division, including six years as its Supervising Judge. During this time, he presided over thousands of matters involving custody, finances, domestic violence, marriage dissolution, surrogacy, Hague Convention, elder abuse, paternity, and parental termination, many of which are among the most complex issues in family law. Judge Hurwitz was assigned to the Unlimited Civil and Complex Civil departments from 2021 to 2025, where he handled high-stakes, multi-party litigation, including the high-profile San Clemente landslide cases, a mass tort dental malpractice case involving 202 minor plaintiffs, and Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) matters. He served on the court’s Executive Committee from 2006-2010 and chaired its Family Violence Coordination Committee from 2010-2015. Judge Hurwitz spent the first 25 years of his legal career in private practice as a civil litigator, trying construction defect, personal injury and insurance coverage matters, as well as conducting mediations.
Among his many community involvements, Judge Hurwitz created the first Family Law Veterans’ Domestic Violence Diversion Program in the United States. The program offers veteran families the opportunity to address issues like post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries and their effects on domestic violence victims. Judge Hurwitz also served on the Judicial Council of California, where he was appointed to act as its liaison to the State Domestic Violence Task Force.
Judge Hurwitz has been named “Judge of the Year” by 11 organizations, including the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association (OCTLA) (2024), the American Board of Trial Advocates (2023), Southwestern University School of Law (2022), the Orange County Jewish Bar Association (2021), the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists (2016), the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (2012), and the Orange County Bar Association’s Family Law Section (2012). He was also named “Veteran Advocate of the Year” in 2019 by the Veterans Legal Institute. He was a member of the Judicial Council of California from 2008-2010 and the OCTLA from 1985-2010, serving as president in 1994. He also served as president of the Robert A. Banyard American Inn of Court in 2008. Judge Hurwitz earned his J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law (1979) and his B.S. from California State University, Long Beach (1976). He received mediation training from the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at the University of Pepperdine School of Law in 1999.
About Judicate West
For more than 30 years, Judicate West has been one of California’s leading providers of private dispute resolution services with a distinguished roster of proven neutrals, including retired state and federal court judges plus professional attorney mediators and arbitrators from a wide variety of practice areas. Founded in 1993, the firm prides itself on maintaining the utmost integrity in delivering innovative solutions to all types of civil disputes. The firm’s successful formula involves top-tier neutrals, a great company culture and an experienced team of ADR professionals dedicated to delivering gold standard service in alternative dispute resolution (ADR).
Contact:
Melody Kleiman
Judicate West
(714) 852-5189
melody@judicatewest.com
