Hon. James P. Gray
After 25 years of service as a trial judge in the Orange County
courts, Judge Gray is available as a mediator, arbitrator and discovery
referee. Known for his work in creating novel programs aimed at curbing
repeat alcohol-related and juvenile offenses, Judge Gray began to
cultivate a reputation as an innovative jurist who proactively crafted
creative solutions to the problems before him. After being elevated to
the Superior Court in 1989, Judge Gray presided over calendars in civil,
criminal, probate, adoptions, mental health and juvenile courts.
Judge Gray’s experienced realism, creativity, practicality, and
disciplined optimism make him an ideal neutral to address and resolve
tort and business disputes, as well as problems based upon emotion and
company politics. During his years on the Superior Court, Judge Gray
became known for settling the “unsettleable” cases. For example, he
settled what was probably the first Catholic priest child sexual
molestation case in the country, resulting in positive institutional
changes in the Orange County and Los Angeles Dioceses of the Catholic
Church. He also settled the difficult Wade Boggs palimony case that had
been bouncing around the courthouse for more than a year before it
landed in his courtroom.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
• Personal Injury
• Business / Commercial Contract Disputes
• Probate
• Construction
• Insurance / Bad Faith • Real Estate (Commercial, Residential,
Landlord-Tenant, HOA)
• Discovery Reference
• Civil Rights
• Legal Malpractice
EDUCATION
1966 University of California, Los Angeles, B.A.
1971 University of Southern California School of Law, J.D.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Judicial Experience
1989 – 2009 Orange County Superior Court Judge
1983 – 1989 Orange County Municipal Court, Central Orange County
District
Legal & Trial Experience
1978 – 1983 Wyman, Bautzer, Rothman and Kuchel – Business litigation
1975 – 1978 Office of the United States Attorney – Assistant US Attorney
Prosecuted various frauds against the VA, FHA and other governmental
agencies
1972 – 1975 Navy JAG Corps - Staff Judge Advocate and Criminal Defense
Attorney
PAST & CURRENT MEMBERSHIPS
• Peace Corps Volunteer, Palmar Norte, Costa Rica (1966-68)
• California Judicial Council
• Orange County Board of Supervisors Alcohol Advisory Board
• California Department of Alcohol & Drug Programs Advisory Board
• Volunteer Center of Orange County Board of Directors
• Orange County Law Library Board of Directors
• Orange County Superior Court Executive Committee
• William P. Gray Chapter of the American Inns of Court, Founding
President
• USC Law School Board of Councilors
• California Judicial Council Committee on Juvenile Justice
• Constitutional Rights Foundation of Orange County
• Association of Business Trial Lawyers
• Orange County Trial Lawyers Association
PUBLICATIONS & TEACHING
Over the years, Judge Gray has volunteered as a guest lecturer on
numbers of professional subjects for the Continuing Education of the Bar
(“CEB”), the College of Trial Advocacy (“COTA”), and the Business
Litigation and the Probate Sections of the Orange County Bar
Association. He has also taught an undergraduate class on the Criminal
Justice System at Chapman University in Orange, California, and was a
guest presenter at the Chapman University Law School in 2006 at their
forum entitled “Are We at War?”
He is the author of three books and the composer of a high school
musical:
Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed, and What We Can Do About It – A Judicial
Indictment of the War on Drugs. 2001 by Temple University Press.
Wearing the Robe: the Art and Responsibilities of Judging in Today’s
Courts. 2008 by Square One Press.
A Voter’s Handbook: Effective Solutions to America’s Problems. 2010 by
The Forum Press.
“Americans All” – Full length and condensed versions by Heuer
Publishing.
PERSONAL
Judge James P. Gray is the son of the distinguished late Federal
District Court Judge William P. Gray (1912 - 2002).
He has also been awarded honorary doctor of laws degrees by both Western
State University School of Law and Chapman University School of Law, and
the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Orange County annually names a
recipient of the “Honorable James P. Gray Judge of the Year” award.
Judge Gray is married to Grace Walker Gray, has four children, including
an adopted Vietnamese son, is a member of the Methodist church, lives in
Newport Beach, California, and also writes a weekly column about issues
of our day for The Daily Pilot newspaper.
This page was last modified in June 2010
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